The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-11-26
The COMING CONGRESS.
a Look Over the New Body-The Probable
Leaders in the House,

COURSE
IN the makeup of the Democratic House
OF Representatives The new members of
the Senate were called here last spring
when they were mentally weighed and
photographed until the reading public
knew all there was desirable to know
about them. Of the new House there
are doubtless many bright and shining
stars, but their light has hitherto been
shed IN obscurity. Of the 292 members
OF the next Honse lS4 are new members.
The great majority of these have never
served in any national legislature, and
are, therefore, easy victims to the rule of
the more experienced parliamentariaHs
who control the house. Ofthe reelected
members from the Forty-third Congress
the Republicans have a majority, the
number standing 81 Republicans to 40
Democrats. This will be an advantage
to the Republican side of the House that
should not be underestimate; experience
in the devious ways of the House is so
necessary to the accomplishment of any
thing by an individual member. If a
newly-elected member could only strug-
gle with himself, keep his mouth shut and
his eyes and ears open during one entire
session, he would be of some value to his
district. However, it is more than prob
able such course upon the part of a
member would make his constituents
think that he was not statesman. The
rural idea of a statesman is a creature
who is always upon the bulwarks of his
country supporting the Constitution,
while he bowls for the equality of man.
The Hall of Representatives is a very
large room, whose acoustic properties are
simply horrible. Members who live upon
The outskirts of the hall are as remote
from the proper understanding Of what is
going on lower in front of the speaker S
desk, as if they we're in Baltimore The
uproar and confusion, the running to and
fro, the private confabs and ceaseless
racket that lulls only for the most noted
and sensational speaker, combined with
the most complicated set ofrules ever de,
vised for the ruling of a parliamentary
body, are enough.to drive the brain of the
average member distracted in his vain
endeavor to comprehend what is going on.
The majority of new members follow
THE EXAMPLE OF JUDGE WOLFE,
member of the Forty-third Congress,
from Indiana. He-was quiet old party,
not given to anything in the way OF en-
thusiasm, except when cultivating pla>
tonic attachments with fair, bouncing
widows. Wolfe was man who knew he
could never comprehend the business of
the House, and so he had the good sense
to never try. There were several Demo-
cratic leaders near him, who were con-
tinually under the Judges eye when a
vote was being called. The way they vo-
ted the Judge knew was safe for him,
and whether Congress was passing a
measure declaring war, or measure to
change the name of Jehosaphat Scrug-
ginbottom to Adolphus Sweet-blossum, the
old Judge had not the slightest dea.
THE REPUBLICAN LEADER.
PROFESSIONALLY James G. Blaine will
be the leader of tbs Republican minority
in the House, and a right lively leader he
Will make He is as quick as chain>light-
ming, as witty and pungent as Voltaire,
and as INSCRIPTIONS as the devil. He
possesses an almost supernatural knows
edge of the speaker through his:long ex-
perience as rules of the House. He is
very brainy, this man Blaine, and when
he has his legs and is after man, he can
give Ben Butler en- points and play him
with his left hand in vilifying and con-
signing an opponent to eternal infamy.
He was the one man in the House who
could pierce Ben Butler brass and prod
the marrow of the Essex statesman's
bones until he Was ready to roar for mer-
CIV. Ben Butler will not be in the next
House, so Blaine will really have no man
10 contest the leadership with him upon
his side of the House. The Republican
will be more compact than was
even the majority IN the last Congress.
There were then too many leaders. There
them all to Wrest the leadership from the
hands of the children of mediocrity, rap
them upon the heads for their lmpudence,
and then assume the dauntless, irresisti-
Die sway of them that the despotism of
brains and magnetic power never fail to
give.
Although Blaine is as thoroughly hated
as all men of superior natural abilities
are hated by the groundlings, yet his
intense vitality, strong magnet
ic power, make him great to do as a lead
ar in attacking some particular measure,
Where Mr. Blaine is weak, fatally weak
is in his excessive policy. He lacks that
bold, dashing spirit, that can take
header" in the dark of uncertainty, trus-
ting to MS good angels to take him straight
through to success. Oh, no, he is not
way clear first, and meanwhile he is the
most subtle schemer in the United States.
This being quite generally known, he is
not trusted like more blunt and outspok
en- men.
PROMINENT REPUBLICANS RETURNED.
Among the prominent Republicans re.
turned is old Judge Kelley, of Penusylvan
a. Surely Congress would not be Cons
4
rom the protective chest of Judge Kel-
ey, the guardian angel of the poor work
ug-man and 1.-THE nateeE eendustrees of
,ur countree." Then there is Baby Gar
ield, who sObbed and blubbered his way
through his sad Credit-Mobilier days. lie
will have no more chances tor divides as
Chairman of the Committee of Appropri
.tions. Wn. A. Wheeler, OF New York, |
Who WAS Chairman of the Committee on |
Commerce, was one of the best oil the Re- |
,ubiicaus Halle, of Maine, is a sort of |
.ammer-and tongs blatherskite. 1t is |
iieasantto know George E. Hoar, with
tucker spelled with p. will be in the |
ext House. He represents Prudence, |
'rOpriety and Primness. He is the man |
tho is always rising, puncturing space
18th a bony fnger-his mouth works like
OH NOuL II Willie ne anus W hIlUW VI lUG
peaker what would be the effect, you
now, if the motion preceding the ques-
on to rise antecedent to a motion for
re previous question, subject to motion
adjourn, were to be raised, and it be-
ig discovered that no quorum being pres
1t, that sundry motions of order should
, put, and cries of question being rails
I, what effect would all this have upon
ltecedent questions already raised, and
,nce upon consequent propositions.
] have seen Jim Blaine's eyes roll in .
.ony as be has followed this man Hoar !
rough his sinuous twisting, but he never
lied to untwist the cold, puddingmoutE- !
Hoar to his satisfaction. The true way
+ a speaker to do with him would be TO
Y, Il think So to his every proposition,
d if that did not suit him, why, pouud
u on the head with the gravel.
Among other Republicans in the next
Duse tolerably known, are Mason and }
cCrary, of Iowa; Munroe and Foster, of I
no.
THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER. Z
This will depend largely upon the ques- {
n of the Speakership. Kerr would make {
leader upon the floor of the {
,use. He is the only one of the Demo. {
ITS who is strong enough to cope with
line. Sam Randall can't do it. Little q
X can poke fun; it would be cruel 10 i
more of him. In looking over the