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A RECORD 
 
 OF THE 
 
 TESTIMONIAL DINNER 
 
 -TO 
 
 ISonorabi^ Sloa^pll <ll. Cannon 
 of Miitwis 
 
 BY HIS 
 
 FRIENDS 
 
 ^ 
 
 FEBRUARY 15. 1913 
 WASHINGTON. D. C. 
 
♦ ■-' ^'^ r^^ 
 
 ^s 
 
 '1. 
 
 
 PRESS OF W. F. ROBERTS CO. 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
INDEX 
 
 ■if 
 
 Foreword 7 
 
 Guests 12 
 
 Menu 15 
 
 The Chairman 17 
 
 The Toastmaster 25 
 
 Mr. Speaker Clark 27 
 
 Senator Elihu Root 33 
 
 The Seven Ages of Cannon 39 
 
 Pleasantries from the Chair 41 
 
 When That Midnight Choo, Choo, Leaves for Illinois ... 44 
 
 Representative Samuel W. McCall 45 
 
 The Press Gallery 49 
 
 The President of the United States 53 
 
 De Watermilion Hangin' On De Vine 60 
 
 Mr. Underwood, of Alabama 61 
 
 Senator-Elect Ollie M. James 65 
 
 Senator John Sharp Williams 67 
 
 Featured in Cartoon and Song 73 
 
 Uncle Joe 74 
 
 Gen. Hillary A. Herbert 75 
 
 Presentation of a Marble Bust 77 
 
 Speech of Mr. Cannon 81 
 
 "Speed the Parting Guest" 87 
 
 The Song That Reached My Heart 88 
 
 Participants 89 
 
 The Committee 98 
 
 Comments of The Press 99 
 
 Bust of Hon. Joseph G. Cannon 105 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Fadns Page 
 
 Hon. B. S. Humphreys 16 
 
 Hon. J. Hampton Moore 24 
 
 Hon. Champ Clark 26 
 
 Senator Elihu Root 32 
 
 "The Seven Ages of Cannon" 38 
 
 Hon, Samuel W. McCall 44 
 
 Hon. William H. Taft 52 
 
 Hon. Oscar W. Underwood 60 
 
 Senator OUie M. James 64 
 
 Senator John Sharp Williams 66 
 
 "Uncle Joe" — Cartoon 72 
 
 Hon. Hillary A. Herbert 74 
 
 Marble Bust of Cannon 76 
 
 Hon. Richard Bartholdt 78 
 
 Hon. Joseph G. Cannon 80 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 ^^^ HE greatest of Roman orators and states- 
 ^^^ men regretted that "True friendships 
 are rarely found in those who are occu- 
 pied in the pursuit of honors and public affairs." 
 That Roman ideals in the days of Cicero do 
 not measure the relations of American public 
 men in the twentieth century was demonstrated 
 in the National capital on Saturday night, Feb- 
 ruary 15, 1913. 
 
 This demonstration was a dinner given in 
 honor of Joseph Gumey Cannon, the man who 
 for forty years has been in the thick of American 
 political conflicts, who has ever been known as a 
 partisan for principle, but who has numbered his 
 friends on both sides of the contest and in the 
 ranks of all political parties. 
 
 This was the inspiration for the dinner to Mr. 
 Cannon by his friends — to recognize him as a 
 FRIEND whose personal relations are above 
 political controversy; and to recognize also his 
 distinguished service to good government, hon- 
 
estly and fearlessly contended for, striking for 
 principle without personal animosity. 
 
 Men of all parties combined to arrange for this 
 dinner and men of all parties and factions as- 
 sembled as hosts to honor the man. 
 
 The Republican President, the Democratic 
 Speaker of the House, the Chief Justice and As- 
 sociate Justices of the United States Supreme 
 Court, Senators and Representatives, officers of 
 the army and navy, men in every department of 
 official life and in every walk of civil life, holding 
 every political view in the range of American 
 politics, were assembled about the banquet board 
 to drink one toast with the heartiness of admirers 
 and true lovers — Uncle Joe, the true friend, the 
 sturdy patriot, the fearless and practical legis- 
 lator. 
 
 This dinner was also something more than a 
 demonstration in honor of Mr. Cannon. It was 
 a truer picture of American politics and men in 
 public life in their relations to each other than 
 is usually represented in the public prints; and 
 at the request of many who participated in the 
 event a verbatim report of what was said by 
 some of the most distinguished Americans of to- 
 day is here presented. 
 
all|f Htorma ma^ tnmt, lljf mxtdiB may blom, 
 
 OIt|? sa)ilttt$a unli % )imr0 man ^^^l* 
 l&vA Umptvth to tl|0 0un nnh j&nam, 
 
 ®Ij0 atttr&g oak BixmamB tlyrm all. 
 Ati!i Bfl m bgtalalttif liallB, 
 
 Mi^m mm attb mmBuvtB tomt attd 90* 
 (©tt IFam^'a rttiurtttg «rorli rallH, 
 
 QIt|F Iinttar r^ ata mitt; Ittrk 3lo?. 
 
Bfnn^r 
 
 BY HIS FRIENDS 
 TO THE 
 
 Honorable Joseph G. Cannon 
 of Illinois 
 
 THE RALEIGH 
 
 WASHINGTON. D. C. 
 
 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY FIFTEENTH 
 
 19 13 
 
The President of the United States 
 
 The Honorable Joseph G. Gannon 
 of Illinois 
 
The House will be in order 
 
 THE CHAPLAIN 
 
 IVill offer prayer— Cannon rules 
 Will lead in prayer— Clark version 
 
■A- -A- 
 
 -k ii 
 
 Mtmt 
 
 ^ 
 
 GRAPE FRUIT WITH MARASCHINO 
 CELERY SALTED ALMONDS OLIVES 
 
 CLEAR GREEN TURTLE 
 
 CHESAPEAKE BASS. AU GRATIN 
 
 FILET OF BEEF WITH FRESH MUSHROOMS 
 
 NEW STRING BEANS POTATO CROQUETTES 
 
 ROMAN PUNCH 
 
 STUFFED ROYAL SQUAB, AU CRESSON 
 
 HEARTS OF LETTUCE WITH FRENCH DRESSING 
 
 FANCY ICES ASSORTED CAKES 
 
 TOASTED CRACKERS 
 
 CHEESE 
 
 DEMI TASSE 
 
Hon B. G. Humphreys 
 
THE CHAIRMAN 
 
 m 
 
 R. HUMPHREYS, of Mississippi (chair- 
 
 S^lgjW man of the committee). The House 
 
 will please be in order. I hope no gen- 
 
 tleman here tonight has gotten the notion into 
 his head that this is a farewell dinner. We are 
 not here to celebrate any feast of lamentations. 
 Through a long, eventful, patriotic, and high- 
 purposed public career Mr. Cannon has demon- 
 strated that to lay on him the injunction to fare- 
 well would be entirely superfluous. [Applause.] 
 Those of us who have had the good fortune to 
 serve with him through a part of his career have 
 simply gathered here to testify to the high es- 
 teem and great respect which we entertain for 
 one of the choice and master spirits of the age. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 The only regrets which, under the rules under 
 which we proceed tonight, will not be declared 
 out of order are those I am going to read now. 
 A great number of gentlemen from all parts of 
 
 17 
 
the country have written their regrets at their in- 
 ability to be with us tonight. I shall read only a 
 few of their letters : 
 
 February 12, 1913. 
 
 Hon. B. G. Humphreys, 
 
 House of Representatives, 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
 Honorable and Dear Sir : It is with sincere re- 
 gret that I find myself prevented from assisting 
 at the dinner which is being given to my good 
 friend, Mr. Cannon, whom I have known for so 
 many years and whose sterling qualities of mind 
 and heart I have always admired. It is most fit- 
 ting that Mr. Cannon's friends, who we all know 
 are many, should wish to tender him this mark of 
 esteem and affection upon his retirement from 
 public life after so many years of faithful service 
 to his country as Speaker in the House of Repre- 
 sentatives, an office which he filled with dignity 
 and ability, and I beg to offer my most sincere 
 good wishes for his health and prosperity in the 
 future. 
 
 With sentiments of the highest esteem, I beg 
 to remain. 
 
 Most faithfully yours, 
 
 James Cardinal Gibbons, 
 Archbishop of Baltimore. 
 
 P. S. — Although Mr. Cannon modestly con- 
 fesses to be a septuagenarian, he has the mental 
 and physical vigor of a man of 50, and he may yet 
 return to Congress and be found at the same old 
 stand. 
 
 18 
 
February 3, 191 3. 
 
 Hon. Eugene F. Kinkead, 
 House Building, 
 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
 Dear Sir: I should consider it a great honor 
 and an especial pleasure to be present at the ap- 
 proaching public dinner of the Hon. Joseph G. 
 Cannon, o£ Illinois. His great services to the 
 country, through so many years, entitle him to 
 the finest tribute of the kind that can be devised. 
 
 But I deeply regret to say that at the time 
 named I have engagements which absolutely for- 
 bid me to be present with you. 
 
 With all good wishes for the success of your 
 festival, and joining most heartily in congratula- 
 tions to your eminent guest, I remain, 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 
 Andrew D. White. 
 
 19 
 
January 31, 191 3. 
 
 Hon. B. G. Humphreys, 
 
 House of Representatives, 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
 My Dear Sir: On account of my long friend- 
 ship and esteem for the ex-Speaker I would be 
 very glad to show my appreciation of his per- 
 sonal worth and public services by my presence 
 at the testimonial dinner to be given Mr. Cannon 
 on the evening of February 15. I, however, ex- 
 pect to be away from the city at that time, en- 
 gagements already made requiring my presence 
 elsewhere. Indomitable will, sterling integrity, 
 and clear and comprehensive grasp and forcible 
 presentation of public questions, all intertwined 
 with a wholesome good nature and a keen sense 
 of humor, are traits not often combined, and 
 which attract and endear Mr. Cannon to a wide 
 circle of personal friends, and a much wider one 
 of ardent admirers. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 H. G. Davis. 
 
 20 
 
[Telegram.] 
 St. Louis, Mo., February 13, 1913. 
 
 Hon. W. B. McKinley, M. C, 
 
 Washington, D. C. : 
 
 Thanks for invitation, and very sorry I can not 
 be present to join in temporary adieu to Uncle 
 Joe, who is sure to come back as soon as he fin- 
 ishes sowing his wild oats. 
 
 Henry King, 
 Editor St. Louis Globe-Democrat. 
 
 21 
 
And here is a letter which is written from Dan- 
 ville, 111., by one of those among whom our dis- 
 tinguished guest has lived and walked and had 
 his daily being: 
 
 February 3, 19 13. 
 
 Hon. E. F. Kinkead, Washington, D. C. 
 
 Respected Sir: I deeply regret that I can not 
 be present on the 15th instant to aid in honoring 
 my great and good friend, Hon. Joseph G. Can- 
 non. I have known and worked with him for the 
 past 40 years. He is of the saving salt of the 
 earth. 
 
 The people of this eighteenth congressional 
 district have continued him in Congress for over 
 a generation on account of his genius for com- 
 mon sense, his sterling integrity, his devotion to 
 principle, and his all-around rugged, manly, 
 moral qualities. He lives in their hearts, and 
 they will continue to love and honor him as a pri- 
 vate citizen as faithfully as they have in official 
 life. To us he will be forever our beloved Uncle 
 Joe. 
 
 Respectfully and sincerely, 
 
 W. R. Jewell, 
 Chairman Republican Committee 
 of the Eighteenth Illinois Con- 
 gressional District. 
 
 22 
 
Now, as I said in the outset, there are to be no 
 heavy hearts here tonight. This is, in fact, a re- 
 union of the light brigade, and mark how well 
 the sequel holds together: I have Cannon to the 
 right of me and big guns to the left of me, and I 
 am going to call upon one of these, the gentle- 
 man from Pennsylvania, Mr. J. Hampton Moore, 
 to take charge of this affair and to indicate who 
 are to volley and thunder hereafter. [Applause.] 
 
Hon. J. Hampton Moore 
 
H 
 
 The Toastmaster 
 
 ON. J. HAMPTON MOORE. Having 
 been delegated by the committee as 
 toastmaster on this occasion, I want to 
 announce, "under the rules," that the insignia of 
 this office consist, first of a blue pencil, which is 
 thoroughly well understood in every well-regu- 
 lated newspaper office, and in legislative halls, as 
 an admonition to be brief, to cut out extraneous 
 matter. 
 
 Second, a pair of scissors, which mean that if 
 the old stories are told too often we may clip 
 them off. Those who are to speak are gently 
 admonished that after one or two repetitions of 
 "Mr. Cannon on the Wabash" the scissors will 
 be applied; that that "virile young manhood," 
 which is sometimes referred to in public speeches, 
 will also be eliminated after the second utter- 
 ance; that those who "came to Congress with 
 Mr. Cannon in 1812" need not mention it after 
 the second speech. [Applause and laughter.] 
 
 All speeches will be limited to five minutes, 
 and it is to be hoped that even the great men who 
 are assembled here will respect this rule. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 Third, and last of the insignia, is the gavel, 
 which means authority, and it is hoped it will be 
 
 25 
 
respected, even though it may be wielded by one 
 who is inferior to the task and purposes of this 
 entertainment. 
 
 Tonight we are to show Mr. Cannon we love 
 and respect him. [Applause.] In deference to 
 him and to his family it is announced now that 
 this is to be a feast, not a farewell ; a symposium, 
 not a formality. We are tonight 
 
 "To frame our mind to mirth and merriment. 
 Which bars a thousand harms and lengthens 
 life." 
 
 [Applause.] [After a pause:] 
 
Hon Champ Clark 
 speaker of the house 
 
Mr. Speaker Clark 
 
 At this table sits the greatest Speaker of the 
 House of Representatives since the days of Can- 
 non. [Applause and laughter.] Over in the 
 House we regard him, mentally and in physique, 
 as the most imposing figure that has occupied the 
 Chair in half a dozen generations. So big do we 
 regard him that nothing short of the Presidency 
 will satisfy the most of us. [Applause.] Gentle- 
 men, the Hon. Champ Clark, of Missouri. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 PEAKER CLARK. That first state- 
 ment of the toastmaster about "my 
 being the greatest Speaker since the 
 days of Cannon" reminds me of the schoolboy 
 who said he stood next to the head of his class, 
 and his daddy inquired and found there were 
 only two in the class. [Applause and laughter.] 
 I am glad to be here tonight to help give a 
 pleasant evening to one of the greatest of all 
 my predecessors in the chair of the House of 
 Representatives. [Applause.] That is what his- 
 tory will have to say, no difference what the 
 Members who have scrapped with him thought ; 
 and they thought he was a good deal of a man, 
 
 27 
 
too, while he was scrapping with them. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 I am the thirty-sixth of the line, not counting 
 one man who, for some unaccountable reason, 
 was elected Speaker for one day. That is one of 
 the puzzles of history to me. There have been a 
 whole lot of Speakers pro tempore elected, but 
 one man was actually elected Speaker for one 
 day. That was Theodore M. Pomieroy. Schuy- 
 ler Colfax was going out of the office of Speaker 
 into the office of Vice-President, and all he had 
 to do was to walk six or seven hundred feet to 
 the other end of the Capitol and be sworn in ; but 
 on the evening of the 2d of March he resigned the 
 office of Speaker. So if you count Mr. Pomeroy 
 I am the thirty-seventh of the lot. The way I 
 found out about him was because Congress 
 passed a law authorizing the painting of oil por- 
 traits of all the Speakers to be placed in the lobby 
 of the House; and Mr. Pomeroy's grandson 
 wrote to me and wanted to know if he came in 
 on one of those $500 portraits up there. So I got 
 a piece of history that I was not fishing for. 
 
 There have been five or six great Speakers 
 who have had a dominating spirit and everything 
 greased for them, and good machines at their 
 hands, and they made great reputations ; but no 
 man will ever make a great reputation in that 
 chair unless he is lavishly endowed with common 
 sense [applause] ; because, after all, that is all 
 
 28 
 
there is to it. And of all the men I have met in 
 my goings to and fro, and tabernacling in the 
 flesh, I write Uncle Joe down as one of the most 
 thoroughly common-sense men that ever came 
 down the congressional pike. [Applause.} 
 
 I do not take much stock in farewell dinners, 
 or funerals, or weddings. I had just about as lief 
 go to a funeral as a wedding, with the exception 
 of my own. Uncle Joe goes ; but I am not sure 
 but that like Cataline, "he goes, but he returns." 
 [Applause and laughter.] That would be the 
 only resemblance I ever heard of between the 
 two. [Applause.] 
 
 The man who has never been in the Army can 
 never have any conception of the feeling which 
 men have for one another who have fought side 
 by side and shoulder to shoulder in the face of 
 death ; but next to that I think the fellow feeling 
 between men who fight in the House of Repre- 
 sentatives — ^because that is where the fighting is 
 done — is next to the fellow feeling of having 
 fought in the Army together; and the men who 
 fight the hardest against each other have the 
 greatest respect for each other. 
 
 I have not the slightest idea that the next two 
 years are going to be dull or heavy on Uncle 
 Joe's hands. He knows how to entertain him- 
 self, and he knows how to entertain others. 
 [Laughter.] There is one thing I have been 
 trying to get him to do. He has never promised 
 
 29 
 
me to do it. He owes it to the people of the 
 United States in general and to the coming Con- 
 gresses in particular to write a book of reminis- 
 cences. [Applause.] Amongst his other quali- 
 ties there is not a man within my acquaintance, 
 which is somewhat extensive, who can beat him 
 telling an anecdote or a reminiscence. He holds 
 the belt, as a prizefighter would say, for length of 
 service in the House of Representatives. In 124 
 years no man has succeeded in serving in that 
 House 40 years. Mr. Cannon has served 38, and 
 if he had not been beaten once he would be serv- 
 ing his fortieth year. If I had not been beaten 
 once I would be serving my twentieth. It does 
 not hurt much to get beat. [Applause.] The 
 man who served the longest in the two Houses 
 of Congress put together was Senator Allison. 
 He served 43^ years in the two Houses of Con- 
 gress. 
 
 When I came here first there was a supersti- 
 tion that no man ever would serve 30 years in the 
 House. They would get past 29 — two or three 
 of them did — ^but they would die before they 
 reached the thirtieth year, and Judge Holman, of 
 Indiana, was the first man who ever broke the 
 hoodoo. [Laughter.] Now, the 40 years that 
 Uncle Joe has been in public life, including the 
 time he was circuit attorney in Illinois, about the 
 time Lincoln was elected President, or a little 
 after, have brought him into contact, first and 
 
 30 
 
last, with nearly every prominent man in the 
 United States and with a great many who are not 
 in the United States, and if he can write as well 
 as he can talk his reminiscences would make a 
 book that would discount Boswell's "Life of 
 Johnson," because he has known better men and 
 greater men and more of them. 
 
 Now, I am not going to detain this audience 
 under the five-minute rule, but I will say that 
 after i8 years of battling with Uncle Joe I wish 
 for him prosperity, happiness, and length of days. 
 [Prolonged applause.] 
 
Senator Elihu Root 
 
Senator Elihu Root 
 
 Toastmaster Moore. There is no partisanship 
 in this meeting. All think alike tonight in honor 
 of our guest. You know there is not so much 
 credit in presiding over a national convention, 
 such as that at Baltimore, that nominates a can- 
 didate for President who is elected, but there is 
 vast credit due to the man who presides over a 
 convention at Chicago that nominates a candi- 
 date for President who is not elected. [Laughter 
 and applause.] And the man who presided over 
 that great convention and who is entitled to all 
 the honors that result therefrom [laughter] is 
 the distinguished Senator from New York, Elihu 
 Root, whom I now have the pleasure of present- 
 ing. [Applause.] 
 
 ENATOR ROOT. Mr. Toastmaster, 
 Mr. Chairman, and my dear Uncle 
 Joseph, I am glad to congratulate you 
 upon your approaching vacation. If any man in 
 this world, by reason of truly religious service, is 
 entitled to a sabbatical year, you are entitled to 
 it after this long period of public service. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 I know that it is only a vacation, because if the 
 people of the Danville district do not get over 
 
 33 
 
their brief aberration within two years you have 
 only to come to New York and I will turn over 
 to you a place in the other coordinate branch of 
 the legislative department of the Government 
 where you can exercise the salutary influence by 
 which you have made the House of Representa- 
 tives the great and efficient body that it is. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 I am glad to congratulate you, not only be- 
 cause there are a thousand reminiscences that 
 make me feel kindly to you, as men who have 
 fought together do feel toward each other, but 
 because you are real. [Cries of "Good," and 
 prolonged applause.] 
 
 There is nothing in public life, I think, of 
 which a man gets more tired than of lying and 
 humbug. [Applause.] It is very hard for all of 
 us to talk to people from a public stage as we talk 
 to each other. It is very hard for all of us to tell 
 the truth when we are talking to the people. It 
 is very hard for all of us to tell the truth when we 
 think it will hurt us. It is very hard for all of us to 
 keep our promises. But in the world of humbug, 
 I am glad to do honor to a man who has always 
 had the courage of his convictions [cheers and ap- 
 plause], the courage to say what he believes, to 
 say nothing that he does not believe [applause], 
 and to act according to his convictions. 
 
 I remember some years ago saying that if 
 Uncle Joe were not so old, nothing on earth could 
 
 34 
 
keep him from being nominated for the Presi- 
 dency — and it was true. All of a sudden came 
 along a situation in which he was called upon to 
 act at the behest of great and powerful influence, 
 and he refused, because he did not think it would 
 be right to do it; and then was begun the cry of 
 "Cannonism." He has outlived it. I would like 
 to hold up for the contemplation of the people of 
 the United States the example of this man, who 
 dared to become unpopular by doing what he be- 
 lieved to be his duty and who has outlived it. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 There is another reason why I am glad to do 
 you honor — because you stand for all the people 
 of the United States. Your own experience in 
 Congress, the variety of positions you have held, 
 your long service as chairman of the Committee 
 on Appropriations, called upon to consider the 
 interests of every part of the country, your long 
 service as Speaker of the House, have made you 
 the representative not alone of the Danville dis- 
 trict, but of the people of the United States. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 Let me say to you, my friends in the Senate 
 and the House who are here, that the great rea- 
 son why the Executive is able to command the 
 sympathy of the people of the United States 
 against Congress so frequently is that the people 
 think we are representing our selfish local inter- 
 ests, while he represents the whole people; and 
 
 35 
 
for the dignity, the influence, and the power of 
 the legislative branch of the United States Gov- 
 ernment it is well for us to do honor to the man 
 who represents not alone his own district but all 
 the people of the country. [Applause.] 
 
 I am glad to do you honor for another reason — 
 because looking about me and seeing Standpat- 
 ters and Progressives and Democrats of all 
 shades and stripes of opinion, I see in this meet- 
 ing that we are not becoming Mexicanized ; I see 
 in the fact that we all do honor to the hardest 
 hitter, to the boldest Speaker, to the man who 
 has never hesitated to express and stand by his 
 opinions, however they might differ from the 
 opinions of others, I see in this general concur- 
 rence of honor and affection for him, that still 
 underlying all the storm and stress of American 
 politics is the genuine American spirit of brother- 
 hood toward all Americans. [Prolonged ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 Toastmaster Moore. Sixty-eight years ago 
 today, upon a farm in Oneida County, N. Y., was 
 brought into this world a little boy, who grew up 
 to be a lawyer; being appointed subsequently to 
 
 36 
 
the President's Cabinet ; he became a great Sec- 
 retary of War, the pacificator of the Latin- 
 American Republics; is now a Senator of the 
 United States, who, in the very acme of his ca- 
 reer, upon his birthday, this very night, deUvered 
 the oration you heard a few moments ago. [Ap- 
 plause.] Without rising will you drink to the 
 health of Senator Root, and as you do so, salute 
 him by name. [Applause and cries of "Root, 
 Root."] 
 
'The Seven Ages of Cannon' 
 
The Seven Ages of Cannon 
 
 HERE will now be an innovatio-n by a 
 Shakespearean scholar of note in Wash- 
 ington, Mr. Henry L. West, of The 
 Gridiron Club. 
 
 The lights were extinguished and upon a screen 
 were thrown a series of lantern slide portraits of 
 Mr. Cannon, while Mr. West recited the fol- 
 lowing : 
 
 All the world's a stage, 
 And all the men and women merely players, 
 Making their exits and their entrances, 
 And one man in his time plays many parts, 
 His acts being seven ages. First, the infant 
 Not muling and puking in his nurse's arms, 
 But strong and sturdy from his very birth, 
 Full of strange oaths and bearded like a pard ; 
 Drawing his sustenance from a big, black cigar, 
 And not from any bottle. Next the schoolboy 
 Studjang the rules which he himself hath writ. 
 His favorite book a work on Parliamentary Law 
 Compiled by Asher Hinds. Then a country 
 
 lawyer. 
 Wearing a black slouch hat and long frock coat, 
 His fees unfortunately small and his clients just 
 
 as few 
 
 39 
 
As there will be Republicans in the next House. 
 
 Then seeking reputation at the ballot box, 
 
 He next becomes a member of the House, 
 
 Disbursing offices and garden seeds, 
 
 And placing Danville, Illinois, upon the map. 
 
 Behold him sitting at his office desk, 
 
 Giving an imitation of a man at work. 
 
 Then, as the Speaker of the House the gavel 
 
 holds. 
 An autocrat, a law unto himself, yet ruling well. 
 —The sixth stage is the guest of honor everywhere. 
 A welcome guest where'er good fellowship 
 Binds human hearts as it does here tonight. 
 And "in the last analysis" we see him as himself, 
 A man whose rugged frame doth laugh to scorn 
 The very god of time. Upon his head 
 The burdens of the years do lightly press. 
 Undaunted by defeat and destined yet 
 To swing the battle axe and crack some heads. 
 To him we do not say "farewell" but "We will 
 
 see you later." 
 Sans job, sans salary, sans everything — but 
 
 friends. 
 [Applause.] 
 
Pleasantries from the Chair 
 
 ^ 
 
 OASTMASTER MOORE. I have been 
 requested to ask if William B. McKin- 
 ley is in the hall. If he is, will he kindly 
 listen? The waiters will subside for a moment. 
 Mr. McKinley will kindly rise to his feet. And 
 is Mr. Martin B. Madden in the hall? If so, will 
 he rise? And Mr. Ira C. Copley — is he in the 
 hall? Now, gentlemen, you look upon the spec- 
 tacle of the three millionaires of Illinois. 
 [Laughter and applause.] The richest of them 
 is Mr. Copley. All of them are on the dinner 
 committee, and have requested that they be not 
 called upon, with the single exception of Mr. 
 Martin B. Madden, who will not be. [Laughter.] 
 I have also been asked to inquire if the Hon. 
 James R. Mann is in the hall. If so, will he 
 kindly rise? [Applause and cries of "Mann! 
 Mann!"] I ask you all to gaze upon this fine 
 figure standing out against the background of 
 festive smilax. He is the leader of the Republi- 
 can minority in the House. [Applause.] While 
 in Porto Rico some time ago, a delegate in the 
 assembly there shook hands with Mr. Mann and 
 said, "Sir, I know you well. I have read every 
 one of your speeches." [Laughter.] Thereupon 
 the late Vice-President of the United States, Mr. 
 
 41 
 
Sherman, said "You must be the busiest man on 
 the island." [Laughter.] [After a pause.] It 
 is not often, gentlemen, that a mere tyro in these 
 matters has an opportunity to hold up his boss. 
 Mr. Mann, your time has expired. [Prolonged 
 laughter and applause.] 
 
The Toastmaster. The Gridiron Club and 
 Uncle Joe are the most celebrated institutions in 
 Washington, and The Gridiron Club is here rep- 
 resented by its famous quartette. We'll hear 
 from Henry Stevens and the Gridiron Quartette. 
 
When That Midnight Choo, Choo, Leaves 
 For Illinois. 
 
 I have no briney tears to shed, 
 
 I'm very, very far from dead. 
 
 But I'm going to give to Congress my adeau (adieu) ; 
 
 The Democrats have beaten me. 
 
 But I'll get even yet, you see ; 
 
 There are some friends at home to stand by me, 
 
 So tonight you find me singing happily. 
 
 Chorus : 
 When that Midnight Choo, Choo, leaves for Illinois, 
 I'll be right there, 
 I've got my fare; 
 
 When I see that rusty haired conductor man, 
 I'll grab him by the collar, 
 Then I'll holler 
 Illinois ! Illinois ! 
 That's where you stop your train, 
 That takes me back again 
 Home to my friends again; 
 Then we'll make some noise, boys; 
 I will be right there with bells, 
 When that old conductor yells 
 All aboard ! All aboard ! 
 All aboard for Illinois. 
 
 I really hate to say good-bye, 
 I don't believe I'd better try. 
 Because I'm sure I'm coming back some day, 
 I'm going to show that I can fight. 
 And I can lick them, too, alright; 
 But I will not have to travel all alone, 
 There are others who can in this chorus join. 
 Chorus : 
 
Hon. Samuel W. McCall 
 
Representative Samuel W. McCall 
 
 Toastmaster Moore . Gentlemen, the iron heel 
 of the Chair will be used in enforcing the rules 
 [laughter], and you will respect them, of course. 
 We have at this head table tonight the Chief Jus- 
 tice of the Supreme Court of the United States, 
 but the tradition which holds with respect to that 
 office forbids him to speak on an occasion of this 
 kind. In his stead, happily, we have one who 
 combines not only the judicial qualities, but also 
 the legislative and executive, a leader of the 
 House of Representatives and a scholar in poli- 
 tics, the Hon. Samuel W. McCall, of Massachu- 
 setts. [Applause.] 
 
 ^ R. McCALL. Mr. President, you have 
 given me a rather large contract to fill, 
 to respond for the Chief Justice and 
 associate justices and the executive and legisla- 
 tive departments of the Government. It is very 
 evident that this occasion is not taking on the 
 appearance of obsequies [laughter] ; that it is not 
 celebrating or commemorating the passing of a 
 figure. It is not commemorating the ending of a 
 career. It seems by common consent to be an 
 "au revoir" dinner. There seems to be the im- 
 pression that the public career of Uncle Joe m 
 
 45 
 
not ended. In the first place he has a passion for 
 the public service, an instinct for it; in the next 
 place he has the spirit of unquenchable youth; 
 and in the next he has a constituency that is de- 
 voted to him, and that has pouted only twice in 
 40 years. It is inevitable, therefore, with all 
 these qualities of youth and instinct, and the de- 
 votion of his constituency, that the Sixty-fourth 
 Congress will see him back again in Washington. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 He is a man who has the affection of his po- 
 litical opponents as well as of his political 
 friends. I think there has been no time since 
 I have served in Washington that he has not 
 been the most popular man on both sides of 
 the House. He is most effective in the ordinary 
 business of the House, and he easily rises to 
 great occasions, as he did three years ago at the 
 height of the unpleasantness, when, after a three 
 days' battle when the House was charged with 
 excitement, when men had come to witness the 
 contest from all over the country, he rose, even 
 as admitted by those who differed with him, to 
 the proportions of a hero. 
 
 Since he came here from the year 1872 to the 
 present time, he has been associated with some 
 of the greatest men who have ever served in Con- 
 gress, from Blaine and Garfield to Reed and Mc- 
 Kinley, and he has shown himself their fit com- 
 panion. We are commemorating tonight a 
 
 46 
 
strong career, that of a man who has shown that 
 he is adapted in as high degree as any man of his 
 time to the strenuous contests of parliamentary 
 service. It is significant that gentlemen of all 
 parties should be here tonight, vieing with each 
 other in showing their respect for a statesman 
 who is thoroughly human, who affects no dignity, 
 and does not belong to what is called the "frock- 
 coat" school, a statesman of real ability, of gen- 
 uine worth, and of sterling honesty, who is con- 
 cerned to secure the best interests of the whole 
 country and is brave to go only where his best 
 judgment leads — I say we do ourselves honor 
 tonight in honoring Uncle Joe Cannon. [Pro- 
 longed applause.] 
 
The Press Gallery 
 
 HE Fourth Estate claimed its place on the 
 programme on the ground that Mr. 
 Cannon having been in the public eye 
 for half a century had furnished more copy for 
 the newspapers than any other living man, and 
 his relations with the Washington correspond- 
 ents had been that of a friend as well as a victim. 
 As humor distorts nothing and false gods are 
 laughed off their earthly pedestals, the stunt 
 which the newspaper correspondents pulled off 
 during the course of the dinner deserves more 
 than a mere word in passing, for the little foibles 
 of the distinguished guests were touched upon in 
 a manner that, while exceedingly funny and some- 
 times a bit satirical, left no hurt behind. 
 
 Seven correspondents, Edgar C. Snyder, of 
 the Omaha Bee; E. B. Clark, of the Chicago 
 Evening Post; Robert H. Patchin, of the New 
 York Herald; George Miller, of the Detroit 
 News ; Oswald F. Schuette, of the Chicago Inter- 
 Ocean; Gus J. Karger, of the Cincinnati Times- 
 Star, and Theodore Tiller, of the Washington 
 Times, appeared in a small gallery overlooking 
 the banquet hall which had been arranged to rep- 
 resent a section of the press gallery in the hall 
 
 49 
 
of the House of Representatives, with a painted 
 representation of the clock which hangs over the 
 Speaker's rostrum the central feature of the 
 scene. The "boys" were supposed to be there for 
 work rather than recreation and for the purpose 
 of reporting the debate on the floor below. They 
 made remarks as to the characteristics of the gen- 
 tlemen as they were inquired about by Mr. Sny- 
 der, who impersonated a cub reporter whose 
 knowledge of the attainments of the v/ell-known 
 men in public life was necessarily nebulous in 
 view of his supposed late advent as a member of 
 the correspondents* corps. 
 
 The act was inaugurated with much noise on 
 the part of the correspondents as they took their 
 places along the gallery rail to watch the scene 
 below. Their loud conversation and cries for 
 "Western Union," "Postal," "messenger boy" 
 called for a stem rebuke from Mr. Moore, the 
 toastmaster. 
 
 "You gentlemen of the press must observe the 
 rule as to noise and confusion in the gallery," 
 said the toastmaster, as he banged the table with 
 his gavel thereby attracting the attention of the 
 diners to the gallery. 
 
 "We have a right to be here under the Consti- 
 tution," said the cub reporter, promptly. 
 
 "The Fourth Estate is indeed powerful and 
 inspiring, but it does not yet control the House," 
 said the toastmaster. "You occupy the press gal- 
 
 50 
 
levy by courtesy of this body and you must be in 
 order." 
 
 "But, Mr. Speaker, we represent the great 
 newspapers ; they want to be heard," repUed the 
 cub reporter. 
 
 "Well, gentlemen," said Mr. Moore, "you know 
 very well this question is not debatable. More- 
 over, many of the men who own the Fourth Es- 
 tate and pay your enormous salaries are here wit- 
 nesses of this exhibition — warm friends of the 
 honored guest of the occasion, like Mr. Herman 
 Ridder, Frank A. Munsey, John A. Sleicher, Gen. 
 Felix Agnus, Rudolph Kauffmann, Ira E. Ben- 
 nett and John Suter, President of the National 
 Press Club. Do you think you can afford to in- 
 terrupt these proceedings under the circum- 
 stances?" 
 
 "Yes, we do," responded the cub reporter. 
 
 "Very well," said the toastmaster, "you may 
 proceed in your own time and at your own risk." 
 
 And then followed a ludicrous series of ques- 
 tions and answers between the correspondents, 
 much as might in fact have taken place in the 
 real instead of the pseudo press gallery of the 
 House of Representatives ; while those who fur- 
 nished material for the colloquialism were not 
 backward in voicing their approbation of the 
 quips at their expense. 
 
 The press chaff flew everywhere and at every- 
 body, at the President of the United States, the 
 
 51 
 
Supreme Court, the Speaker of the House, the 
 grave and reverend Senators and the Represen- 
 tatives. It was like Charity and covered all, and 
 they all laughed at each other and at themselves. 
 "The gallery" reserved for the last Uncle Joe 
 himself and threw their chaff in his direction, 
 quoting some of his celebrated sayings and re- 
 ferring to some of his immortal doings with the 
 discovery that after all his years in the public 
 service there was no statute of the United States 
 that had been christened the Cannon bill, no law 
 to which his name had been attached and stands 
 as a milestone for future ages to know that Uncle 
 Joe once served his country in the House of Rep- 
 resentatives. And there the Fourth Estate sup- 
 plied a text for the President of the United States. 
 
Hon. William H. Taft 
 president of the united states 
 
The President of the United States 
 
 Toastmaster Moore. Though the evening is 
 still young, we have much yet to do and may not 
 delay. 
 
 Gentlemen, to be the first amongst a hundred 
 million people of the temper and intelligence of 
 those of the United States is the greatest honor 
 on earth. "All the world loves a lover," and all 
 the world esteems a good loser. 
 
 I announce the President of the United States. 
 [Great applause.] 
 
 ^^HE PRESIDENT. Mr. Chairman, Mr. 
 Ijg^ Toastmaster, and gentlemen, I have 
 come here tonight to express two feel- 
 ings : One of sympathy with the gentleman who 
 professes to be about to go out of public life at 
 the same time that I am a dissolving view 
 [laughter], and to show by coming here how 
 profoundly I respect him as a great American 
 who, by many decades of disinterested patriotic 
 service, has earned the verdict of "well done" 
 from his countrymen. [Applause.] 
 
 I do not feel very old, and I am not very old, 
 but I think there are few men present at this 
 meeting who are as old in the public service as I 
 
 53 
 
am, with reference to association with Uncle Joe. 
 I was here 22 years ago to interview him on be- 
 half of the Department of Justice about the in- 
 crease of what I regarded as needed appropria- 
 tions. I have had ever since a good deal of ex- 
 perience with chairmen of appropriations com- 
 mittees, and I am bound to say that the abrupt- 
 ness and the firmness and the somewhat inele- 
 gant expressions that I have heard in modem 
 days had their counterpart in those early days of 
 the Republic. [Laughter.] 
 
 Another thing that moves me to come here is 
 that I believe that Uncle Joe Cannon and I have 
 passed through something of the same storm of 
 muckraking and misrepresentation [applause], 
 that we are able to look back upon it all with the 
 philosophy and calm hope that it will fall away 
 as for nothing [applause], and that what has 
 been done in our public careers will be subjected 
 to just examination and criticism, away from the 
 lurid light of headlines, in the cold but careful 
 and fair examination of the historian. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 I observe that by those who sat above us and 
 who selected the defects most conspicuous or 
 supposed to be most conspicuous in us, the in- 
 quiry was made as to what statute Uncle Joe 
 Cannon's name was attached. That is one of the 
 unfair questions that men will put who do not 
 understand what goes to make up a great Gov- 
 
 54 
 
emment and what goes to make up a great public 
 service. The men who are looking about and 
 laboring to find subjects matter and statutes with 
 which their names may be connected, in order 
 that they may claim in history the authorship of 
 progress, are not the men who make the progress 
 in this country. [Loud applause.] 
 
 The conscientious struggle which the chair- 
 man of the Appropriations Committee has to 
 make in Congress — and it is conscientious — to 
 keep down the expenditures within the possible 
 revenues is a labor that no one can realize except 
 those who come into close contact with the dis- 
 charge of that responsibility. They are known 
 for the time being as the heads of the Appropria- 
 tions Committees, but the appropriation bills do 
 not carry their names. The character ol the ap- 
 propriation bills is not understood by the public, 
 so that these bills can not be referred to as a 
 basis of a great parliamentary reputation. And 
 yet the fact is that in that committee harder and 
 more conscientious work is done than in any 
 other committee in Congress. Its members are 
 struggling constantly against the human nature 
 of their fellows, they are standing up against that 
 which they have to recognize as the weakness of 
 man, and they are not receiving any meed of 
 praise from anybody, because everybody is 
 against them for opposing appropriations — until 
 after the session is over, and then everybody crit- 
 
 55 
 
icizes them because of the largeness of the ap- 
 propriations. [Laughter.] 
 
 I have referred to a part of Uncle Joe's service 
 in Congress. The other part I have had more 
 familiarity with. As Speaker of the House, 
 under the system which then prevailed, he had 
 to control the legislation, he had to lead the ma- 
 jority, and had much influence with reference to 
 the bills which were selected for consideration 
 and passage. For that work the country owes 
 him a debt of great gratitude. The history of 
 the Republican Party while he was Speaker is 
 largely a history of the statutes that he discrimi- 
 nated in favor of and the defeat of the statutes 
 that he discriminated against. [Applause.] If 
 that record is honorable to the party and hon- 
 orable to the country, to Joseph G. Cannon is 
 largely due the credit. At times we are all 
 dazed — at least I am — with the dreadfully diffi- 
 cult work that the Judge of All will have to do 
 in determining the merits of the individuals who 
 will come before Him when we all pass in review 
 on the last day of judgment. As applied to the 
 world at large, to ordinary communities, that 
 task seems difficult enough; but when it comes 
 to awarding merit with reference to public men 
 at Washington, it is a difficulty that seems insur- 
 mountable. In trying to sift out the reward that 
 is due and the condemnation that is due, it needs 
 a close knowledge of how legislation is intro- 
 
 56 
 
duced, how it is considered, and how it is ulti- 
 mately passed. 
 
 The methods of Uncle Joe with reference to 
 the government of the House of Representatives 
 at times have been severely condemned, and 
 then they have been vindicated by the action of 
 his opponents in adopting the same course, and 
 in coming around to the same necessity that he 
 recognized earlier, to wit, that you must have 
 responsibility lodged somev/here when you have 
 to manage 390 men on either side of the House 
 of Representatives. [Applause.] 
 
 My friends, I have to go. I would be delighted 
 to stay, just to see what can be said of a man in 
 his own presence. This is a great and historic 
 dinner, and I am glad to have had an opportunity 
 to be here, for many reasons. The chief one is 
 to testify to my profound admiration for one of 
 the greatest characters in American political life, 
 and for a man to whom the people of this country 
 are indebted in a way which they now but little 
 realize. But when he shall have passed away, 
 the merit of his work will show itself to them 
 and to historians generally. [Applause.] He 
 says he is going away and not coming back. I 
 hope that is not true, and I do not believe it is 
 true. I think that when he goes out to that dis- 
 trict and walks up and down Vermillion County, 
 and finds how many people are sorry they did not 
 vote for him at this last election, the old war- 
 
 57 
 
horse will again scent the battle from afar, and 
 he will come here again to be with those who are 
 here, to show them again the old traditions of 
 the Republican Party when it was in power and 
 in usefulness. [Applause.] 
 
 I thank you for listening to me, and I close 
 with the sentiment, "God bless that patriotic 
 American, Uncle Joe Cannon." [Applause.] 
 
 Those present then gave three cheers for the 
 President of the United States. 
 
The Toastmaster. No dinner to Uncle Joe 
 would be complete without the Watermelon 
 Song, and I have no doubt he would like to sing 
 it to you himself ; but tonight he is the guest and 
 we'll call on his most distinguished rival and the 
 man who has made that old song famous through- 
 out the United States, Major Stofer. 
 
De Watermilion Hangin' On De Vine. 
 
 Oh, de dew it am a fallin', dat 'milion's gwineter cool, 
 
 An' soon it will be very, very fine ; 
 But, bless yo' soul, my honey, dis darkey ain' no fool 
 
 To leave it dar a hangin' on de vine. 
 
 Chorus : 
 Oh, de ham bone am good, de bacon am sweet, 
 
 'Possum meat am very, very fine ; 
 But gimme, oh gimme, oh how I wish you would, 
 
 Dat watermilion hangin' on de vine. 
 
 See dat watermilion a peepin' froo de fence. 
 
 How I wish dat 'mihon it was mine; 
 White fokes ain' got one blessed bit o' sense 
 
 To leave it dar a hangin' on de vine. 
 
 You may talk about yo' peaches, yo' apples an' yo' p'ars — 
 
 Talk about yo' 'simmons on de tree; 
 But bless yo' soul, my honey, of all de fruit dat grows, 
 
 De watermilion am de food for me. 
 
 Oh, de 'possum an' de tater am mighty good to eat — 
 
 Some darkeys think dar's livin' in a ham; 
 But watermilion's eatin' dat nothin' else kin beat. 
 
 For it's loaded full of "Glory to de Lam'." 
 
 Some day we's gwine to Heaven whar de good ole darkeys go, 
 
 An' w'ar a crown a shjnin' like a star ; 
 Den settin' by de river we kin eat forever mo', 
 
 Watermilions wid de angels over dar. 
 
Hon. Oscar W. Underwood 
 
Mr. Underwood, of Alabama 
 
 Toastmaster Moore. Upon one brillieint 
 young man of this Nation has been placed a mo- 
 mentous responsibility. It is his duty, in order 
 that the great national administration may be 
 justified, to see to it that all prices shall be low- 
 ered and all wages shall be raised. [Laughter.] 
 He has the sympathy of Republicans and Demo- 
 crats alike. There is a heartiness in the wish for 
 the success of Oscar W. Underwood, of Ala- 
 bama. [Prolonged applause.] 
 
 R. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Chairman, 
 Mr. Toastmaster, Uncle Joe, and my 
 fellow guests, I shall not allow our 
 toastmaster to tempt me to wade in stormy 
 waters. [Laughter.] The dove of peace is sail- 
 ing over the political lines tonight, and I am re- 
 minded by that fact that it was the real soldiers, 
 not the coffee coolers or deserters, who swapped 
 their tobacco across the lines in times of real war- 
 fare. [Applause.] Our guest of honor has for 
 40 years been a real political warrior, and he has 
 sometimes swapped tobacco across the line. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 I am not going to attempt to make a speech 
 tonight, but I am going to tell a story of Uncle 
 
 61 
 
Joe, which I have no doubt he has forgotten, 
 though I have not, because in those days he was 
 a commander in the political lines and I was only 
 a private in the rear ranks. An appropriation 
 was needed to entertain distinguished guests. 
 We lived at the same hotel together, and al- 
 though we differed in politics greatly, Uncle Joe 
 and I had been close friends for many years. 
 When this subject of a needful appropriation 
 was becoming urgent. Uncle Joe one night in- 
 vited me to take a stroll. In those days there 
 were no houses out at Sheridan Circle ; there was 
 nothing there but a circle. This was a cold, 
 moonlight night, and we walked out to Sheridan 
 Circle, and then Uncle Joe invited me to take a 
 seat on the curbing, and we got down to busi- 
 ness. He said, "My boy, you have heard of the 
 trouble we have been having over the proper en- 
 tertainment of distinguished visitors. I have 
 been thinking this thing over, and tomorrow 
 afternoon, when 'most everybody has gone home 
 [laughter], and the House is thin, if I get up and 
 ask unanimous consent that an appropriation 
 might pass for the purpose of entertaining these 
 distinguished guests, and you vigorously oppose 
 it at first and then allow me to convince you, we 
 might get it through. [Laughter.] So Uncle Joe 
 and I swapped tobacco in that case. [Applause.] 
 Now, all I have to say is this: We have had 
 great men in Congress, and Uncle Joe is one of 
 
 62 
 
the greatest. He has never swapped tobacco 
 across the line for his own benefit. [Applause.] 
 He has always been willing to swap tobacco 
 across the line for the glory and the honor of 
 our great Republic, and he has left an example 
 that we may all follow. [Applause.] It gives 
 me sincere pleasure to be here tonight and do 
 honor to him, one of the great men who will live 
 in the history of our country. [Applause.] 
 
Senator Ollie M. James 
 
Senator-Elect OUie M. James 
 
 Toastmaster Moore. We are again on our 
 native heath, back to the field of oratory. Men 
 may preside over conventions which nominate a 
 candidate for the Presidency who is not elected, 
 and men may also preside over a convention at 
 Baltimore which nominates a President who is 
 elected, and it is entirely within their power and 
 their province on an occasion like this to say just 
 who that President will appoint to his Cabinet. 
 This duty has been assigned to the gentleman 
 from Kentucky, who has recently been sent to 
 the Senate — Mr. Ollie M. James. [Applause.] 
 
 ^ 
 
 j^jI^R. JAMES. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Toast- 
 master, fellow hosts, and our distin- 
 guished guest, Uncle Joe, I, too, have 
 seen Uncle Joe swap "terbacker" across the line, 
 and I never saw him cheated yet. [Laughter.] 
 He generally got some to boot. [Laughter.] 
 
 I am happy to join with the members of all the 
 parties in paying tribute to our distinguished 
 guest of honor, the Hon. Joseph G. Cannon, of 
 Illinois. Whatever else may be said of him, I can 
 say of him that I have always liked him person- 
 ally, because he never undertook to galvanize a 
 Democratic principle into a Republican slogan. 
 
 65 
 
After 40 years of service in the Congress of the 
 United States, he may go back to the people 
 who have honored him, a Republican of Repub- 
 licans [applause] ; one whose name and charac- 
 ter and service take us back to the age when 
 Garfield and Conkling and Blaine proclaimed the 
 principles of their party; one who never called 
 for an adjective to add to, or an adverb to mod- 
 ify, the glory of his plain Republicanism. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 And now, after all these years of public serv- 
 ice, he returns to a people whom he has repre- 
 sented here in the faith in which they believed, 
 and having walked in that light spot where 
 greatness treads for 20 terms in Congress he may 
 say to them that not a flaw can be picked in it 
 from the standpoint of personal honor and offi- 
 cial integrity, and it beams with the unspotted 
 radiance of a summer's evening star. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 And so. Republicans, I can say to you that the 
 Democrats can join with you in paying tribute 
 to one whose earnestness in a conviction, though 
 we differ from him, makes him in our eyes a pa- 
 triot, a splendid, a real, a genuine American. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 66 
 
Senator John Sharp Williams 
 
Senator John Sharp Williams 
 
 Toastmaster Moore. I may be calling him 
 out of his rank. He should have been called 
 upon earlier. But he was once a member of the 
 House of Representatives, and therefore he 
 stands with the majority of us tonight. He was 
 the leader of his party in the House, a man 
 whose argument was as keen as a rapier, and 
 who found in the distinguished guest of the 
 evening "a foeman worthy of his steel." — Sena- 
 tor John Sharp Williams, of Mississippi. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 ENATOR WILLIAMS. Mr. Chair- 
 man, Mr. Toastmaster, and gentlemen, 
 an unreconstructed Bourbon Missis- 
 sippi Democrat, who loved the very ground that 
 I walked upon, once said to me, "John, there is 
 just one thing about your conduct in Washington 
 that I do not understand. How is it that you and 
 old Joe Cannon are so fond of each other?" 
 
 I said, "My dear boy, Uncle Joe and I have 
 been trying for a long time to explain that to our 
 respective constituencies, and I imagine that we 
 will spend the balance of our lives trying to ex- 
 plain it, and if the theory of the immortality of 
 
 67 
 
souls be correct I imagine we will be bothered 
 with it a good deal of the time throughout eter- 
 nity." 
 
 We resemble one another in this respect, at 
 any rate, and I hope it is not a bad trait, although 
 it is not a heroic one : We separate ourselves to 
 a large extent from the criticism of the world by 
 a veil of real or artificial humor. So far has it 
 gone that I do not remember any time when we 
 have met in public when we threw down the 
 veil, but I believe tonight I will throw it down. 
 
 I first began to know Uncle Joe when he was 
 chairman of the Appropriations Committee of 
 the House of Representatives. It was not long 
 before I learned that he had the longest nose for 
 a fraud or a job of any man in the House of Rep- 
 resentatives. [Applause.] It was not long be- 
 fore I acquired the habit of crossing the aisle and 
 saying, "What about this?" when I wanted to 
 know about some new thing on an appropriation 
 bill, and he would say, "Sharp, there is a job in 
 that." "That is something to take care of lame 
 ducks," or "There is something about it that I 
 don't like." 
 
 I would then cross the aisle back to the Demo- 
 cratic side with perfect confidence, array wiiat 
 few young Members I could against the propo- 
 sition, and support the Republican Committee 
 on Appropriations with the word of its chairman 
 behind it. [Applause.] 
 
 68 
 
They were talking tonight about his having 
 his name affixed to no great public measure. As 
 far as I know, Daniel Webster had his name af- 
 fixed to none. As far as I know, a great many 
 of the leading men of the United States, who 
 cut a chief figure in their day, had their names 
 affixed to none. There are two duties for a Rep- 
 resentative or Senator. One is affirmative; the 
 other is negative, and of the two, the negative 
 duty is the greater. It is very easy to start 
 things, with some doubt as to where they will 
 end. It is a very easy thing to call yourself a 
 constructive statesman, and leave to some other 
 statesmen later on the task of unconstructing or 
 reconstructing what you have done. But it re 
 quires a good deal of courage to stem a tide, to 
 breast a current, to detect a fraud and stop it. 
 
 Now, I did not attempt to explain it to my 
 Mississippi constituent, but I believe that that 
 was when I first began to trust Uncle Joe. The 
 trust had not lasted long before I began to love 
 him in addition to trusting him. [Applause.] 
 
 There is an old German song that begins: 
 Es zogen drei Burschen wohl uber den Rhein. 
 
 And when they got over the Rhine, they found 
 that the girl of the inn was dead and lying upon 
 her bier. One of them said: 
 I have loved thee well. 
 
 Another said: 
 
 Wert thou alive I would love thee yet. 
 
 69 
 
The third responded: 
 
 Dich habe Ich geUebt, 
 
 Dich Hebe Ich noch Heut' ; 
 
 Und werde dich lieben auf Ewigkeit. 
 
 I loved thee yesterday ; I love thee still today ; 
 and I shall love thee throughout eternity. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 There are many who may say of Uncle Joe, 
 "I loved him when he could dispense committee 
 assignments." There are some of you who can 
 say, "I would love him yet if he were Speaker." 
 But I undertake to say, "I loved him yesterday, 
 I love him today, and I shall love him throughout 
 all time." [Applause.] 
 
 What is it that ties one man's soul to another? 
 It is hard to answer. I do not know. Is it poll 
 tics? Why, I am a Bourbon Democrat. Uncle 
 Joe is a standpatter of the nineteenth century 
 [laughter], and we are about beginning the sec- 
 ond decade of the twentieth century, so that that 
 can not account for it. Is it similarity of reli- 
 gion? Why Uncle Joe is a recalcitrant Quaker, 
 and I am a High Church Episcopalian — so high 
 that you can not reach me with a persimmon 
 pole except upon a fast day. [Laughter.] Is it 
 metaphysics? Is it a similarity of belief there? 
 I believe in innate ideas. I believe that a man 
 is bom with a moral sense as much as with two 
 arms and two legs, and that he can not get over 
 it. I believe that a man's heredity controls it. 
 
 70 
 
Uncle Joe seems to believe that every child is 
 born with a mind like a tablet of wax, upon 
 which he can write everything, and provided he 
 has the same mother and the same training, re- 
 gardless of the race of his father, he will come 
 out with equal achievement to that of another at 
 the end; in all of which I do not believe. Is it an 
 identity of geography? I imagine not. I come 
 from where the Confederate jessamine grows, 
 and Uncle Joe comes from where no flower at- 
 tains to full fruition except com tassles; so that 
 that can not have much to do with it. [Laugh- 
 ter.] 
 
 I do not know what it is, unless it be that one 
 honest man, maybe not over serious, finds in an- 
 other man an honest and sincere and brave pur- 
 pose. In fact, I do not know that there is any 
 other enduring basis of friendship than that. It 
 leads to mutual trust, to mutual confidence, and 
 at the base of all mutual affection must be mu- 
 tual trust and confidence. If that be not the real 
 explanation it would be hard for me to tell what 
 it is. 
 
 My patron saint, old Thomas Jefferson, said 
 that men were responsible for the righteousness 
 and not for the rightfulness of their opinions. In 
 other words, a man is responsible for advocating 
 that which he believes to be right and for oppos- 
 ing that which he believes to be wrong. He is 
 not responsible for error of opinion, thank God, 
 
 71 
 
because if he were we would be responsible for 
 very much more than we could stand sponsors 
 for. And so it happens that men who meet with 
 one another and recognize this common trait of 
 righteousness of conviction, standing by their 
 conviction with courage, advocating nothing 
 which in their opinion is wrong because it is pop- 
 ular and opposing nothing which in their opinion 
 is right because it is unpopular, will love one an- 
 other. And that possibly may be the answer to 
 the question which my Mississippi Democratic 
 friend asked me and which I did not choose to 
 emswer at that particular time. [Prolonged ap- 
 plause.] 
 
Uncle Joe" 
 
Featured in Cartoon and Song 
 
 HE TOASTMASTER. Even while we 
 are eating, gentlemen, we shall con- 
 tinue. Go on and enjoy yourselves. 
 Meanwhile that famous cartoonist of the New 
 York World, Mr, McCauley, and the equally 
 famous Berryman, our popular cartoonist of 
 Washington [applause], will undertake to keep 
 your minds busy. They will give pictorial im- 
 pressions of Mr. Cannon from either end of the 
 hall. 
 
 [After Messrs. Berryman and McCauley had 
 amused the audience with their rapidly drawn 
 cartoons the toastmaster continued:] 
 
 We have shown you that even in the Senate 
 and House of Representatives, unofficially met, 
 there may be two rings to a circus, and that both 
 ends may be entertained at the same time. We 
 now propose, through Mr. John Corwin, of The 
 Gridiron Club, to present a real circus. While 
 Mr. Corwin is preparing to present his "circus," 
 I will introduce our old friend, the former chair- 
 man of the Appropriations Committee, Hon. 
 James A. Tawney, of Minnesota, for a song : 
 
 Mr. Tawney led in singing "Dear Old Uncle 
 Joe," an improvisation of "It Was My Last 
 Cigar." 
 
 7}> 
 
p^^^^^^ 
 
 Uncle Joe 
 
 Air : "Old Black Joe." 
 Gone are the days when my gavel 
 
 used to fall ; 
 Gone most the boys who rallied 
 
 to my call ; 
 Gone, nearly all, but I'm still 
 
 with the show, 
 I hear their stand pat voices calling 
 
 Un-cle Joe. 
 
 Chorus : 
 Not coming, still humming, 
 For me they are too slow. 
 But still I love to hear them call me, 
 Un-cle Joe. 
 
 Gone are the days when we used 
 
 to fight like hell, 
 Gone most the Reps and Dems 
 
 who used to tell 
 What each one thought of the 
 
 other — let that go, 
 For now to both I love to think 
 
 I'm Un-cle Joe. 
 
 Chorus : 
 Still praying, I'm staying 
 In life's jack-pot, there's my dough. 
 And no four-flush can win that stake from 
 Un-cle Joe. 
 
 Near is the time when to the 
 
 House I'll say : 
 Good bye old Pals, I sure 
 
 have had my day; 
 May you all duck the guy 
 
 who hands out woe, 
 And live and stay there just as long as 
 
 Un-cle Joe. 
 
 Chorus : 
 God bless you, God bless you, 
 
 as through life's work you go, 
 And in the end may all join Him 
 
 With Un-cle Joe. 
 
Hon. Hillary A. Herbert 
 
Gen. Hillary A. Herbert 
 
 Toastmaster Moore. Two gentlemen who 
 are not upon the program ought to be heard even 
 though the hour is late ; one of them is that dis- 
 tinguished man who honored his country as Sec- 
 retary of the Navy under Grover Cleveland, Gen. 
 Hillary A. Herbert. Listen to him. [Applause.] 
 
 ^i^R. HERBERT. Mr. Chairman, Mr. 
 
 HgJB Toastmaster, and gentlemen, when I 
 '^^^"^ first knew the honored guest of this 
 
 evening I was in the Forty-fifth Congress, over a 
 third of a century ago. At that time, to use a 
 phrase which we are told this evening is to go 
 sounding down the ages, "In the last analysis," 
 Joe Cannon was just the same as he is today. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 We served together for eight Congresses, and 
 during all that time each Congress was very 
 much of the same opinion as that which I sup- 
 pose the present Congress entertains about it- 
 self. We were optimistic about the future of our 
 country, as Senator Root has been this evening ; 
 we were in, the country was safe, the people 
 were showing their capacity for self-government 
 by the wisdom with which they had chosen their 
 
 75 
 
Representatives. But it is late and I will not 
 detain you. 
 
 When I left Congress 20 years ago this month 
 Joe Cannon was still there, and still the same 
 as he is today, except in one respect : He was not 
 my "Uncle." I was older than he was. But to- 
 night he is the Uncle of all of us. Five hundred 
 of his nephews have come here this evening to 
 do him honor [applause], and I understand that 
 3,000 more tried to get in, but found there was 
 not room. 
 
 Uncle Joe Cannon, in my opinion, in his poli- 
 tics was always dead wrong, but in the tenacity 
 with which he held his views, the views that he 
 entertained, and the courage with which he 
 fought for them, he was always dead right. 
 [Applause.] He always fought fair; he never 
 hit below the belt; and that is the reason why 
 he has won out. In addition to all that, he is the 
 prince of good fellows, and as such we have come 
 here tonight to bid him God speed in the future. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 Calls for "Cannon! Cannon!" and "Uncle 
 Joe!" 
 
Presentation of a Marble Bust 
 
 Toastmaster Moore. The enthusiasm of 
 youth, the toastmaster understands is breaking 
 out toward the heel of the evening ; but the toast- 
 master is still in control, and will close the ex- 
 ercises promptly at 12 o'clock, as indicated. 
 
 And now, while we forego the pleasure of 
 listening to such distinguished speakers as the 
 eloquent former Senator from Texas, Mr. 
 Bailey, who is here, and Gen. Grosvenor, who 
 has come all the way from Ohio [cries of "Bai- 
 ley! Bailey!"], Sereno E. Payne, John Dalzell, 
 Bourke Cockran and many other distinguished 
 men, who, by reason of your impetuosity and 
 petulance [laughter] at this hour [cries of Bai- 
 ley! Bailey!"] we may not call upon — it is your 
 fault and not that of the toastmaster — we shall 
 present for a special touch to the speeches of 
 this historic evening, Dr. Richard Bartholdt, 
 of Missouri. 
 
 R. BARTHOLDT. Mr. Chairman, Mr. 
 Toastmaster, and gentlemen, I am 
 charged with the performance of a 
 duty most pleasant, as well as most difficult; 
 pleasant because the task of giving always 
 touches the tender chords in the hearts of both 
 
 17 
 
the donor and the recipient, and difficult because 
 language is so poor to express adequately the in- 
 tensity of feeling whjch inspires this task. 
 
 In his maiden speech in the House of Repre- 
 sentatives on the 1 8th of February, 1872, the 
 Hon. Joseph G. Cannon, then a young man of 
 36 years, spoke these memorable words: 
 
 No man is a proper person to represent the 
 people unless he has the honesty and the back- 
 bone to stand and do the best he can, and do what 
 is right and what is for the interests of his people, 
 without reference to what anybody may say of 
 him or what the action of the press may be in the 
 premises. 
 
 Uncle Joe — if we loved him less we would be 
 less familiar — has made a thousand speeches 
 since that time. By his distinguished services 
 he has made the whole country his debtor, and 
 he has erected monuments in the hearts of his 
 countrymen. Coming here 40 years ago, with 
 oats in his pocket, as was said in that debate, he 
 now is about to return home, with a rich harvest 
 of honorable achievements, to his constituents, 
 who have honored him for 40 years. But no 
 nobler sentiment, no greater truth has ever been 
 uttered by man than were these simple words 
 which flowed like pure gold from a pure soul. 
 And what is more, he has lived up to them him- 
 self, and those ol us who know him best know 
 
 78 
 
Hon. Richard Bartholdt 
 
that the beautiful lesson contained in those 
 words has characterized his own great congres- 
 sional career from beginning to end. 
 
 For the guidance of the Representatives of the 
 people that epigram should be chiseled in stone 
 above the portals of the House of Representa- 
 tives. But as that can not be done, we have de- 
 vised another plan in order to be daily reminded 
 of it. One hundred friends of the great com- 
 moner, Members of the House and Senate, have 
 banded together to dedicate to him, as a token 
 of their esteem and love, a bust — a bust of him- 
 self. He wishes in turn to donate the bust to the 
 House of Representatives. I ask you, could 
 there be a more appropriate place to put that 
 bust than in the House Office Building, which in 
 itself is a monument to the former Speaker, be- 
 cause he conceived the idea of that great build- \y 
 ing and carried out the plans as the chairman of 
 the commission appointed for that purpose. If 
 this distinguished audience will say "Aye" to 
 this proposition it will be done, because, although 
 I can not count now a la Tom Reed, because of 
 the darkness, I think a quorum is present. 
 [Cries of "Aye! Aye!"] 
 
 Mr. Toastmaster and Mr. Cannon, I beg one 
 more minute for the purpose of presenting to you 
 the creator of this masterpiece of art, the man 
 whom St. Gaudens selected as the author of the 
 Von Steuben monument, and who has, after 
 
 79 
 
fierce competition, just carried off the prize for 
 the great Germantown monument— Mr. Albert 
 Jaegers. I will ask him to rise. 
 
 Mr. Jaegers was greeted with great applause. 
 
Hon. 
 
 Joseph G. Cannon 
 of illinois 
 
Speech of Mr. Gannon 
 
 Toastmaster Moore. Friends of Uncle Joe, 
 we have reached the climax. Will you take 
 your handkerchiefs or your napkins and salute 
 the honored guest of the evening? Mr. Cannon 
 will now say a few words. [Cheers and waving 
 of napkins.] 
 
 R. CANNON. Mr. Chairman, Mr. 
 Toastmaster, and gentlemen, at this 
 late hour of the night I can only say to 
 you in concluding, as I apprehend, the exercises 
 of the evening, that from my heart I thank you. 
 I would be less than human if I failed to appre- 
 ciate to the utmost extent the generous compli- 
 ment you pay me by gathering here tonight. 
 The words of confidence and good will which 
 have fallen from the lips of the distinguished gen- 
 tlemen who have spoken, beginning with the 
 honored President of the United States and 
 joined in by my colleagues of the House and 
 Senate, have quite overcome me and almost 
 bereft me of the power of speech. Service in the 
 Congress of the United States demands labor and 
 toil ; sometimes it involves misrepresentation and 
 
 81 
 
abuse ; now and then it brings, mayhap, a heart- 
 ache or the suggestion of pain; but if all these 
 were multiplied a thousandfold there would still 
 be balm for every injury and consolation for every 
 regret in the friendships which are formed be- 
 tween virile men, and so long as I live, no matter 
 what may come to pass, whether fortune smiles 
 or frowns, nothing can rob me of the priceless 
 memory of the friends I have met and known and 
 loved during a service of almost 40 years in the 
 House of Representatives. 
 
 It was a saying of Cicero that it is impossible 
 for men in public life to be friends, because of 
 their jealousies and contentions. However true 
 that may have been in the days when Rome was 
 mistress of the world and Cicero was her great- 
 est orator, it is not true in the United States of 
 America today. In our day and age there need 
 be no further refutation of the saying attributed 
 to Cicero than the magnificent assemblage here 
 tonight. 
 
 We divide into party organizations having dif- 
 ferent economic policies, striving from time to 
 time for popular approval; but, thank God, the 
 men who wage the great political battles of our 
 country and seek the verdict of the majority have 
 but one hope, one aspiration, one desire, and that 
 is to serve the great Republic. [Applause.] As 
 I look into the eyes of my honored friend and 
 political opponent, Senator Williams, of Missis- 
 
 82 
 
sippi, and as he looks into my eyes, we acknowl- 
 edge that from the attrition of virile minds, each 
 upholding what he believes to be right, accord- 
 ing as it is given him to see the light, and from 
 the clash of contending forces, the best results 
 for all the people are obtained. [Applause.] 
 One or the other of us is mistaken as to economic 
 policies, but we are a unit in loyalty to the flag 
 and in seeking the greatest good for the greatest 
 number. When the majority record their judg- 
 ment we bow to their will, whether they be Re- 
 publican or Democratic, and leave the fleeting 
 years to demonstrate the wisdom or unwisdom 
 of the policies written on the statute books, the 
 minority criticizing, the majority upholding. If, 
 perchance, mistakes are made, as the pendulum 
 swings back and forth and as men come and go, 
 we may safely count, in spite of the play of the 
 demagogue masquerading in the robes of the 
 plain people, upon the sound judgment, the pa- 
 triotic impulses, and the wisdom of American 
 manhood to correct the errors and right the 
 wrongs of government. We may strut and fret 
 as real or imaginary leaders of public opinion, 
 but, after all, the silent ballot is the guiding, di- 
 recting force. 
 
 I am not here to make a partisan speech. I am 
 a partisan, as you, Senator Williams, are a 
 partisan. 
 
 Senator Williams. Not tonight. 
 
 83 
 
Mr. Cannon. Oh, no; not tonight; but we 
 have contested in the presence of a hundred mil- 
 lion people, you believing honestly that the pol- 
 icies advocated by you were for the best inter- 
 ests of all the people, and I believing that the 
 policies advocated by me were for their best in- 
 terests, and we have been generous contestants. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 Looking in your faces, my friends, and Mem- 
 bers of the House and Senate, I accord to you 
 who do not agree with me politically the same 
 loyalty to the great Republic that I claim for my- 
 self. As manly men we make our contests as 
 God gives us to see the right, and we are in- 
 dorsed or fail of indorsement from time to time, 
 as the case may be. The new generation comes, 
 and if they do not learn through the brain they 
 will learn through the stomach, or through both 
 brain and stomach, and all things will end well. 
 Thank God, I have been an optimist all my life, 
 and I shall remain an optimist to the end. [Ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 My friend and colleague of many years, Dr. 
 Bartholdt, has called your attention to a bust 
 which, without my knowledge, was ordered from 
 the hands of an eminent artist, the one who ex- 
 ecuted the statue of Von Steuben, his design be- 
 ing chosen above all others. I do not know, fur- 
 ther than Dr. Bartholdt has intimated, who pro- 
 cured the bust; nor do I know as to its merits. 
 
 84 
 
for I have not heretofore seen it as a finished 
 work, but I do know that the sculptor has re- 
 ceived in the world of art many indorsements. 
 
 The gentleman from Missouri, my friend and 
 your friend, has suggested that perchance it 
 ought to rest in the House Office Building. I db 
 not know what may be the wUl of the House 
 touching the suggestion. I know, however, that 
 some years ago, in the performance of my duty 
 as a Member of the House of Representatives, 
 being in charge of the sundry civil appropriation 
 bill, I asked, for reasons assigned — which proba- 
 bly embraced no more than two or three short 
 sentences — that the construction of the building 
 be authorized. The House and the Senate 
 agreed. The House Office Building was begun, 
 followed shortly by the Senate Office Building. 
 I leave the matter in your hands. 
 
 My friends, I am an old man. [Cries of "No, 
 no !"] Measured by years I am old. I am about 
 to retire from public life. [Cries of "No, no !"] 
 I will soon be 77 years old. My face is turned 
 toward the setting sun. But when the sun dis- 
 appears below the western horizon I shall go 
 secure in the feeling that, whatever party may 
 from time to time be chargeable with the respon- 
 sibilities of government, if mistakes are made an 
 enlightened public sentiment will correct them. 
 Again I thank you, one and all. [Prolonged ap- 
 plause.] 
 
 85 
 
m 
 
 OU may break, you may shatter, 
 The rules if you will, 
 But the Cannon aroma 
 Will hang to them still. 
 
"Speed the Parting Guest" 
 
 [OASTMASTER MOORE. Gentlemen, 
 in concluding the festivities of the even- 
 ing, let us wish our honored guest God- 
 speed and perennial youth. In whatever direc- 
 tion his future path may lie — whether to return, 
 as we doubt not he will, in response to popular 
 summons, to his invaluable service for the Na- 
 tion, or of his own choice to round out his great 
 career in the repose of private life — let our hearts 
 go with him. Let us wish him in the years to 
 come a continued possession of all he now has 
 of— 
 
 That which should accompany old age. 
 
 As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends. 
 
 Lastly, gentlemen, as we began, so let us 
 close — in friendship and fraternity. Let us have 
 in the grand finale some thoughts of home. Mr. 
 Hemdon Morsell will pronounce an informal 
 benediction in that beautiful lyric, "The Song 
 That Reached My Heart." 
 
 87 
 
The Song That Reached My Heart 
 
 I sat midst a mighty throng 
 
 Within a palace grand, 
 
 In a city far beyond the sea, 
 
 In a distant foreign land. 
 
 I listened to the grandest strain 
 
 My ear had ever heard. 
 
 Enraptured, charmed, amazed I was, 
 
 My inmost soul was stirred. 
 
 I looked on the singer fair, 
 
 My heart was at her feet ; 
 
 She sang of love, the old, old theme. 
 
 In accents low and sweet. 
 
 And then she sang a song, that made the tear-drops start; 
 
 She sang a song, a song of home, 
 
 A song that reached my heart. 
 
 That night I shall never forget, 
 
 That night with its pleasure and pain, 
 
 I think of the singer, I think of the song, 
 
 And wish I could live it again ; 
 
 In fancy again I recall 
 
 The scene with its splendor bright; 
 
 The mighty throng, the palace grand, 
 
 Oh, the mem'ry of that night. 
 
 My fancy it may have been. 
 
 But never had I heard 
 
 A song that thrilled me o'er like this. 
 
 Like this so strangely stirred. 
 
 The mem'ries of that night of bliss will never from me part, 
 
 She sang a song, of "Home, sweet home," 
 
 The song that reached my heart. 
 
 Home, Home, Sweet, sweet home. 
 
 She sang the song of "Home, sweet home," 
 
 The song that reached my heart. 
 
 88 
 
PARTICIPANTS 
 
 This valiant host, in battles fought 
 Did give and take as true men ought, 
 But now, to serve more worthy ends. 
 Do greet the guest and eat as friends. 
 
 Felix Agnus. 
 Theron Akin. 
 J. Frank Aldrich. 
 J. B. Aleshire. 
 Joshua W. Alexander. 
 James Allen. 
 Alfred G. Allen. 
 Paul Anderson. 
 Joseph P. Annin. 
 
 D. R. Anthony, Jr. 
 
 E. A. Armstrong. 
 William A. Ashbrook. 
 R. W. Austin. 
 
 R. O. Bailey. 
 Joseph W. Bailey. 
 Andrew J. Barchfeld. 
 N. P. Barnes. 
 William J. Barnes, Jr. 
 Samuel S. Barney. 
 Henry A. Barnhart. 
 Richard Bartholdt 
 Geo. A. Bartlett. 
 Frank H. Barto. 
 Arthur L. Bates. 
 Jack Beall. 
 Dimner Beeber. 
 
 •tt 
 
 Perry Belmont 
 Wm. S. Bennet. 
 Ira E. Bennett. 
 Charles G. Bennett. 
 Clifford K. Berryman. 
 E. P. Bertholf. 
 William G. Biederman. 
 Sidney Bieber. 
 Frank O. Briggs. 
 Rogers Birnie. 
 George T. Bishop. 
 Frank S. Black. 
 H. W. Blanchard. 
 E. P. Blanchard. 
 Rupert Blue, 
 M. R. Blumenberg. 
 Samuel G. Blythe. 
 Jno. W. Boehne. 
 Scott C. Bone. 
 J. Fenton Booth. 
 Henry S. Boutell. 
 Thos. W. Bradley. 
 C. C. Brainerd. 
 Frank B. Brandegee. 
 Thos. W. Brahany. 
 Wm. G. Brantley. 
 
 89 
 
PARTICIPANTS-Continued 
 
 ^ 
 
 Jos. A. Breckons. 
 Robert F. Broussard. 
 Chapin Brown. 
 R. B. Brown. 
 Thomas C. L. Brown. 
 Wm. J. Browning. 
 Frank Buchanan. 
 R. J. Bulkley. 
 George F. Burgess. 
 Chas. H. Burke. 
 Theodore E. Burton. 
 L. W. Busbey. 
 Thomas S. Butler. 
 John Byers. 
 James F. Byrnes. 
 Joseph W. Byrns. 
 Timothy E. Byrns. 
 Geo. Brown. 
 R. E. Cabell. 
 Wm. M. Calder. 
 James Callanan. 
 Philip P. Campbell. 
 Richard Campion. 
 James C. Cantrill. 
 Chas. D. Carter. 
 A. E. Chaffee. 
 E. J. Chamberlain. 
 Fred T. Chandler. 
 P. T. Chapman. 
 J. Charles. 
 Wm. E. Chilton. 
 H. E. Chubbuck. 
 E. B. Clark. 
 Horace F. Clark, 
 
 Clarence D. Clark. 
 Champ Clark. 
 Frank Clark. 
 Henry D. Clayton. 
 J. C. Clements. 
 Edwin H. Clift. 
 Bourke Cockran. 
 Wm. B. Cockran. 
 Frank T. Codrington. 
 Frank Cole. 
 Ralph D. Cole. 
 Frank W. Collier. 
 Frank W. Connor. 
 L. A. Coolidge. 
 
 D. W. Cooper. 
 Ira C. Copley. 
 
 E. Livingston Cornelius. 
 John Corrigan, Jr. 
 
 J. A. Corwin. 
 J. C. Courts. 
 Thos. S. Crago. 
 Charles F. Craig. 
 Geo. A. Craig. 
 W. Murray Crane 
 Ben Cravens. 
 Frank B. Crosthwaite. 
 E. H. Crowder. 
 William Crozier. 
 Edgar D. Crumpacker. 
 Shelby M. Cullom. 
 Francis Curtis. 
 Chas. E. Curtiss. 
 A. W. Chaffee. 
 Austin Cunningham. 
 
 90 
 
PARTICIPANTS-Continued 
 
 i^ 
 
 John Dalzell. 
 Henry G. Danforth. 
 James H. Davidson. 
 D. G. Davis. 
 John W. Davis. 
 Robert H. Davis. 
 Henry S. De Forest. 
 Elmer Dell, 
 Matthew R. Denver. 
 H. E. Devendorf. 
 Marion De Vries. 
 Chas. Dick. 
 Clement C. Dickinson. 
 L. Dixon. 
 D. Webster Dixon. 
 Francis H. Dodds. 
 Samuel B. Donnelly. 
 C. B. Dorchester. 
 Chas. W. Dorr. 
 James A. Dougherty. 
 Wm. H. Draper. 
 Daniel A. DriscoU. 
 H. Garland Dupre. 
 Thos. B. Dunn. 
 Cyrus Durey. 
 John W. Dwight 
 Albert Eisner. 
 Fred A. EmerJ^^ 
 James A. Emery. 
 A. A. Erly. 
 Albert Estopinal. 
 Lynden Evans. 
 Victor J. Evans. 
 George W. Fairchild. 
 
 G. W. Faris. 
 Maurice L. Farrell. 
 A. F. Fechteler. 
 J. Feldenheimer. 
 Geo. Findlay. 
 David E. Finley. 
 Adolph Fishel. 
 S. Fisher. 
 John J. Fitzgerald. 
 John C. Floyd. 
 Benj. K. Focht. 
 Joseph W. Fordney, 
 Chas. V. Fornes. 
 George E. Foss. 
 Martin D. Foster. 
 Rudolph Forster. 
 D. R. Francis. 
 Gerald Frank. 
 Nathan Frank. 
 Henry Freeman. 
 Chas. E. Fuller. 
 Robert J. Gamble. 
 Augustus P. Gardner. 
 John J. Gardner. 
 John N. Garner, 
 Finis J. Garrett. 
 Louis Garthe. 
 R. M. Gates. 
 John P. Gavit. 
 James L. Gerry. 
 W. C. Gearing. 
 Frank S. Gierne 
 Frank H. Ginn. 
 Robert M. Ginter. 
 
 91 
 
PARTICIPANTS-Continued 
 
 ^ 
 
 Earl Godwin. 
 Henry M. Goldfogle. 
 James W. Good. 
 James M. Graham. 
 C P. Grandfield. 
 Joel Grayson. 
 Wm. S. Greene. 
 Wm. W. Griest. 
 C H. Grosvenor. 
 Aaron Grove. 
 Frank E. Guernsey. 
 Simon Guggenheim. 
 Harry Hall. 
 J. W. Halsey. 
 C. A. Hamilton. 
 Winfield S. Hammond. 
 Henry C. Hansbrough. 
 W. C. Hanson. 
 Rufus Hardy. 
 J. F. Harper. 
 Norman W. Harris. 
 A. C. Hart. 
 Jesse L. Hartman. 
 Willis C. Hawley. 
 Carl Hayden. 
 Wm. H. Heald. 
 J. Thomas Heflin. 
 R. D. Heinl. 
 J. A. Hemenway. 
 J. B. Henderson, Jr. 
 Robert Henderson. 
 H. O. Heistand. 
 W. P. Hepburn. 
 Washington Herald. 
 
 Hillary A. Herbert. 
 I. N. Hibbard. 
 Wm. B. Hibbs 
 Edwin W. Higgins. 
 Ebenezer J. Hill. 
 Chas. D. Hilles. 
 Asher C. Hinds. 
 Frank T. Hines. 
 Frank S. Hinrichs. 
 Frank H. Hitchcock. 
 W. B. Hoggatt. 
 Jno. E. HoUingsworth. 
 Wm. C. Houston 
 Joseph Howell. 
 Cye Howenstine. 
 James A. Hughes. 
 Wm. E. Humphrey. 
 Benjamin G.Humphreys. 
 Allan A. Irvine. 
 Harold L. Jackson. 
 Albert Jaegers. 
 Ollie M. James. 
 C. G. Jewell. 
 E, B. Johns. 
 Chas. F. Johnson. 
 H. L. E. Johnson 
 Philander Johnson. 
 Dwight V. Jones. 
 Herbert L. Jones. 
 Wesley L. Jones. 
 Eldridge E. Jordan. 
 Chas. F. Joy. 
 Julius Kahn. 
 J. Harry Kaiser. 
 
 92 
 
PARTICIPANTS-Continued 
 
 iJr 
 
 J. K. Kalanianaole. 
 T. P. Kane. 
 Gus J. Karger. 
 Rudolph Kau ff mann, </' 
 R. M. Kauffmann, Jr. 
 L. M. Kelley. 
 H. F. Kendall. 
 N. E. Kendall. 
 Chas. A Kennedy 
 Bert W. Kennedy. 
 James Kennedy. 
 Wm. Kent. 
 F. J. Kernan. 
 H. W. Ketron. 
 Chas. P. Keyser. 
 S. J. Kimball. 
 Eugene F. Kinkead 
 E. H. Kinkead 
 Moses P. Kinkaid. 
 John Kirby. 
 A. J. Kleberg. 
 Gardner Kline. 
 Charles L. Knapp. 
 Joseph R. Knowland. 
 Thos. F. Konop. 
 Arthur W. Kopp. 
 Emil Kuhn. 
 Daniel F. Lafean 
 Wm. L. La Follette 
 John Lamb. 
 Jonathan N. Langham. 
 George B. Laughlin. 
 George P. Lawrence. 
 Gordon Lee. 
 
 Francis L. Leland. 
 A. J. Lester. 
 Montague Lessler. 
 Asbury F. Lever. 
 Jefferson M. Levy. 
 J. Charles Linthicum.r 
 Henry F. Lippitt. 
 Lucius N. Littauer. 
 Thos. P. Littlepage. 
 James T. Lloyd. 
 Thomas F. Logan. 
 Nicholas Longworth. 
 Frank B. Lord. 
 Wm. Lorimer. 
 George A. Loud. 
 James McAndrews. 
 Samuel W. McCall. 
 George D. McCreary. 
 Porter J. McCumber. 
 James T. McDermott. 
 D. J. McGillicuddy. 
 Charles A. MacGrath. 
 Bird S. McGuire. 
 Ormsby McHarg. 
 Frank Mclntyre. 
 Henry H. McKee. 
 Joseph McKenna. 
 John C. McKenzie. 
 James McKinney. 
 Duncan E. McKinlay. 
 Wm. B. McKinley. 
 James McLaughlin. 
 James C. McLaughlin. 
 J. F. McMurray. 
 
 93 
 
PARTICIPANTS-Continued 
 
 ^ 
 
 C. R. Macauley. 
 Martin B. Madden. 
 John H. Magruder. 
 Wm. A. Major. 
 James R. Mann. 
 G. E. Martin. 
 Eben W. Martin. 
 James E. Martine. 
 John A. Martin. 
 Thos. O. Marvin. 
 W. E. Mason. 
 S. A. Megearth. 
 E. A. Merritt, Jr. 
 N. O. Messenger. 
 George von L. Meyer. 
 Louis T. Michener. 
 Hugh S. Miller. 
 A. L. Mills. 
 Frank W. Mondell. 
 Jno. E. Monk. 
 J. Hampton Moore. 
 Henry H. Moran. 
 Dick T. Morgan. 
 Martin A. Morrison. 
 Herndon Morsell. 
 Alexander Mosher. 
 Luther W. Mott. 
 R. F. Moyer. 
 C. B. Muller. 
 David W. Mulvane. 
 Frank ^. Munsey. 
 J. W. Murphy 
 Wm. F. Murray. 
 Charles Nagel. 
 
 J. C. Needham. 
 Knute Nelson. 
 John H. Nolan. 
 James E. Normyle. 
 Dan C. Nugent. 
 Frank M. Nye. 
 George H. O'Connor. 
 James A. O'Gorman. 
 J. Van Vechten Olcott. 
 George T. Oliver. 
 Marlin E. Olmsted 
 George F. O'Shaunessy. 
 Richard V. Oulahan. 
 Henry T. Oxnard. 
 James F. Oyster. 
 Carroll S. Page. 
 Robert N. Page. 
 Wm. Tyler Page. 
 Lemuel P. Padgett. 
 Truman G. Palmer. 
 Myron M. Parker. 
 R. Wayne Parker. 
 Charles E. Patton. 
 Sereno E. Payne. 
 Thomas H. Paynter. 
 Lafe Pence. 
 Boies Penrose. 
 Irvin S. Pepper. 
 LeRoy Percy. 
 Andrevir J. Peters. 
 Horace Pettit. 
 Herman Phillips. 
 Marshall W. Pickering. 
 Charles E. Pickett. 
 
 94 
 
PARTICIPANTS-Continued 
 
 i( 
 
 T. M. Pierce. 
 Mahlon Pitney. 
 Frank Plumley. 
 Atlee Pomerene. 
 Stephen G. Porter. 
 Washington Post. 
 Henry A. Powell. 
 Caleb Powers. 
 Charles N. Pray. 
 W. C. Prentis. 
 William E. Prentiss 
 The President. 
 James D. Preston. 
 George W. Prince. 
 Arsene P. Pujo. 
 M. L. Quezon. 
 Henry T. Rainey. 
 Wallace Radcliffe. 
 John E. Raker. 
 Joseph E. Ralph. 
 George C. Rankin. 
 Joseph E. Ransdell. 
 George W. Ray. 
 S. B. Raymond. 
 A. C. Rearick. 
 W. P. Reeds. 
 Thomas L. Reilly. 
 John E. Reyburn. 
 William S. Reyburn. 
 J. B. Reynolds. 
 S. S. Richardson. 
 C. G. Richardson. 
 Oscar J. Ricketts. 
 Herman Ridder. 
 
 Charles Rittenhouse. 
 William A. Rittenhouse, 
 E. G. Riggs. 
 B. H. Roberts. 
 Ernest W. Roberts. 
 George E. Roberts. 
 W. F. Roberts. 
 William A. Rodenberg, 
 Joseph G. Rogers. 
 Elihu Root. 
 Thomas L. Rubey. 
 William W. Rucker. 
 Atterson W. Rucker. 
 Cuno H. Rudolph. 
 W. C. Ruffin. 
 Joseph J. Russell. 
 Robt. L. Russell. 
 William T. Russell. 
 John P. Ryan. 
 Adolph J. Sabath. 
 Chas. H. Sanders. 
 E. R. Sartwell. 
 Gus. A. Schuldt. 
 Oswald F. Schuette. 
 N. B. Scott. 
 George C. Scott. 
 Thos. J. Scully. 
 W. D. Searle. 
 William G. Sharp. 
 John A. Sleicher. 
 Swagar Sherley. 
 Isaac R. Sherwood 
 John S. Shriver. 
 James S. Simmons. 
 
 95 
 
PARTICIPANTS-Continued 
 
 ^ 
 
 Henry K. Simpson. 
 A. L. Sinclair. 
 Joseph Sinnott. 
 Thomas U. Sisson. 
 James L. Slayden. 
 C. Bascom Slemp. 
 Charles H. Sloan. 
 William Sloane. 
 Fred H. Smith 
 Frank Smith. 
 Hal H. Smith. 
 J. M. C. Smith. 
 Marcus A. Smith. 
 M. P. Smith. 
 Middleton Smith. 
 Ralph Smith. 
 W. A. Smith. 
 Edgar C. Snyder. 
 J. C. South. 
 Stephen M. Sparkman. 
 Peter M. Speer. 
 William J. Spencer, 
 Maurice Splain. 
 Washington Star. 
 F. J. Starek. 
 Fred W. Steckman. 
 George W. Steele. 
 Halvor Steenerson. 
 Edw. J. Stellwagen. 
 Dan V. Stephens. 
 John H. Stephens. 
 Isaac Stephenson. 
 John A. Sterling. 
 Frederick C. Stevens. 
 
 M. H. Stevens 
 John K. Stewart. 
 I. C. Stockton 
 Alfred J. Stofer. 
 Frank S. Streeter. 
 Jas. F. Stutesman. 
 John J. Sullivan. 
 Jesse L. Suter. 
 John T. Suter. 
 Robert M. Switzer. 
 J. Fred C. Talbott. 
 Charles A. Talcott. 
 James A. Tawney. 
 George W. Taylor. 
 Edward L. Taylor, Jr. 
 H. W. Taylor. 
 J. H. Tenant. 
 Napoleon B.Thistlewood. 
 Alfred P. Thom. 
 W. A. Thomas. 
 Carmi Thompson. 
 James R. Thornton. 
 William T. Tilden. 
 Theo. H. Tiller. 
 Washington Times. 
 Jackson Tinker. 
 Horace M. Towner. 
 Robert J. Tracewell. 
 South Trimble. 
 Chas. E. Townsend. 
 Wm. E. Tuttle, Jr. 
 P. H. Uberoth. 
 Edwin S. Underbill. 
 Oscar W. Underwood. 
 
 96 
 
PARTICIPANTS— Continued 
 
 ik 
 
 H. C. Van Voorhis. 
 Wm. S. Vare. 
 Leroy T. Vernon. 
 E. B. Vreeland. 
 Wilbur F. Wakeman. 
 Charles D. Walcott. 
 Stanton Warburton. 
 Harry T. Warnick. 
 Francis E. Warren. 
 John T. Watkins. 
 Clarence W. Watson. 
 John W. Weeks. 
 A. B. Welton. 
 Henry L. West. 
 George P. Wetmore. 
 Adolph Weyl. 
 John J. Whitacre. 
 Edward D. White. 
 George White. 
 
 James Wickersham. 
 
 George W. Wickersham. 
 
 T. A. Wickersham. 
 
 John Sharp Williams. 
 
 Frank B. WilHs. 
 
 Wm. W. Wilson. 
 
 James Wilson. 
 
 Blanton Winship. 
 
 S. W. Winslow. 
 
 S. A. Witherspoon. 
 
 Simon Wolf. 
 
 I. P. Wood. 
 
 Ira W. Wood. 
 
 Elliott Woods. 
 
 Wm. Wooley. 
 
 Henry Xander. 
 
 H. Olin Young. 
 
 James R. Young. 
 
 C. B. Zabriskie. 
 
THE COMMITTEE 
 
 •k 
 
 Chairman, Benjamin G. Humphreys. 
 
 Vice-Chairman, ]. Hampton Moore, 
 
 Secretary, Ira C. Copley. 
 
 Treasurer, Eugene F. Kinkead. 
 
 John Sharp Williams. 
 Robert F. Broussard. 
 Wm. G. Brantley. 
 James M. Graham. 
 Joseph W. Fordney. 
 Chas. A. Korbly. 
 Andrew J. Peters. 
 John J. Fitzgerald. 
 George W. Taylor. 
 
 Richard Bartholdt. 
 Thomas W. Bradley. 
 D. R. Anthony, Jr. 
 Frank W. Mondell. 
 Willis C. Hawley. 
 Martin B. Madden. 
 Edward J. Taylor, Jr. 
 John T. Suter. 
 Rudolph Kauffmann. 
 
 ■k 
 
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS 
 
 WASHINGTON POST. FEB. 16. 1913 
 
 NCLE JOE" CANNON, veteran of the 
 Republican party, and hero of a hundred 
 fights, whose influence on the legisla- 
 tion of his country has been felt for upward of 
 40 years of public life, was the guest of honor last 
 night at the most remarkable banquet ever given 
 in the National Capital. There were present Re- 
 publicans, Democrats, Progressives, Mugwumps, 
 and Socialists. Every man of them sang the 
 praises of this old-time leader, who, on March 4 
 next, will retire to his home in Danville, 111., leav- 
 ing behind a public record that few, if any, have 
 equaled, and that has been surpassed by none in 
 the legislative halls of Congress. 
 
 The President of the United States, the Chief 
 Justice and associate justices of the Supreme 
 Court, members of the cabinet, senators, and 
 representatives, distinguished citizens of Wash- 
 ington, and many of the correspondents who do 
 their work in the big building on the hill made 
 
 99 
 
up the hosts of this honored guest. There sat 
 down at the table 560 hosts, and for five hours 
 the fame of "Uncle Joe" was spoken and sung. 
 
 The keynote of almost every speech made was 
 that Joseph G. Cannon was merely entering 
 upon a vacation ; that he was "coming back" and 
 that as a man and a statesman he must be reck- 
 oned with in the future. 
 
 President Taft characterized him as a great 
 American who, by many decades of disinterested 
 patriotic service, had earned the verdict of "well 
 done" from his countrymen. Senator Root 
 eulogized Uncle Joe as the man who was so full 
 of the courage of his convictions that he dared 
 defy powerful influences because he believed the 
 cause unjust, and thereby made the Presidency 
 impossible for him. 
 
 The tribute of last night, joined in so heartily 
 by men of all political creeds, the New York sen- 
 ator said, showed that this country could not be 
 Mexicanized, because beneath the stress and 
 storm of politics there existed, and always would 
 exist, the American spirit of brotherhood toward 
 all Americans. The speech of Senator Root 
 dealt with the life of Mr. Cannon more in the 
 abstract than any other made, and drew lessons 
 that should be observed by all young men. 
 
 100 
 
WASHINGTON STAR 
 
 MT WAS "Dear Old Uncle Joe" last night 
 when more than half a thousand of the 
 friends of Representative Joseph Gurney 
 Cannon paid him the testimonial of their pres- 
 ence at a farewell dinner given in the Raleigh 
 Hotel. It was given to mark Uncle Joe's retire- 
 ment from public life, after having been in the 
 forefront of national affairs for forty years, thirty- 
 eight of which he has been a member of the 
 House of Representatives. 
 
 It was "Dear Old Uncle Joe" with every man 
 present, and when it is said that Republicans 
 and Democrats and Progressives and stand- 
 patters and all the other brands mingled one 
 with another and cheered till they were hoarse 
 when Uncle Joe was toasted, some idea of the 
 sentiment at the dinner can be gleaned. The 
 politics of the nation lay down and laughed until 
 its side ached at the way the biggest politicians 
 in the land poked fun at one another and the 
 leaders of national life leaned toward the speak- 
 ers with attentive ears when Uncle Joe was 
 being lauded and praised by those who have 
 known him so long. 
 
 It was "Dear Old Uncle Joe" with the Presi- 
 dent of the United States, by members of his 
 cabinet, by Chief Justice White and associate 
 justices of the Supreme Court, by senators and 
 
 101 
 
representatives in Congress, by men in private 
 life and by men whose names have previously 
 been emblazoned upon the scrolls of national 
 fame. They all vied with one another in doing 
 honor to Mr. Cannon, and a remarkable instance 
 was the fact that Progressives who entered Con- 
 gress upon the issue of opposition to "Cannon- 
 ism," were there in full force and cheered as 
 loudly as the pattest standpatter when it came 
 turn to give vocal demonstrations in honor of 
 the former Speaker. The occasion was devoid 
 of partisanship. It was a man's night. 
 
 There wasn't any of the sob element in the 
 farewell, either. It may be there was some of it 
 in the hearts of the close friends of Uncle Joe, 
 but the program for the entertainment of the 
 evening had been arranged so as to studiously 
 avoid anything of the sort. There were 
 speeches, of course, grave and gay, and a hand 
 organ, pressed into service by a jovial newspaper 
 man in charge of one of the "skits" of the dinner, 
 and half a dozen correspondents from the Capi- 
 tol press gallery, contributed a fifteen-minute 
 "sketch," showing the inside talk that goes on 
 in the press gallery while Congress is in session. 
 
 Representative Benjamin G. Humphreys, of 
 Mississippi, a Democrat, was chairman of the 
 Congressional Committee in charge of arrange- 
 ments. He presided, with Representative J. 
 Hampton Moore, of Pennsylvania, acting as 
 
 102 
 
toastmaster. Thus Republican and southern 
 Democrat steered the dinner through the even- 
 ing. "Hampy" Moore gave notice that the five- 
 minute rule would prevail, and this was enforced 
 as vigorously as it ever was while Mr. Cannon 
 was in the Speaker's chair. 
 
 President Taft arrived late, out of deference 
 to Mr. Cannon, etiquette requiring that when he 
 is present he shall occupy the seat of honor. 
 But once in the hall, the President entered into 
 the spirit of the occasion and vied with those as- 
 sembled to impress upon Mr. Cannon the love in 
 which he is held. 
 
 ik 
 
 WASHINGTON HERALD 
 
 I HEY buried Uncle Joe Cannon last night 
 under an avalanche of praise, congratu- 
 lations, and farewell blessings. 
 The dinner in his honor at the Raleigh Hotel 
 was the greatest political function of the winter 
 season. From far and near men who had served 
 under Uncle Joe, who had fought with him and 
 for him, and around him, and against him, came 
 to the National Capital to do honor to the man 
 who has been the legislative storm center of the 
 Republican party through all of one and through 
 part of two generations. 
 
 103 
 
The President of the United States voiced the 
 sentiment of congratulation, good will and god- 
 speed. 
 
 The Chief Justice of the United States broke 
 an age-old precedent and spoke at a political 
 function. 
 
 Members of the Senate, of the Cabinet, of the 
 Diplomatic Corps, and of the army and the navy 
 were numbered among the 550 diners who filled 
 every seat in the vast dining hall, and who later 
 gathered closer and closer around the wiry form 
 of the picturesque statesman. 
 
 Partisan lines were obliterated. The presid- 
 ing officer was a Democrat, Representative Ben- 
 jamin G. Humphreys, of Mississippi. The toast- 
 master was Representative J. Hampton Moore, 
 of Pennsylvania, a Republican and a member of 
 the old guard. 
 
 The dinner began at 7.30 o'clock, and lasted 
 till the witching time surrounding midnight. 
 For a farewell dinner it was without the first 
 note of sadness, and the gayest man in all the 
 hall was Joseph Gumey Cannon, of Danville, 
 111., soon to be a private citizen for at least two 
 years. 
 
 One of Uncle Joe's favorite habits, the applica- 
 tion of the five-minute rule on oratory, was the 
 rule of the night. It was as rigidly enforced as 
 ever Mr. Cannon in the heyday of his power had 
 ever enforced it. 
 
 104 
 
Bust of Hon. Joseph G. Gannon 
 
 From the Congressional Record 
 Friday. Feb. 28, 1913 
 
 R. MANN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- 
 mous consent for the present consid- 
 eration of the resolution which I send 
 to the Clerk's desk and ask to have read. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows : 
 Whereas friends both in and out of Congress 
 have presented to the Hon. Joseph G. Cannon 
 a marble bust of himself, with the expressed 
 hope that it be placed in the House Office 
 Building; and 
 Whereas Mr. Cannon has offered to present such 
 
 bust to the House of Representatives ; and 
 Whereas Mr. Cannon has been for many years an 
 honored Member of the House of Representa- 
 tives and was for eight years the Speaker and 
 originated the proposition for the House Office 
 Building: Now therefore be it 
 Resolved by the House of Representatives, 
 That the House Office Building Commission is 
 hereby authorized to accept on behalf of the 
 House of Representatives the marble bust of 
 Hon. Joseph G. Cannon and place the same in a 
 proper position in the House Office Building, 
 
 105 
 
and that the thanks of the House of Representa- 
 tives be, and the same are hereby, tendered to 
 Mr. Cannon for the gift of the said bust. 
 
 The Speaker. Is there objection to the present 
 consideration of the revolution? 
 
 There was no objection. 
 
 The Speaker. The question is on agreeing to 
 the resolution. 
 
 The resolution was agreed to. 
 
 V 
 
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