Evening star., 1927-05-28
MEMOIRS OF UNCLE JOE CANNON
BUSBEY His Confidential Secretary for Many Years
CHAPTER XxvH.
LV YHY didn't you join the
M Army in the Civil Warp
wv / once asked Mr.. Can
nnp bltfuflx-

Wv / once asked Mr.. Can
non bluntly.
tThe war Governor Of Illinois
wouldn't let him. broke in Maj. r,
w. McClaughry before Uncle Joe
could answer. 81 can answer your
question because I asked it Of Gov.
Yates more than so years ago. 1t
was after a war conference i'll the
State Capitol at which Cannon had
spoken with such vim that he in'
spired us all. l asked the man sit
ting next to me why the governor
had not given the young fellow com
mission. I said he ought to he in the
Army at the front, where he could
inspire the boys to fight. Better not
mention that to the governor was
the laconic reply of my neighbor
But I did mention it, and got a reply
that was characteristic of the old
war governor of the State.
"'Because we have more important
work for him at home said Gov.
Yates. We can make soldiers out OF
all sorts of men, but we can't make
district attorneys on the Wabash out
of ordinary material. Joe Cannon is
the district attorney over there, where
Copperheads are as thick now as they
were in the old days before the prairies
were put under cultivation. These
new-fangled Copperheads have mur-
dered Union soldiers before they could
be sent to the front and while they
were at home on furlough. They have
companies that are drilled and armed
for the purpose of murder. They do
not hesitate TO shoot loyal men in the
back.
Cannon's Bravery Lauded.
"'You boys at the front have the
advantage of being able to face a bold
enemy in the field and fight it out like
men. Joe Cannon has damned sight
meaner fighting over in the Wabash
country and quite as much of it as
any of you. The Knights of the
Golden Circle are terrorizing southern
Indiana, and Cannon is trying to hold
back the line at the Wabash. Don't
any of you suggest to him that he
ought to be in the Army. He is fight
ing the enemy in the rear, and it is
more dangerous than the enemy in
front. He is doing more effective
work than some of our generals i'll
the field, and if / thought / could
spare him, would give him a COM
mission, confident that he would make
a great soldier. But / intend to keep
Joe Cannon right where he is. He
cannot quit until / accept his resig
nation, and he knows it. So that ends
the matter
There you have the answer which
Gov. Yates gave to my question more
answer, Uncle Joe? You were a vic
tim of a selective draft"
"a mans work is often cut out for
him by circumstances" replied Uncle |
Joe. "I did not become a soldier be- |
cause / had a job I could not let go
of. Gov. Yates did not want me TO
resign, and as my resignation would |
have to be accepted by him, his was |
something more than a curbstone |
opinion
Tough Job as District Attorney.
''He had a tough job as district at |
torney." Maj. McClaughry interrupted |
again. parts of Illinois were in al |
most open rebellion. In 1864 there |
was the murder of seven Union sol |
diers in front of the courthouse at /
Charleston, which is the blackest spot |
in Illinois history. The men, who had |
been home on furlough. met at |
Charleston to take the train back to |
the front. It was the day for the
opening of the Spring term of court
and was observed as a sort of holiday,
the farmers coming from all parts Of
the country. Their teams were parked
about the public square, and it after
ward developed that many of these
men had guns hidden under the straw
in the wagon beds.
"The soldiers stacked their guns at
the railroad station and, unarmed,
ewent to the courthouse to meet and
say good-by, to friends. They were
shot down like mad dogs, and the
sheriff of the county led the mob, |
leaving his place in the courtroom to