The Washington herald., 1922-02-14

.VVUu CVNdNEO
AFTER 50 YEARS
Regret Voiced in House
At Former "Czar's"
Announcement.
n Uncle Joe" Cannon. of Illinois.
president emeritus OF American pol
itics, is going to retire from Con-
gress.
He's had enough of public life.
Having broken all records for serv-
Ice in Congress, the one-time
Gear" of the House, now nearly
Sc years old, wants to quit and live
the remainder of his days among
the home folks in Danville, far from
the turmoil of politics.
Uncle Joe's office made the an
nouncement yesterday that he would
not enter the race for reelection
| this year. Ever since 1S72 Uncle
Joe has been a candidate for re-
election. He has fought twenty
Ave campaigns for election to Con-
gress and has lost two of them.
His period of service covers fifty
years, OF which time he has been
out of once only four years. He
was an experienced statesman. as
the late Champ Clark once put It.
when most Of the members OF the
House were trying to get their big
toe in their mouth"
House u stirred.
Uncle Joe is not quite SO spry
as he was when he ran for district
attorney on the same ticket with
Lincoln. His eyes aren't quite SO
keen. and his voice isn't quite so
steady. Besides. he has some busi-
ness affairs TO look after back IN
Vermillion County" Furthermore,
half a century in Congress ought to
be enough for any man. Uncle Joe
put all these reasons together and
declared they were quite enough to
| justify his getting cut.
Announcement of Mr.. Cannon's
retiring intentions set the House
agog. The fires of political ami
mostly, which blazed up SO fiercely
and drove him from power in 1910.
have died out entirely, and Mr.. Can
non today is Uncle Joe" to every
one, Republican and Democrat alike.
A short while after he had given
notice of quitting. he entered the
chamber. He forgot to take of his
overcoat and hat.
| Walsh Voices Regret.
Representative Walsh, of Massa-
chusetts, spied him. He got. up and
told the House that Uncle Joe was
going to leave.
"One year aEo. or perhaps II was
ten." said Representative Walsh.
I'VE had the pleasure of having read
to the House upon Lincoln's Birth
day the Gettysburg Address by our
| beloved and honorable colleague,
the gentleman from Illinois, Mr..
| Cannon. am sure that the House
will learn with keen regret, tinged
with sorrow, that he has announced
he will not be candidate for re-
nomination and reelection to this
House.
"It is not given 10 many men to
have served their country for nearly
half century in its Legislative
halls. I am sure that the regret
of the House will be shared by the
country at large, that he has seen
to lay down his duties as a public
servant, AMI that ! voice the senti-
ments of all who are serving with
him in the Congress of the United
States, in expressing to him the
wish and the hope that when he
lays down the cares OF office he
may have many years of comfort.
peace, contentment and hppiness."
VIII Serve out Term.
Handclaps and cheering followed.
Uncle Joe" acknowledged the dem
onstration with a smile and a wave
of his hand but did not attempt a
swan song. He will serve out his
present term which expires on
March 4. 1923. Six years ago on
the occasion of Mr.. Cannon's eighth
eth birthday, the House held a non
partisan demonstration in his honor.
All the leaders Of both parties paid
ltribute to him, and Uncle Joe" re-
tsponded with a wonderful speech,
the concluding words of which his
colleagues recalled yesterday, as fit
ting to the occasion of his retire
ment announcement. They were
these: -
CA man said to me the other day,
What would you give. Mr.. Cannon,
FOR an insurance policy that you
would live to be 100 years ,oldg' 1
said. a real policy that would make
me live-and would ! have to die
then at the>century markT 4
wosAa.'t Have II. y :
Yes he said. just: q policy of
that kind 80
|; '.I: said, what would give? I
would rather pay somstbing not to
have 1t. There is probably one man
In half million II. the United States
that, will live 70. be 100 years old,
and am, goinsfto take my chances
He said, That is a slim chance. I
said, Yes, but woul9 not have
the policy anyway, because every
day that would pass IL would occur
TO me that II was one day less!' Z
The. Great Father has arranged
properly; no man can foresee when
! he will die" ,-..,.....5