Editing Joseph Gurney Cannon (section)

=== Theodore Roosevelt presidency ===
At the time Cannon was elevated to Speaker, the President was [[Theodore Roosevelt]], a fellow Republican. Roosevelt immediately took steps to consult Cannon on legislative matters and the two met several times a week at Roosevelt's request. However, unlike Roosevelt, Cannon opposed most of the progressive reform efforts of the day, including conservation, women's suffrage, the labor movement, and especially reductions in the overall [[Tariff in United States history|tariff rate]]. Cannon also came to personally oppose Roosevelt's demanding, autocratic personality, once asserting that Roosevelt had "no more use for the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] than a tomcat has for a marriage license."{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}} On another occasion, he said, "That fellow at the other end of the Avenue wants everything from the birth of Christ to the death of the devil."{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}}

At the time of Cannon's election, the Speaker of the House concurrently held the chair of the [[United States House Committee on Rules|Rules Committee]], which determined under what rules and restrictions bills could be debated, amended, and voted on, and, in some cases, whether they would be allowed on the floor at all. As such, Cannon effectively controlled every aspect of the House's agenda: bills reached the floor of the House only if Cannon approved of them, and then in whatever form he determined – with Cannon himself deciding whether and to what extent the measures could be debated and amended. Cannon also reserved to himself the right to appoint not only the chairs of the various [[List of United States House of Representatives committees|House committees]], but also all of the committees' members, and (despite the seniority system that had begun to develop) used that power to appoint his allies and proteges to leadership positions while punishing those who opposed his legislation.

Cannon wielded the Speaker's authority with unprecedented severity.{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}} While his predecessor [[Thomas Brackett Reed]] was noted for his dramatic expansion of the Speaker's authority, Cannon distinguished himself by the manner in which he wielded that authority. According to historian Booth Mooney, "The deadly rapier wielded by Reed gave way to a bludgeon, which at first he used only to knock down Democrats."{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}} Though Reed had been lampooned as a "Czar," press treatment of "Uncle Joe" Cannon was far more critical during his first term as Speaker. Cannon was criticized by the Democratic press for the arbitrary exercise of his considerable power; on one voice vote, he ruled, "The ayes make the most noise, but the nays have it." On another occasion, Representative [[Cordell Hull]] attempted to offer an income tax amendment to a tariff bill, and Cannon simply ignored him.{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}} When one Representative was asked by a constituent for a copy of the House Rules, the Representative simply sent back a picture of Speaker Cannon. When confronted with criticisms directly, Cannon would respond that the power he exercised was granted by the whole House, which reserved the authority to amend the Rules or vote him out as Speaker.{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}}

Early in his term, Cannon was largely free from opposition within the House majority. His wrath was typically reserved for the Senate, and in [[United States congressional conference committee|conference committees]] he was a vigorous defender of the House position on legislation, winning him support and admiration from his colleagues.{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}} He continued to enjoy the public support of the President, who praised him in 1906 as "a patriotic American... for every man, rich or poor, capitalist or labor man, so long as he is a decent American, and [Cannon] is entitled to our support because he is a patriotic man."{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}}

After the 1906 election, the relationship between Cannon and Roosevelt began to fray. Roosevelt, who had already announced he would not campaign in 1908, adopted a more progressive stance against major corporations. Roosevelt's new proposals for a Pure Food and Drug Act, an income tax, an inheritance tax, a federal corporation law, government involvement in labor disputes, laws regulating the labor of women and children, and regulation of railroad securities all drew opposition from Cannon. Quoting John Morley, Cannon began to frequently refer to Roosevelt as "half [[Paul the Apostle|St. Paul]], half [[Saint Vitus|St. Vitus]]."{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}} Rumors began to spread that Roosevelt would look to supplant Cannon as speaker, in order to hasten his legislative agenda through the House, but Roosevelt never addressed them, and Cannon survived as Speaker through Roosevelt's term in office.{{Sfn|Mooney|1964|pp=96–111}}
[[File:PuckMagazine30Sep1908.jpg|thumb|The cover of [[Puck (magazine)|''Puck'']] for September 30, 1908, satirizing Cannon as "[[Abdul Hamid II|Abdul the Damned]]," the Ottoman sultan and subject of frequent assassination and deposition attempts.]]