Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-03-13
THE GHOSTS OF CONGRESS.

Congressman Cannon, who has been Familiarity
known as Uncle Joe" for many years, is rounding
out forty-six years of service in the House of Rep
resentatives at Washington. In an interview Just
published he tells Of some of his experiences, and
speaks OF some of the men with whom he has been
associated in his long public service. During the
years which he has passed in congress he has known
and worked with nearly five thousand men in the
enactment of legislation for the government of the
country. In the fifty years which have passed since
his first election to congress there have been some
big men in that body, and he has known them all.
Some OF them he mentions, and the names of Just
a few of them, such as Blaine, Randall, Stephens,
Hoar, Garfield, Mckinley and Reed are indicative
of the type of men who have helped to shape the
affairs of this nation during Mr.. Cahnon's long term
of service.
Sometimes it seems to many of us that all the
great men belonged to former generations, and that
they are all gone. Mr.. Cannon does not think so,
and he speaks out OF a wealth of personal experience
when he says:
Great as were the men and women of the
past. there are now more great men and more
great women i'll the United States than ever be-
fore in the history of the Republic. They are to
be found everywhere and in all the walks of life.
Whether in public or in private life, in Legisla-
lures, on the bench, whether it be in the indus
try of the country and carrying on the business
of the nation, whether they follow the plow or
are at work in the machine shops. there will be
found more people in the United States capable
" eC1l-S OVSII ll4lClI dliu ICdQy dI all tunes TO de-.
fend the flag than ever before since the dis
covery of America.
1t is cheering to read these words as uttered bv
a man just nearing the close of an unusually long
and active life, and who has had unusual opportun-
tiles for observation. Quite often the man of the
and benloalls the fact that things are not as they
were IN his youth. Uncle Joe recognizes the great
ness that there was in the past, but he finds material
tor hope and confidence in the present and the flu
ture. 1t is to be remembered that the men of a
former time whom we now consider great were
often not recognized as such by their own associ-
ates. CLOSE contact prevented The estimate Of things
in their true proportions, and it has remained for
those Of a later period to recognize the merit Of
many who lived unhonored and unsung. Doubt
less greatness exhibits itself in different forms ac-
|cording to the needs Of the time, and some ancient
philosopher some decades hence will be telling the
people Of his time of the %mangihcent men whom he
knew along in the first quarter Of the twentieth
century. @f
Rev. Or. Strston, of New York, and William A.
Brady. the well known theatrical manager, have
been debating on the morals of the stage. Dr..
Straton seems to think that the morals of the stage
are few and far between, and Mr.. Brady sought to
turn the tables on tl'e preacher by saying that there
arc more preachers than actors in the prisons Of the
United States. Dr.EsSlraton got busy collecting
statistics and then produces figures to show that
Mr.. Brady was away off. The reports show that
there are several times as many actors as preachers
in prison, though there are many more preachers
than actors in the country. It seems that the point
has been missed. The question is not how rnany
actors or preachers are in jail, but. how many Of
each there are at large who ought to be in jail. Are
there any figures on this feature availablc?
According to ! recent estimate Great Britain,s
participation I'M the arms conference cost $4,000.
and the saving 20 that country this year on account
of the conference will be over $l5,O00,OOO, which
JmaEeS II nnf - nd Investment