Evening star., 1927-05-20
MEMOIRS OF UNCLE JOE CANNON
CHAPTER XIX.


| " YNCLE JOE took a cynical view
| of insurgents, but that was
! because he knew how they
| ~ were made. 1t was not be
cause as related in the preceding
| chapter, they tried to drive him out
| Of the speakership in 1910 and then
weakened when he defied them. His
acouaintance with them began long
before. in fact. before the word lin
surgent" came into use. To the pub
lie they appeared as noble and disin-
terested reformers, but Uncle Joe had
learned through his experience as
Speaker how often petty motives en-
tered into the making Of an insurgent.
Sometimes these motives were so
mean and small as TO be microscopic.
He always did full justice to high
minded insurgents like Gardner OF
Massachusetts, though in such cases
he was frankly puzzled about their
mental processes. But, as for the gen.
eral run of them, he had seen so much
Of the shallowness and selfinterest
which went into their composition
that he was pretty irreverent when
thew nosed as martyrs or heroes.
Learned About Insurgents.
His first real contact with them
came before such words as inSurgent
and progressive were known. 1t was
a contact that taught him a lot, for
the experience he had was contrary
to everything he knew about politics.
1t was in 1904, at the end of his first
session as Speaker. A congressional
campaign was going on and a series
Of speaking dates had been arranged
for him in the West. Everything
went as usual until he got into Wis
consin, where the party was divided
between the old machine and the new
crowd headed by Gov. La Toilette.
They weren't called insurgents; there
was as yet no national division be-
tween progressives and standpatters,
and in Washington no one under
stood what the Wisconsin situation
was.
He was scheduled to speak in Rep,
resentativ3 Babcock's district, and his
car was dropped Off at q small town.
There was no one but railroad men
at the station when the car was placed
on the siding. Soon after we noticed
several small groups watching US and
cautiously approaching as from am
bush. They were watching the car,
but even more carefully watching
each other. Finally one group came
to the car and the others remained at
some distance. Those who came in
were friends of MIR. Babcock. but they
said they could not afford to appear
too officious as then the other fellows
would not come to the meeting. They
told the Speaker about the factional
warfare in the district and went away.
After they had disappeared another
group approached and made their call.
They were friends of Gov. La Toilette.
and they proceeded to tell their side
Of the trouble. They wanted the
Speaker to have a good meeting and
their following would all be present.
but they would be displeased if any
thing favorable to Babcock was said.
Situation Was Peculiar.
1t was the most peculiar situation
Mr.. Cannon encountered in the cam
paign. In the national Republican
convention, in Chicago. a few months
before, La Follette's delegation had
been defeated and the regulars headed
by Babcock seated, At the first stop
in the district he was met by oppos-
ing factions who We're like two hostile
bands Of Indians, tomahawks out,
waiting to see if any favor was to be
shown to the other. It required all
the diplomacy Uncle Joe possessed to
save his scalp. He escaped without
a scratch. kept the peace, had big
meetings. preached old-fashioned Re.
puhlicanism to both factions and was
heard with attention. but no one made
any manifestation Of approval. They
were there to hear whether anything
was said favorable to the other side.
After every meeting the opposing
groups came to say good-by, but they
came separately, and each told diff
ferent tale of woe. 1t was the same
in the other districts in Wisconsin,
and I never saw Uncle Joe more de-
pressed or more determined to get
through without making the trouble
worse than it was. When the car was
picked up at the last assignment and
the train started to leave Wisconsin,
though it was long past midnight, we
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