, 1877-10-05
SpEA11ERSlIIr POINTS.
From Oar Dtu1s C0t7tspondff,t
TIE nKFYCR or sisEAkKk

WAsHlNoToN, D. e., Oct. 2.-Thc Speaker
ship contest will cotnmcnre here III earnest by
The last Of th!s week. eayics writes that is will
bc here Wednesday, Randall aud Cox will bo
here bcforo that time and In pslrato houses and
In llutcl Hobbies tho contest for this great place
will 10 made. II Is position worthy any mans
ambition. 1t las frequently been called tbs
third o1i!ea In the nation; It has claims to 10
ranked a. tho second place. The e.Presidcnt
has ITO function c1cept that OF presiding officer
Of The senate. Under the customs Of that body,
h. In not allowed 10 make up the committees,
which tosm 10 important a part lu Congrcssion-
al legislattu1,. This Senate committees arc
chosen Iii tho caucuse4 OF the two parties, aud
resolutions In which tbs uaulo Of every Senator
assigned 10 the conltnitteea where he u To aet
III thu llouss, the course Of procedure Is dlaIer-
ent. Thr speaker practically makes all COM
nittces. II he accedes to thc lictatiou Ut Ills
party III caurus, or to tho personal solicitation
ii tten!s, its aet !. tl.e voluntary surrender uf
the coEntnfttcrs. This public has faint concep-
tion OF the tullueuca Of Congressioha! Commit
tees upon legislation Under the present sys.
ten theae committees arc beconn9 each year
moro Ike small legislative bodies xlsh!n Con-
gEcss, where tho astion Of Congress itself main
" originates, and IL often to great extcnt de-
tcfmlned. There are 300 voting men 10 tho
Lower AouSc, but 1He-ffxth Ol thAt NUN Der DO
the thinking and the managing for the rest.
THE SPEAKERS NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS.
The Speaker must be d man OF braiu, aud
tact, and muscle. lie must he i recognized
lealrf In his party, and peer RlnuUE all men.
lie must be a6ta u harmoaIke all fictitious With
III bis oMn purity, aud to command the seapcrt
vi tile Opposition. liz must hayr tho qu4litY Vi
Eencrashtp, and be able 10 command lnCn. lie
should, besides, hayu All uxten4iye knowl-
eLgc of the very complicated mass Of rulcs,
uia4Tcs, and uDwritten eustunts Hh!ch have be-
cune known W parliamentary Law. 1t would
have beca possible for Speaker Randall last year
to haVe defeated the declaration Ut tho election
VI Mr. liaycs - President ln joint Convention
possibly TO have created revolution ia tbls
couutFy-by resort to the teclutaltties iil
which, under the Constitution and BY party
usaIe, hc Perhaps properly n,lght hare hteu
tustlhcl. The power of tcchnlcAllty under the
preseut Congressional System goes to that ex.
teut. 1t Il not lesS Influential mud faE-TrachEug
In every petty detail Ut the ordinary routine Vt
Legislative action. a bEll 4lay be passed lost,
eRuse secured Or FutueA, claim made oE un-
male, by the operations Vt parliamentary Law.
What that law IL, how 1t may bc c1ert1ac1, what
Its lt1n!ss SHOULD he, what thu Opposition has
the right to clalnl, aud May be permitted to
claIln, the Speaker must be ablu u determine Oh
The !nstAnt, tn the mid4t Of what often Is =
bowling mob
TIE sl1AKkR ~ 4 NAN or NuscLx.
To do this requires muscle a we'll ~ brain.
Tie epeakc. u tho liouse of Representatives
ea,not bs feeble man. Nicuael c. Kerr, dur
In: the tszu Of hsa soeakszaaip. was, indced, \