Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-12-28
The Conversational Committees.

ing TO provo its devotion to the Black
Republican causc by series Of wret II
Cd misrepresentation Of the policy OF
tho Democratic administration and its
supporters in Congress-. 1t has Of late
made itself ridiculous by charging that
the South controlled the greater num-
Der OF the Committees Of Congress,
and that none but Southern men were
assigned leading places on such com
mittecs. We deem the division Of Off
ees matter of very little consequence,
and entirely repudiate the notion Of
consulting the Geography in the ap-
pointment Of committees. Again and
again we have asked the Gazette if the
appointment Of Southern man to
the Craftsmanship Of a committee was
any reason for voting the Black Re
publican ticket or denouncing orr fel.
low citizens of Missouri or Kentucky,
but it can give us no answer. Once
more, We demand the object Of all this
talk about Southern influence in our
national government. Is it to raise
sectional feelings! to array Northern
Office hunters in hostility to Southern
politiciansi Is that the object. Let
tho Gazette avow that its aim in
drawing odious comparisons between
the success Of Northern and South
srn office seekers 10 to excite jeal-
ousys between the two sections Of
the Union, ana the better portion Of
it, party will condemn its action and
It's mo i've As disgiacetul TO any ergaU
ixation which processes to be nat o"al
Now, As to the formation Of the Com
mittets. The Gdzetie Las so grossly
misstated all the facts concerning those
eommittees, that We feel bound in char
ity TO conclude that 1t has never read
tho list Of committees at all. Igno-
rance 10 pitiable, perhaps culpable, but
by no means 30 criminal rs wilful mis-
representations. Our neighbors prob
ably Jaw some silly comments on the
House Committees in one of its ex-
changes, which it echoed without Ia
king the trouble to ascertain the facts
- they are.
Had it read the list Of committees,
il could never have said anything 30
untrue a. that Florence of Penn, Har-
rio Of ILL.,, and some members from the
city of New York were the only Nor
thern men to whom respectable posi-
tions we're assigned. We speak by the
card and know what we say, for the
time has not yet come when we can
descend to the tricks of the Gazette,
and attempt to make sweeping asser-
sions supply the place offacts. Now, We
state boldly, and with means to substan-
tiate every thing We allegc, that the
North has its share, and more than its
share of.infuencc in the Committees of
the House. In the House Of Representa-
tlves there arc 81 committee, in 80 Of
which the North has the majority,
in 6 committees the South has a
majority Of one, and in one commit
tee there is tie. In the 80 commit
teet in which the North is in the as
cendant, the Northern majority is new
or less than one and often four or five.
The most important committees OF the
House are in the hands of Northern
men, whilst the South has taken up
with committees on the District of
Columbia, Military and Naval affairs
those being branches of congressional
service, which have usually been filled
by Southern men by universal consent.
The North has at least Is chairmen of
committees, and even where Southern
men are at the head, there is in almost
oil decided preponderence of North
ern influence. We venture to say that
It will be found on footing up that the
North has twenty or thirty more com
mittees than the South. Now, such
being the facts, and they cannot be
controverted-we ask what does the
Gazette mean by saying that all the
committees are in the hands of the
South, and that every Northern man
ave one or two-is excluded from SER
vicel When the North controls 80 out
Of 81, does it venture to assert that the
North has not its share Of patronage.
Iffivc sevenths of all the offices IN the
House will not satisfy our neighbor,
how much will?
With half the Chairmen and an
overwhelming majority in the Com
nittees from the North, the Guzette
saysit has "proven that the North has
been most shamefully treated. Strange
notions Of shameful treatment must
She Gazette entertain! The fact is, the
Gasstss i like . bear with q sore head
1T will 6nd fault all the time. It has