Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-09-11
The Organization Of the next
House,.

House,
Now that California has elected solid
Union delegation to Congress there is no
doubt that the friends of the Administration
and the country will have a good working
majority in that body, even though Maryland
should send full delegation Of secessionists,
which Maryland will not do. Mr.. Fernando
Wood, asSpeaker, may already be considered
gone up the spout. .............
There have been four names mentioned
among the friends of the Government, in
connection with the Speakership, from which,
say the knowing ones, the choice will prob
ably be made. These are, Mr.. Dawes, Of
Massachusetts,, Mr.. Colfax, of Indiana, Mr.
Washburne, of Illinois, and Gen. Frank Blair
of Missouri. We are assured that Gen. Blair
will not be candidate. He will no doubt
assist in the organization Of the House, and
then return to duties in the field. So Dawes
Colfax, and Washburne make the figures on
the slate at this writing.
We suppose the people care very little fol
the personal interests of these men as against
each other. A great deal depends. however
upon the organization of the House. The
Speaker selects the committees, and the com
mittees do the legislative business of the
country, and they do it we'll or i'll, generally
according as their various chairmen are able
prompt, and honest, or shiftless, lazy, and
villainous. A committee which 'does the
work" in consideration of the Chairman
furnishing the whiskey" is not the kind we
need just now.
Upon the legislation Of the coming session
of Congress will depend, in a great degree
the success of the friends of the Union in the
Presidential campaign of 1864. Yet this
though great matter, is only, after all, one
of the means to be used in the suppression Of
the rebellion-the reorganization of the
Union and the re-establishment of the Con.
stitution, these are the ends, and we may OF
may not succeed in accomplishing them 40
cording as the legislation of the next session
shall be wise or unwise. We trust, there.
fore, that the high considerations here limited
at will govern every member of Congress in
his conduct and votes in the organization Of
the House. Whether Brown shall be door.
keeper, Smith sargeant-at-arms, and Perkins
stationary keeper are very important matter
no doubt, to Smith, Brown and Perkins, but
to nobody else in the wide world. five get
a Speaker who is first rate judge Of men
who thoroughly understands the immense
importance of right formation of the COM
mttees, and who will fearlessly and without
favor, perform his duties in the premises, the
country will not care fig about the minor
matters which make so much noise and con-
fusion at our national capital during the or.
ganlzation. Whether any of the men named
in connection with the Speakership possess
the required attributes in more eminent
degree than other members of the House, old
Or new, we do not know. If they do not
the best man, be he an old or new member
should be chosen. No mere locality ques
tons, no mere good-fellow questions, nc
questions of patronage, no considerations Of
official honors and courtesies, should have
anything to do in electing the next Speaker.
We believe that most of the members elect
have made up their minds to do their whole
duty in this matter, and we trust the slate.
makers in and around Washington, in and
out of the Cabinet, will be unceremoniously
pushed aside, and the best man in the coun'
try for Speaker be selected. Then, our ar
mics all the while doing their duty, the time
Of the three years men will hardly be up till
peace shall smile again over all our borders.