Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-06
MEMOIRS OF UNCLE JOE CANNON
A. Told to T. WHITE BUsBEY His Con5den; Secretary for Manv Years
CHAPTER XXXVI.
TN one thing we haven't i'm
proved" said Uncle Joe Can
non philosophicallY II believe

I'm one thing we haven't i'm
- proved" said Uncle Joe Can
non philosophically. II believe
we had better publicity so
years ago, when the party press was
the rule and the so-called Independent
press the exception, than we have
now. The correspondents in the press
gallery then felt their responsibility
for reporting the proceedings OF Con-
gress. Then men representing papers
in sympathy with the party in power
were alert to present the record their
party was making, so that the people
would know it's failures on the part
of the administration. The press cor
respondents performed their functions
in Government just as did the mem
bers OF Congress. The men in the
press gallery now are perhaps as able
and conscientious as their predeces-
sors, but there has gone much Of the
serious discussion of legislative mat
tiers. 1t has given way to what is
considered more entertaining reading.
The cut Of a Congressman whiskers
or his clothes is a better subject for
a human interest story than what he
says in debate. The gossip of what
might have been done or what should
have been done takes the place Of
what has been done.
From the newspaper point Of view,
] can understand, nothing is news
that is not unusual or out of the or
binary run Of events. When l was
elected Speaker gave instructions to
my messenger that the Speakers
room was to be open to the newspaper
correspondents. l did not think there
would be much news in the Speakers
room, but I wanted to remove the air
of secrecy and mystery that always
surrounds any place where newspaper
men cannot go. I sometimes think
that this effort to allow the newspapers
access to everything in the Speakers
room was not an entire success, for
there were many curious calls and
many freak letters coming to the
Speaker, all Of which furnished the
correspondents with human interest
stories and contributed to the mod.
ern development Of news rather than
to legislative publicity.
Post Card Beats Hearings.
II remember one day in 1910 there
were six or seven very important sub.
Jects under consideration at the Capi.
toll. Senator Lodges committee on
the high cost of living began it's hear.
ings; the agriculture committee Of the
House had the conservation question
before it, with testimony from experts;
the judiciary committee took up prop
ositions to amend the Sherman anti.
trust law; Senator Bailey delivered
what was said by Senators to be one
or the greatest constitutional argu-
ments ever made in the Senate; the
special committee on the Ballinger.
Plnchot investigation heard important
testimony; the House passed the naval
Dill carrying appropriations of $780, |
100000, and the Senate debated the
postal savings banks bill. l thought
IT great day for news and expected
10 read reports Of each of these pro-
eeedings in the morning paper. But
l found next morning that all these
Things, which I had regarded as i'm. |
portant, had been subordinated TO a |
post card received by the Speaker the
Gay before. The post card purported |
20 De from group Of young ladies in |
ozao requesting me 70 open a n1atri. |
nonIal bureau and secure husbands |