The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-10
THE CANVASS FOR SPEAKER.
UNSUCCnssFUL ATTEMPTS TO COMBINE
1GIINST MR. RANDALL.


WASHINGTON Oct. 9.-Therc Is no change
In the Speakership contest. An effort has been
made by a few Of the bitterest opponents Of Mr..
Randall to get the opposing candidates to
agree to allow q committee tn decide who Is the
strongest man to set up against him. rms
device seems to have been proposed by Mr..
Springer of Illinois. one Of Morrison's most
active friends 1t has been generally laughed
at. however. Members who are in the habit OF
exercising thcir own judgment object TO having
q candidate selected for them by a self-constl-
tuted committee. They say that II the candi-
dates opposed to Mr.. Randall think they can
dictate to the caucus In this manner they will
find themselves mistaken. A facetious friend
OF Mr.. Randall. when told to-day OF this propo-
siton to appoint committee to select an oppo-
nent for him. said that its work would be in tho
nature Of n certain legal inquiry. de hmatico
inqnirendo. or to find out whether or not all the
ambitious gentlemen who have set themselves
up rs candidates were non compOs meiits. The
statement madc ina, nr Sayler had telcgrapneu
his consent to this committee arrangement was
unfounded. lie has moro sense. and so has
Mr.. Goodc. Mr. Blackburn and Mr.. Morrison
appear to be the only candidates who consented
to the arrangement. Indeed. It originated with
Mr.. Morrison. who. seeing the cffcct the publ
cation Of 1t has had. now denies that he ever
agreed to IT, Mr. Cox also says that he is no
party to any arrangement ns to unity OF forces
against Mr.. Randall Ie has no desire to
transfer any Of his friends. If he had the power.
and until his colleagues appear and he can
advise with them ho has strcnuously avoided
all complications. This statement shows that
Mr.. Cox had been approached and urged TO
agrcc 10 the Morrison blackburn Springer
committee plan.
As TO Mr.. Cox pairing with Mr.. Hewitt. he
makes the follow ng statement: He has ex-
pressed his desire to pair himself with Mr..
Hewitt IN case another II the competitor Of Mr..
Randall III there are many competitors Mr..
Cox cApresscd his sense of the uniarncss of
pairing Mr.. Hewitt with q Cox man. The
chunnc remark in Mr. Cox's letter to Mr. Cooper
that Mr.. Hewitt might be paired with Rrpub-
ican was simply piece Of pleasant. This
statement does not lmpugn the Jrr' Hrss Of
Cooper to secure pair Tor Mr.. Hewitt. ,.- made
in these dpspat hes last night Mr.. Cox un-
doubleday intends to do the proper thing but he
apparently did not SEQ the unfairness OF his
Arrangement with Mr.. Cooper until he began 10
discover that Cox men were srHrre.
The fight for the CIcrkship II decidedly more
Interesting than the contest for the Speaker
ship. The two candidates. Mr. Adams and Mr..
Caldwell, are pretty equally matched. and their
friends are making strenuous efforts. Thus
far Mr. Caldwell appears 20 bee gaining ground
rapidly. although the absence Of SO many mem
hrrs makes It aim 'ult to estimate the real
strength Of either Of the candidates.
The candidates for DOorkecpcr are very nu-
mer,u-. Maryland. West Virginia. Virginia
North Carolina. and Georgia have one each. and
the in 'umbcnt. Mr.. Patterson from New Jersey
il also in the field. For Sergeant at Arms
Thompson il the only candidate yet in the field
able competitor. but Just who he will be is NO,
made known.