The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-16
sneaker Randall.

Speaker Randall. ~
We congratulate the country upon tue
~ss,ect;on OF Mr.. RANDALL to be Speaker. Oh
the national House Of Representatives. we
nave never ceased to press his CLAIMS nor
m think that OF all the men whose names
were mentioned in connection with the
office he was the only one who was larry ~
he considered as entitled to the once We
COW n.rhaps, too much when we say toa.
10 ,.s entitled to the office; but We GO NOT
,,so tho word in an offensive sense. we
mean simply that il man was ever en'i''eu
- on oft;ce in virtue OF his talents, his ser
,-;oss and his character, then Is Mr.. KAN
o entitled and for these reasons.
II Is objected to Mr.. RANDALL that MS
innings made Mr.. HAYES President OF the
tinted States. But what OF that! lie
ru,ed simply as any honorable man must
have felt obliged to rule. 1t was Demo
cratic House Of Representatives that paSsed
the electoral.commission bill, and passed 1t
too against the wishes Of large number OF
Republicans. The commission performed
it's duty according to the strict letter OF the
law OF the case. Therefore, whatever we
NAV think OF Judge BRADLEY, or the other
Renublican members Of the commission,
we must remember that Mr.. HAYES became
President according to the forms OF law.
AS Mr.. STEPHENS, of Georgia, has well sald,
his title to the Office is not merely primd
1acie good, as that OF any preceding Presi-
dent had been, but has been passed upon
nv quasi judicial tribunal. The matter is
res adiudicata. His title has been formally,
tudfcially, and lawfully declared good, and
in the most solemn manner. And as all
those solemn proceedings had taken place
before MIR. RANDALL made the rulings which
have been so strenuously objected to, we
ought certainly not to charge him with dere-
LECTION OF duty because he firmly resolved
TO allow Mr.. HAYES to become President in
uirsuance of a law which had been made
by the opponents rather than by the sup
porters OF that gentleman. By the way, it
would be but fair for the enemies OF Mr..
HAYES to recolect that il he had refused to
accent the Office OF President his refusal
yonld not have turned the office over to
MIR. TuDES nor to Mr.. HENDRICKS, but to
the Radical Yice-President WHEELER first,
and if he had declined it, to the Radical
president OF the Senate-the miserable
FERRY.
Another objection urged against Mr.. RAN
DALI is that he is q protec.ionist. rms Is
hardly practical question-thls OF pro-
teciiye tariff. The expenses OF the Federal
Government are so heavy that high tariff
Is an unavoidable evil, il evil it be. We
should prefer revenue tariff to tariff for
protection; but no tariff is likely to be LAID
for long time which will not be o high as
to be protective. More: we but repeat
what we have several times said, that to get
rid of the present interna-reyenue system
we would be willing to vote for any tariff
for which the protectionists might ask our
support as a consideration for their support
OF a bill abolishing that system. AT any
rate, we are not yet ready to make protec-
ton party test, nor test in any election
inside Of the party. ..
Mr.. RANDALL is an unfinching Democrat.
His services as fibuster in the last Con-
gress but one ought never to be forgotten
by any good southron. For forty-eight
hours he sat in his seat, and outgeneralled
the shrewdest of the Republican leaders.
In Philadelphia, the most bigoted city in
the Union, he has boldly proclaimed his
principles and maintained his integrity. He
has allowed no considerations OF locality,
or OF prudence, to cause him to side with
the enemies of the Constitution.
Mr.. RANDALL is a fair man. Whether he
Is o friend OF the Texas-Pacitc railroad or
not, we are not able to say positively. But
we are very sure that he will be denounced as
such by the organs of that huge monopoly
the Central Pacific Railroad Company. And
we are equally as sure that he will not pack
committee in the interests OF that avaricious
and grasping monopoly. We are rejoiced
, at AIR. RASDALL's election when we recall
the fact that he has been pursued by the
organs aforesaid as friend Of subsidies to
railroad companies. We said some time
ago, when we were under the mistaken i'm
preston that the Hon. JOHN Go0DE, OF Vir-
ginia, was an enemy OF the TeXas-Pacifc
road, that no southern man ought to vote
for O candidate for Speaker who was OPP
posed to that road. We take it for granted
that as Mr.. RANDALL received the almost
unanimous vote Of the southern members
on the first ballot, he is at least not hostile
TO that benefcent scheme for promoting the
prosperity Of the South, and OF the whole
Union. Ia fact, we feel but little doubt
that he will do whatever he can honorably
do to aid in that great and important public
enterprise. Er.
To conclude, we find no reason for regret
ting Mr. RANDALL's reelection, but many
Tor being pleased at it. One OF these last is
the fact that his defeat would have necessi-
tated the defeat Of a number OF the other
faithful and efficient officers OF the House,
since it is rule not to confer two OF those
Offices upon one State.
Mr.. RANDALL has worthily won bis honors,
and he will worthily wear them.