, 1873-11-22

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THE NEXT sPEAKERSH1P.
Our Washington dispatches inuichso compll-
cation Of circumstances attending tho forthcom-
ing assembling OF Congress- and election OF
speaker, which AFRO not only singular, but might
fitly bo characterized as cowardty, upon tho part
Of tho Republican party. Assuming that hIr.
Daino will bo ro-olootod Spoakor, that gontlo~
man will Immediately nnd himsoH botween two
fires. Upon tho ono Bido will 10 faction Of
nti-Crodit-alobi1ior Congressman, who will de-
mantl that thoso Of their associates who wore
implicated In tho Orotlit-AIobor scandals shall
not bo assigned to positions at the head Of i'm
portant committees. On tho other hand, there
Ia another faction Of decentralization Com
grossmon who follow tho lead Of the Prcsilont
and Cameron, who have noyor regarded
tho Croilit-Mobiior scandal aa worry
hoinous ofronse, and this factiou ho will antag-
onizo If ho follows tho policy Of tho other. II
ho shifts tho responsibility upon cauous, as 11o
desires to do, ho will still mike trouble for him.
self by nntagoni2iny tho ultra-Administration
faction, and, IN addition to this, will incur tho
odium Of being called cowardly and afraid to
taao q responsibility which belongs to him.
Thus, whichever way Mr. Blaine may turn, he
will find himself in trouble. If he plcasca tho
Administration, he dBpleaBea the anti Credit
Mobilier faction, and cice Versa. II ho socks to
avoid responsibility, 11o displcaacs BOTH. There
is but ono wny Of escape out Of this dilomma,
and tbat is to boldly cut tlo knot By forming his
committees and appointing tho hoals aB ho
ploaaos, without referance to Credit Mobilier,
Balary-grabbing, or ..auy other form Of official
iniquity in which Congressman layo boen cn-
gagged.
Why should NIr. Dlaino DO called upon or bo
expected to punish Congro sHmen for their pofti
ical sins? What right las he to decide
that they arc guilty and thon proceed to punish
them by stripping them of influence when tho
party itself lacks courage to punish them
These Crcdt-hlobilior Congressman have all
been arraiguod and tried BY tho party, under tho
pressure Of public opinion, aud have boon whitc-
washed. If thoro is my Furnishing to bo done,
1t is tho duty tho party, not 1lr. Blaine, to do
1t. II Crolt-Mobilior congressman arc to DO
hauled up at this late day for their stoc!z-ipyos-
ments. after ignoring the ofronno ut tho time
when 1t should hayo been punished, lot tho
party Hlt In Judgment and administer tho PEN
alty not Alr. Blaine. II tho Halary- -grabbora aro
to be robukod, lot tho party rebnko thcm, COM
moncing with thu President, who made salary
grabbing possible, not Mr.. Blaine. IF any Of tho
frauds and corruptions Of Republican loadors aro
to bo punished, lot the party decide What tint
punishment shall DO, not A1r. Blaine. So long
ns tho party docs not do 10, it will simply DO d
| piece Of impertinenco for Mr. Blaine to take any
action In the promises whatever. II ho is to bo
the oxocutionor for tho party, lot him ba fu.-
nishel with tho warrants and evidence and yor-
diets Of the party, and tl,on no ono will object to
bis looping of tho hoadg-the moro the bottor,
It would bo just as consistent for Judge to or.
der the Sheriff to hang a murderer who has not
beon tried, as for Mr. Dlaino to proceed to pun
| ish these mon. The manner in which the party
Is taking ground with reference to the Speaker.
| ship and his dutios is simply cowardlY shifting
Of responsibility, and it il the duty Of A1r Blaine
to drug the party leaders out from thei,
skulking places and compel thom to do tho worl
which tloy aro trying to foist upon him. III
haa tho koy to the Bituatlon in his own hands,
Either these Crodit-N1obiIor and ealary grabbing
Congressman aro innocent and deserve no pun
ishmont, aud should have thoir places aa uHslal
upon committees, or thoy arc guilty and dosorvt
to be ouBtcd. But NIr. Blaine is not tho iudgt
Of this. Ho must haye official notice from til,
party, and the undoubted assurance that til,
party condemns their transactions. If ho doc
not, he cannot pass upon them, but must locat'
thom upon tile committees as If there had noyo
been Oro1t-Nobilior or aalary-atoal, and tn
party must tako tho responsibility. Mr. Blain
mood NOT fear that tho people will not sustail
| him in this cOurSo