The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-07-01
BISHOP DRYS'
new TERROR
OF congress
Cannon Fights to Hold Post
as Powerful Political
Leader.
SANK AL IN VIRGINIA
Plays Stock Market But
Gives Most of Profits
for the Cause
SANK AL IN VIRGINIA
BY RODNEY BUTCHER,
NEA Service Writer

Copyright. 1929, NEA Service. 1nc)
WASHINGTON, July l. - When
Wayne B. Wheeler died everyone
specialized as to who would take his
place as the outstanding leader of
the drys and the terror Of congress.
Few guessed right. 1t has turned
out to be the Bishop of Africa.
The Rev. James Cannon Jr., who
has bishoped for the Methodist
Episcopal church South in Africa,
Mexico, Cuba and Brazil now is
fighting to retain and strengthen
his position as one of the country'S
most powerful political factors.
The drys needed some one to
handle congress.
Cannon simply stepped into the
job and took on the task of beating
candidate Al Smith in Cannons
state of Virginia and other southern
states.
Carried Virginia for Hoover
He carried Virginia for Hoover
and has now set up state ticket
there to defeat the regular Demo-
cratic candidates in this years cleo
ton because they remained loyal to
the party candidate in the preSi-
dental campaign.
Because Senator Carter Glass bit
terly opposed Cannon's strenuous
anti-Smith efforts, the bishop ex-
poets to drive him out of public life
when Glass comes up for re-elec-
ton in 1890.
Like Wheeler, Bishop Cannon is
not especially impressive in appear
ance. He is about 5 feet and 8
inches tall and is g.
He wears rimleSs gold SpectacleS
and his hair is rather sparse.
His face has been somewhat
drawn since he nearly died from
a fever which he contracted while
taking shelter in an African hut
during storm.
He talks slowly, distinctly and as
if with complete authority for he
was once a school teacher.
No Redeerning Vice
The bishop doesn't smoke, of
course, and another Anti-Saloon
League leader remarks that he
hasn't a single redeeming vice"
He reads everything except poetry
and fiction.
When he writes he writes with
the utmost verbosity. His public
statements run to almost unbeliev-
able lengths.
He travels much Only recently
he returned from the Mediterranean
and the Holy Land, where he was
sent by the Christian Herald as a
reward for his effectiveness against
Al Smith.
He has averaged two European
trips a year for the last nine years.
Lately it has become known that
this practical, go-getting bishop for
years has been playing the stock
market. He also has made profit
able investments in real estate and
other projects.
Gives Savings to Cause
But what may take the curse off
this business is the story one
hears that Cannon has sunk nearly
all the money he has ever made in
the furtherance of his causes.
"I have spent practically all ever
saved Or made-approximately more
than S60,000-for the cause" Bishop
Cannon said last year.
He has attacked the administra-
ton as cheerfuly as he attacked the
Catholic church in the campaign
Cannon graduated from the
Princeton Theological Seminary and
entered the ministry in Virginia.
He was president of the Black
stone college for girle from 1914 to
1918, when he was elected a bishop.
He has served as chairman of
many religious boards and confer
enceS unconnected with prohibition,
and was editor of the Christian Ad-
vocate for fourteen years.
AS superintendent Of the Virginia
Anti-Saloon League from 1910 to
1919 he put over the Virginia dry
laws and rose to political power,
Bishop Cannon is chairman of
the Anti-Saloon Leagues national
legislative commission, of the ex-
exutive committee of the World
League Against Alcoholism and of
the Board of Temperance and Social
Service of the Methodist Episcopal
church.