Remarks by Representative Minshall

Of Ohio

Mr. Speaker, the unexpected news of the death of my chairman, the Honorable CLARENCE CANNON, casts a long shadow across the second session of this session of this Congress.

Although his years were many, and his term of service second longest in the House of Representatives, we on the Appropriations Committee looked forward to many more years under his brilliant leadership.

We shall miss his wisdom, his unsparing insight into the fiscal policies of the Nation. Party lines dissolved when Chairman CANNON presented his yearly budget summation: he did not know the meaning of partisanship when the Nation's fiscal integrity came under his scrutiny.

He will be long remembered by his countrymen, and particularly those of us who had the honor to serve with him.

Remarks by Representative Haley

Of Florida

Mr. Speaker, it is always a sad occasion when we pause in our deliberations to pay tribute to a departed colleague. It is particularly so today when we honor our departed friend, CLARENCE CANNON. Probably no Member of this august body has left us such a great legacy as this one man who did so much to develop the orderly procedures of the House of Representatives. His proficiency as a parliamentarian is unequaled in our history and he has left us our own rule book, "Cannon's Procedure in the House of Representatives."

Beyond a doubt, he was one of the most outstanding men to serve in the House in the last 50 years. He was a man of deep convictions and had the courage to uphold those convictions. We need more men of his quality and character.

He was a stanch defender of the position of the House of Representatives, fighting always to protect its constitutional powers and its prerogatives.

Because of his intimate knowledge of the workings of our Federal Government and our legislative procedure, he probably saved the taxpayers of this Nation billions of dollars during his lifetime. His prestige was so great when it came to fiscal matters that few people questioned his judgment on such issues.

We have lost one of the most able and effective men to ever serve our United States. We have lost one of the greatest Americans of our time.

To his family, I express my deepest sympathy. I hope they will find some consolation in the knowledge that their personal loss is shared by all of us in this Chamber and by the American people as a whole.

Remarks by Representative Sheppard
Of California

Mr. Speaker, it is fitting and proper that we should pause, consider, and pay homage to the deeds and the memory of our late colleague, CLARENCE CANNON. Only as this body and this Nation remember the deeds of the great men who have served here, do we find for ourselves the inspiration to achieve great things for our country and future. Men, today, will pay tribute to his achievements in the field of parliamentary law and legislation. Yet, basically, CLARENCE CANNON was a historian. He loved, lived, and to some extent, made the history of America. It was this love and this desire to make this Nation great that led to his numerous achievements in other fields. Whether it was here in this body, in his home State, in the political party to which he belonged and served so well, or on the Board of Regents of Smithsonian Institution, which I think deep down, was the dearest to him of all of his public services, this was his motivating factor.

This man was a proud man. Proud of his nation; proud, yes of his accomplishments; proud of his committee, which he so ably led. This was a man of intimate acquaintance with Presidents and of the great of his age. Yet a man who was loved by the ordinary people of America: the farmer in his district, the hometown member of his Masonic lodge; the messenger of his committee. This was a humble man who carried silver dollars in his pockets to pass out to children and to others with whom he came in contact with the ageold admonition:

Hold on to this, and you will never go broke.

Yes, as CLARENCE CANNON deserves and holds a niche of greatness in the hall of fame of the House of Representatives and of this Nation, so he holds a niche of love, respect, and admiration in the hearts and minds of a countless legion of

ordinary people with whom he came in contact. I am proud to be a member of that legion.

Mr. CANNON's love for America was evidenced in his desire to make this Nation strong, both economically and military. His outstanding achievements in the former field cause many to overlook similar achievements in the latter. The contributions which he made to the military application of atomic energy, can never be told. I am certain, because of my own knowledge of his activities, that we would not possess the powerful nuclear submarine threat we have today were it not for the farsighted vision of our colleague in this field. His championship of the Strategic Air Command helped to make this a major weapon system in the arsenal of the free world. Needless to say, at times we differed on how best to provide the military strength we both knew our country required. Yet it was a difference of means to an end, not in the end itself. This Nation owes a debt it can never repay to CLARENCE CANNON on his contributions to our military power.

The outstanding personal characteristic of Mr. CANNON was the simple fact that this was a fearless man. All too often we see in the political life of the House and of this country actions based on the age-old admonition to "Go along and you will get along." CLARENCE CANNON never followed this admonition. It mattered not to him whether he was a minority of one or had the backing of the entire House, as long as in his own mind he was convinced that his action and his vote were in the best interest of this Nation and was the proper thing to do. Mr. Speaker, truly this was a man. As we seek inspiration from his life for our own future, I know of no greater characteristic than this which we should emulate.

Mr. Speaker, the House has lost a great leader; the people of his beloved State of Missouri have lost a great champion; and I have lost a tried and a true friend. My only hope is that the life that he led-his utmost devotion to this House and its institutions, to this Nation and its ideals—will serve as

a beacon light of inspiration to those who follow him. I extend my heartfelt sympathies to his beloved wife and companion, who contributed so much to his success in the field of public service and who was in the final analysis his greatest joy and pride.