The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-12-28
SPEAKER KERR's COMMITTEES.

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appointments would displease ten times as
many as they would crafty. A dozen pos's
of special honor do not 60 far in satisfying
the hungry multitude of Representatives
The problem would have been much slmph-
| fed if each member of the House mad put
unon his own talents and merits exactly the
same estimate that was gwen 10 'hein
nv all his fellow members, but 1t SO
bannens that those elected to seats IN
(, Conorass start from home with full esl-
mate of their own ability in every instance
and an over-estimate in a majority OF cases.
/ The home arena of political strife Is NURSERY
of personal vanity, where the popular man
gifted as an orator is very liable to be spolleo'
! haino there accustomed to adulatlon ana 10
the omen exercise of direct personal lnnaence
amounting to a dictatorship sin little. When
two or three hundred of these lords IN the
peerage of personal popularity are assem- ieo
in one BODY there is no small difficulty IN &C
commodating all Of them. Each wants room
according to his strength as he measures IT,
and when a responsible position is to be filled
each of nineteen members in every twenty
regards himself as peculiarly and amply
qualified for the post.
We are not ready to admit that Mr.. Kerr, IN
appointing his committees, has made any
such medley of blunders as he is charged
witbal. He is acquainted with all the older
members of the House, having already served
in that body four terms, during which he has
had abundant opportunity to measure each
mans talents and to learn what he can 90
to best advantage. The same experience
has taught him the relative Importance
of each of the many standing committees. lie
knows that, in the course of a protracted ses-
sion. members get in the habit OF trusting too
implicitly to the committees which represent
their party, especially ifthe committees are what
are called strong or Influential by means OF the
talents and industry Of their chairmen and
members. He knows the tendency OF COM
mittees to combine their forces IN offensive
and defensive alliances, and is well Informed
az to the iusidious and seductive methods en-
n,oved by the interested to obtain favorable
reports on favorite bills. He was, more"
over, candidate for the Speakership
long before the late elections, and has
been in serious contemplation OF the duties
of the Office we may presume, therefore,
that he has taken care to make himself well
acquainted with the characters and antece-
dents of the new Democratic members he
knew that the appointment OF committees
was the most important and most delicate
duty that he would have to perform as
Speaker. 1t was incumbent upon him tc
study the problem with great care, taking
!, full time for that purpose. We have no rea
son to believe that he forgot his duty or ne
elected his opportunity. He had large
number of members to consider who are new
to the arena, and he had no right to ignore
their merits and talents for no better reason
than that they are raw recruits IN the ranks
of legislation.
Mr. Kerr is too we'll known for breadth o.
mind, correctness of apprehension and hoer
atty of feeling to be liable to the charge OF
being preiudiced against old, able and prom
inent Democrats, nor does anything IN his
record show that he would sacrifice the in
terests of the country, Tor Of the Democratic
party, which are the same,) to promote
personal or sectional purpose
The duties Of some of the committees arr
extremely laborious. 1t is not fair dealing
with the chairman Of one of these to lmpos
on him alone the championship of ever.
measure which his committee reports back t.
the House with favorable recommendation
A strong Ways and Means committe, with it
head only moderately able, is better tor prac
ticaI work than medium committee with
brilliant, eloquent and popular chairman.
There is no reason why the American
House of Representatives should be asslmi
, lated to the British House Of Commons. w
, do not desire to see our Representatives fal
3 into the habit OF doing their thinking b.
proxy and voting according to the bell
t wether system. We would have them under
stand the merits and bearing of subject
before them by their own study, thought an
research, rather than that they should &c
their in formation only when the bill is befor
the House and only from the lips and paper
of the chairman of committee. When, TO
example, the House shall consider the subJet
of taking charge of the Mississippi levees
we hope the friends of that measure may II
clude a dozen or more we'll informed an
: capable champions, besides the eloquent an
g worthy chairman of the House Committee o
, Levees. We hope that a wise hard-mone
} policy may have many other strong defenc
ers in the House besides the chairman an
n mem bers of the Committee on Banking an
t Currency. We hope that there are man
i able advocates OF economy and prudence
y approprating money from the treasury b
e sides Mr. Randall and the other gentlemen
h the Committee on Appropriations.
y After all it is not to be regretted that sundl
prominent anti-Radical journals make free
-, criticize Mr. Kerrs committee slate. 1t is
. ken of candor and independence. Yet, befo
II pronouncng too summary on the merits
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