Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-11-30
The Scramble for House Offices.
Candidates as Thick as Brfxadfer
Generals.

| swooped down upon Waship gton like an
| avalanche. Go where one will, and he is
likely to encounter one of these anxious yet
| hopeful aspirants. AT night the hotels are
full OF them. For every office there are from
| ten to twenty office seekers, and, strange to
| say, each has an abiding faith in his own
| triumph. In the multitude of the prolific
| crop, the south furnishes double the mum Der
more than any other geographical section OF
The country, and the state OF Virginia SUD-
| plies at least half OF the southerners who
await an opportunity TO draw upon Uncle
THE sPEAKERsHIP.
For this Office one candidate has stepped
aside. Fernando Wood, becoming disguised
with the personal feeling which has entered
into the canvass, Withdrew yesterday. Il
leaves in the field NJ. c. Kerr, of Indiana;
samuel j. Randall, of Pennsylvania; and
samuel S. Cox, of New York. That the can
didacy of the latter means no serious OBJ
stacle in the way of the other two is best
judged from the fact that, in specializing on
the chances of Kerr or Randall, the politi-
clans do not take any note Of Mr.. Cox's part
in the contest. He will probably, however,
get sufficient vote TO afford a handsome
compliment. The withdrawal OF Wood has
enllvened the excitement over the contest to
white heat. Many are anxious to know what
1t means. Randall's friends constIue IL as
additional strength for their candidate, aud
the friends of Kerr are disposed to treat il in
the same light in behalf OF their man.
Now there is reason to believe that Mr..
WOOD means at the proper time to support
MI randall. IL is stated that last winter,
WIFI nrSJ DSsun the canvass
for the Speakership he called upon Mr..
Wood and solicited his vote and influence,
Wood frankly told him that MIR. Randall
vas his second choice, land suppose" said
Mr.. Randall, "your first choice is Hon. Fer
nandO Wood" Mr.. Wood replied affirma-
lively. He IS now voluntarily out of the
race, and the friends OF Randall assume 10
say that he viii fall back upon his second
choice. Now if Wood should give Mr.. Ran
dali his vote, il is much TO be doubted that
he can influence many of the New York del
IN act K-iF aim Tpn cFaf of
York has two good reasons for supporting
Mr.. Kerr: First, because that Common
wealth wants the presidency, ami the selec-
lion OF speaker from the east might
JeOpadlze The chance, aud second, Wall
street and the business men vast Randall
defeated. With these two elements opera
ting against Mr. Randall, he can hardly ex-
pecj much strength fIom the democratic rep
resentatlves Of The constituencies Of that
great state.
Mr. Wool stated last night that his with
drawal was bis Own free act, uninluenced
by any consideration. He saw that a great
deal OF personal feeling was being manifest
thing to do with it. He says further, anu
with emphasis, that his withdrawal was
not Ia the interest of either Mr.. Kerr or Mr..
Randall, and that neither one OF them knew
for whom he should cast his vote. He be-
Heved, however, that the House would be or
ganized without trouble and in the Interest
On the question OF Mr.. Kerr's strength in
the west there is some diversity of opinion.
His FRIENDS claim that he viii get the solid
Indiana delegation; all but one of the Misr
souri, delegation and ten OF the Illinois delAn
cation (eight democrats and two indapen-
dentS.l II is asserted on the other hand that
TWO OF tie Illinois members Will vote for
Randall; that he will likewise receive oue
vote from Missouri and possibly two. The
ONO delegation, to the extent OF a maj )rity,
viii IL is claimed on the same authority sun
port Mr.. Randall in preference to Kerr,
when the race crystaliZes in caucus between
these two. To offset this however Randall
will not receive the united support of tie
south. II is claimed that The Virginia dele
cation is rot solid for him. Also that there
is not unity Of support likely accorded him
from Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama
The truth Is that there are so many, who
want To vote for the winning man, that they
Will decline to make known whom they Will
support until the time settles beyond per-
adventure who the coming man is. If either
candidate could convince this class of poll
ticians that he had strength barely more
than enough to secure The place, il wo uld be
augmented by the votes of probably fifty
additional members.
While the hard money doctrine may help
Kerr with the Eastern members, itdoes him
some harm with those from the West. One
of Kerr'S own friends stated last night that
his views were not in accord with the de.
mocracy of his own state, and that he knew
IL. Even taking this view of the case. II is
hard TO see how ii can help Randall. The
latters friends now say that he is hard
money man. and that he never endorsed the
soft-money Erie platform.
Two other elements enter into the canvas:
Kerr Is a free trader-Randall pro lection
ISL. Kerr will receive the moral support and
influence of the powerful free trade leagues of
New York. Back of this is a host of strength
In the business men. Kerr will also have
backing from the bankers and brokers OF
wall street and the national banking inter-
ests all over the country.
With what is gained to him, In this direc-
ZION, however. is lost in another. Whatever
1nhue nee the Texas Pacific railroad scheme
has in the south will, from present APP
pearances, be used against Kerr. A strong
Keeling for this measure has bee inaugurated
IN the southern and southw estern states.
Even before the caucus on the Speakership
question opened actively, its managers held
a convention in st. Louis with the view of
It's having a direct bearing on future legisla-
ton in its interest. Kerr has opposed this
and every other measure of its kind which
has ever been presented TO Congress during
his membership. Randall likewise voted
against the bill, but is thought TO be less
tnlmical to ii than Kerr. This project
carries with IL the votes of large number OF
will take will probably be shaped in a day
or two, as Gen. Throckmorton, OF Texas
who champio1s the measureSiis expected az
the Metropolitan hotel to night. II Randall
is eventually distanced in the race his back
pay record viii probably have done more 10
place him second than any other known
cause now cper ating against him.
CANDIDATES For THE CLERRsHIp.
There are ten candidates in the field to sue.
coed Mr.. Mcpherson. The south furnishes
nlne OF them, as follows: Geo. NJ. Adams, of
A. d. Banks, of Mississippl; General Du.
Bose, OF Georgia; Stevenson Archer of Mary
land; Ex-Congressman Shober, OF North
carolina; Ex-Cougressmau Whitehead, of
Virginia; 7. T. Crittendel, of Missouri, and
Neil s. Brown, of Tennessee. New York sup
plies, amid this southern array, one modest
candidate in the person of Hiram Calkins.
If one were to take the statements of the
several candidates, il would be hard to de-
termine who is the foremost in the race.
Each OF them expect to be elected, and TO
look upon the sorrowing retreat of the nine
who will be disappointed. All of them are
here except CaIkins. DuBose, strapping
fellow of good parts, physically and socially,
makes his Headquarters at Willards
Matt" Adams, of KY, as he is Familiarity
called, does the honors incident to drumming
up votes at the Ebbitt House. He is the
handsome candidate. Banks, of Miss, ar
rived at Willard's Hotel last night. He is
exceedingly confident of success, is an old
journalist, man of intelligence and char
acter. Archer lives near by, and runs over
from Maryland every day to keep watch on
the other aspirants. Shober, of N. c., quite
an agreeable gentleman, is at Willard's; SO
also is Crittenden, OF Mo-, the friend of the
famous John Young Brown who scalped after
the 81 Hero Of Essex" last winter. White