Evening star., 1923-03-12
EDITORIAL DIGEST

last of the statesmen. gone, with
nothing to mitigate the Norrises, the
Hi Johnsons. the wild Injun Brook.
harts, the demagogical La Follettes?
Ave atoue vale. John Sharp VIII
liams. hail and farewell"
Uncle Joe Cannon's picturesque
personality makes an appeal to his
countrymen,'' the Springfield Repub-
lican insists, land they have liked to
read about him especially in days
when. even before the final departure.
he had become more of congress
sional bystander than an actual par
ticipant in political controversy 1t
has been Mr.. Cannon's fate, pleasant
in one sense, but less SO in another.
to be a survivor of past and passing
political order. AS Speaker he ruled
with an iron hand. Then the long
process of the development of the
speakership was rudely arrested and
the powers Of the office were cur
tailed. Since then Mr.. Cannon has
been a survivor in a reminiscent
rather than an active sense, and the
country has had nothing save good
will toward him, as it has today in
his retirement, which, it is to be
hoped. will be filled with the best
pleasures of age and reflection He
was, after all. as the New York Times
sees him. "a good old czar, who has
given and taken so many hard knocks
in the last fifty years. He will dance
jig on his hundredth birthday. He
has done the state long service. He
has survived partisanship and is an
original salient national character.
The Senate also is poorer for the re-
tirement of his old friend and foe.
John Sharp Williams. who has been
in one house or the other most of the
last thirty years He was frank and
fearless, but he got sick of the show.
He has gone back to his books and
his plantation"
There was mingled with Speaker
Cannon's so-called autocratic methods
in the chair" as the Providence Jour-
nal recalls it, "a vein of strong COM
nonsense. He liked to see things
done. He hated hypocrisy. He used
all his strong powers of invective to
berate the man who adopted a holier-
than-thou attitude toward his fellow
man.. At eighty-seven Uncle Joe. is
far, let us hope, from finishing his
career He carried away with him
the genuine interest of his fellow
citizens, the affectionate regard of a
very great many Of them and the per-
sonal consciousness Of having given
consistently of his talents to the well
fare OF the country, as he judged
that welfare to be, through a period
outstripping the term Of any other
American who ever sat in either
branch Of the national lawmaking
body" He carried with him affection
VI ehC iouScSI oOTty Tile
Bulletin argues. and sit illustrates
the great strength and elasticity COM
bined In the American system. Politi-
cal battles, no matter how vehement
in their conduct and expression, leave
no personal rancor and work no for
feiture of esteem among the embat-
tied enemies" In this case. as in
that of John Sharp Williams "a great
figure retires." the Memphis CONNER
cial-Appeal insists. John Sharp Will
liams may have been wrong on some
issues, for no human mind is above
mistake. but when he was wrong
every one knew that his error was
thoroughly and absolutely honest. He
will go down in the records Of the
nation and Of the south as one of the
great men who have graced our legis-
lative tribunals. The Senate can i'll
AFFORD to lose him. There he has
occupied a distinguished position and
In the records Of senatorial achieve
ment he will fill a bright page"
"Their retirement is to be regretted
by all, as both were broad, splendid
statesmen" the Wheeling Register
points out.