Joseph Gurney Cannon

Joseph Gurney Cannon (born May 7, 1836, Guilford county, North Carolina, U.S.—died November 12, 1926, Danville, Illinois) was an American politician who was a longtime member of the U.S. House of Representatives. As speaker of the House (1903–11), he exerted incredible power and influence.

Admitted to the Indiana bar in 1858, Cannon in 1859 moved to Illinois, where he continued the practice of law and entered politics. In 1872 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for 46 years (1873–91, 1893–1913, 1915–23). Cannon was a staunch conservative and loyal Republican who, because of seniority, held important committee chairmanships and was speaker of the House for eight years (1903–11). While speaker, he also headed the rules committee, and the two posts enabled him to exercise complete control, overseeing both the legislative agenda and the debate proceedings. “Czar Cannon” memorably stated, “Sometimes in politics one must duel with skunks, but no one should be fool enough to allow skunks to choose the weapons.” In March 1910, however, a coalition of Democrats and insurgent Republicans passed a resolution making the speaker ineligible for membership on the committee on rules, thus divesting him of much of his power. Cannon did not originate a single major legislative measure during his 46 years in the House. He was personally liked by his colleagues, however, and was popularly known as “Uncle Joe” Cannon.