The New York herald., 1871-12-02
GO n Q r E S S.
The Struggle Oyer the House
Standing Committees.
~.~-%~>e~~~~----~~--~~~-~
BLAINE, THE C0MNllTTEE-MAkER
flow the Speaker Makes His
Selections.
Personal Sketches OF CeSe-
Ipratel ChairrseM.
A COVER BiSNr OF PRWY COUNCILS.

A
large representative BODY could not possibly work
out tue problem oi democratic repuDllcanism ex
cept by the sagaclous division OF its mempers il'9
com,rittees aud the preparation of the gebefal
work in committee r0oni 50 wen Is this unscr
stood that tae House OF Representatives seldom CTS
agrees TO the report o. majority OF committee,
unless some powerful lobby has been adversely at
WORK, some Executive influence brought 10 bear. or
certain circumstances stronger than discipline pre-
vail. Each committee man feel that The approved
WORK Of eyerS otaer committee had better be voted
right ia the body tie whole than tnat the ntermi-
uablc dispute and wrangle before the committee
should be revived IN tue great general booy.
THE seRAKER THE SECOND OFFICE IN THE GOVERN
MENr.
Thus It nappens that III SpeakersAIp OF the House
OF Representatives is ty common consent the second
Office IN the government OF the United States. The
Speaker is elected Of hts general popularity,
suprc sitnous fairness ald long knowledge OF the
membership. \ Speaker h generally been sub'
jected to trial before he becomes candidate, AMI
the old men, pers make up their minds about their
choice by seeing their fayortes ut odds and ends OF
ymes III the chair TINS there Is q certain heredi-
tary character ih o6ice of Speaker, because an
outgoing Speaker call TO tue chair Just such
persons he likes and noothers. The last Speaker
OF the House OF Representatives., Schuyler CotaX,
discovered That among the republicans two
men were working hard TO succeed 10 his place,
both New England men--Dawes. OF Massachusetts,
ard Blaine OF Maine.
DAWES ASp BLAME COMPARED.
Ui these two men Blaine was the most worldly
and popular, and Dawes the most responsible ana
efficient. Blaine some degree carpethag.
ger IN New England, having been born OF q Catholic
family In Weslera pennsylvania, while Dawes was
70 the manner bora and alrtared under the shadow
OF The Berkshire Hills. 1t an early date Dawes DIS
aa a he
members OF Congress ne had show with Blame
So he had the grace to back out before the thing
came to trial, and Blame aGei 10 the Speak
er's char under the most favorable and unanimous
recognition that we have had for Speaker ssace
the days OF the old and powerful democratic
caucuses. Coltax, DlAines predecessor, had risen
10 his place by dexterous system Of trimming and
Nheeding, Shipping over from one side to another
and back again, pulling within the party traces bur,
when unhched, jogging over to the dem mocratic SIDE,
and saying boyisn thincs TO the Old and unfortunate
wheei-aorses there. Such poor politicians were the
Southern men before The rebellion that one or two
OF them dying left 1t his earnest request that Schuy
Ter Coi!ax should make q speech his remains.
The sequel showed that however Schuyler might be
reiied upon for rhetoric, making occasions
he the most tremendous Ice for the small
charge he contained that the south had. Not hay-
lug any particular principles ne Was dangerous
political almanac maker, apl whci he found that
the mind OF the North was made up on tie issue OF
The rebellion he pushed the South harder thaa
many men with mere g-it ana worse apparent l. b.
crafty.
Blame mas never. been severe. malignant or re.
vengeful man. lie i not smiler simply man of
the world, courteous 10 MS political opponents,
sagscous and slippery with ms political friends.
As a politician he Is earnest in nothing demonstra-
tive III all things; but his dealings with politicians
and men OF the world, there is soidness and
equality OF conpanionship, developed manilness
about hum, which al have 10 acknowledge. Cofax
kept his position before the country by mingnng
with the people ald enactiDg upon o miniature
scale the part OF Henry Cay Blaine plays the
business man, with no nonsense about him. lie
Is prosperous and he lives III fine house,
ssndwiched among those OF certain other equally
worldly anu successful gentlemen, like Tom
Swami, ei Maryland; ex-Mayor BerritL, or
My%,nag,n senator West q louisiana d and
he pretty hard 10 pick ouI ROW OF folks who had
been ex osed more 10 ihe slegcs OF the world and
had become more indurdted These men are always
spproachao!e 10y gentlemen, never per ecty reliable,
bur generally on Top. II go TO speaker Blaine
st nls house you VIII nna TASTEFUL ricn ortJ hou-
sand dollar residence mode OF brick, with crc.cleiy
sort OF renaissance rooi, servant trained to say
mot in or Walk In sir.n with the greatest pos.
sibe iaciiily, dining tabe republican but ple1te.
GUS engrsvlngs carefully designed not to shock any
bodys partisan aud faci.ous ieeiiags, and very
nne, unworGiy and good vile, WIN pretty children,
none Of whom inierIere wItn State matters. Thus
IL happens that Blame at aly moment wheel
around ana invite men or opposite affiliations to
share his hospl aity each set of ghom presunes 10
have his lat attention and his perfect sympathy.
To-day he has hail dozen Pacific Coast
people eajoed into h,s dining room. Next morning
the SOLID men OF New England discuss upon terms
oil perfect confidence the relations OF capital West
eiD Investments VITA hun. An e.egant dinner en-
SUING admits the hIgn t2rld people oi pennsylvania
10 ms fullest symp thy, am the high tariff
have CODY garnshed for'h the Tree trade break.
iasis, when he tells u good JoEe upon the guests OF
tnc night before. In due order comes breakfast
tno New York delegation and dinner to the carpet
baggers. These are ha idled wilh shrewdness and
breadth unexamped, and he geGs an understanding
oi the "hoie country as IL appears In Congress-
dramatic, tnan 10 see young Mr. Coliax with some
plated SILVER Just presented 10 HIM ~ the
Golham manufacturing Company, holding cold
coffee reception Tor disseners established church.
men, temperance society men, colyiyialists and
wire puilers Biale Is no hypocrite; he is simply a
oig irahed intellectual mirror, which every lac
ton MAKES its impression, bur he keeps nothing
ioug. Around this figure OF a man The chaps vi 40
seek committees dive ANA dand.c, aud everybody
goes away perfectly satisfied that his fortune Is
made, while perhaps, one promise out OF fifty
Is ever Kept, the dex politician relies upon
contingent circumstances " bear Llm out aud save
hlm.
MORE ABOUT BLsrNE
certain suave tinlldlty alternating with cer-
tain nervous courage carries blame through the
quadriiie, ward aud backwards. lie Is never al.
together honest, never altogether inslncere, he
no sen1en'sis. anu no shallow preender using
cunning processes Of faise heart without CON-
manuins tue entire respect OF morsl,sts he suits
philosophers and people no know that country
as dig as ours cannot always be best governed by the
highest principles.
ThE couNrRY NOT EQUALLY GOVERNED.
It's queer thing that the two great parts OF the
couutry have the east force In the representative
BODY vi Congress. According TO the basis OF popu-
latlon and representation the poten al parts OF
the United states and rs commltiees ought to be
.ue state vi New foih and the North vest But New
loIk has ol late gone against the republican party
anu tue NorLhwest has Deea humored with the ex.
ecuuse onlces. Ihe coalltion between the federal
patronage IN New York aud tue federal Presi,ient
nom tne Northwest has mad the eject 10 cheat boin
oi these sections. The President, while noninally
elected from limos. Is more OF a New YORKER by
Animation tnan " estern man. 1he Wee President
oil the Jnited states, also from the Northwest IS
chiefly absorbed In writing lor the New York weekIy
papers and keeping good iip on til ms IN the re-
gios oi New YORK aud the East Thus happens that
tue rcai powerful aud positive administration
or the country has touDleu into the hands Of New
England. The President Ol the republican caucus
IN the Senate ~ a Senator nom Rhode Island; the
hnrAker OF The uOnae comes from me eXirenelX