New-York tribune., 1878-06-21

supplemented by complete mastery of the rules
and usages OF the House, the necessary business of
session cannot be expedihOusly transacted. There
are no such men in the lower branch of the present
Congress Speaker Randall comes nearest to filling
the measure of a leader and he has probably
stamped his individuality more deeply upon the
work of the session just closed than any other man.
Many OF his Democratic colleagues complain that
ne has used the enormous power which his position
gives him arbitrarily and in such a way as to set at
defiance the will of the majority of the House, and
to defeat measures which that majority desired to
pass. 1t true that Speaker Randall wears at his
belt the scaps of more bills to which for public or
private reasons he was opposed. than any other
member of the House, though it would he hard to
find the important measures which he has originated
and secured the passage Of
But the leader of the House must be upon the
hOOr and not in the CHAIR and the Speaker cannot
give to the chairman of a committee sufficient sup
port to enable him to control the House if the man
has not in him the stuff of which leaders are made.
repeat that the present House OF Representa-
tiyes has no leader. The position belongs by cOur
tesy to the chairman of the Committee on Ways
and Means, and it is not many years since Thad
deus Stevens and General Schenck, presiding over
that committee, really commanded the House as a
general commands an army. Mr.. Dawes, the last
Republican chairman Of Ways and Means, was not
always able to make the House follow where he
led, but his influence was incOmparably greater
than that of either of his Democratic successors,
Mr.. Morrison or Mr.. Fernando Wood. If the chair
man of Ways and Means relnquishes the leader
ship of the House it generally falls by succession
upon HIM who presides over the Committee on Ap-
propnations whose position keeps him constantly
before the House, and makes him necessarily prom
ment. But neither Mr.. Wood nor Mr. Atkins pos
sesses the necessary qualifications for the place.
The former, during the Electoral Count in the
last Congress, seemed for time to assume the role
of leadership, but 1t was merely seeming. The
Southern Democrats, who apparently looked to him
for direction, had already pledged themselves to
fixed policy and he was only an instrument in their
hands for carrying it into effect During the session
just closed Mr.. Wood with unrIvalled opportuni-
ties, accomplished absolutely nothing. The bus-
interests of the country needed some wise leg
islation which it was the duty of his committee to
perfect but he fritered away all the early part of
the session in the preparation of scheme of tariff
revolution that he ought TO have known before he
began would never be accepted, and when it was
ANONYMOUSLY beaten it was too late to bring for
ward a wiser measure in its place. Mr.. Woods ut
ter failure is the more surprising because of his
long experience in Congress and his sup
posed familiarity with the sentiments Of
business men, The country needed some
tariff legislation and 1t required no ex-
ceptiOnal wisdom or oversight TO discover whatit
was. Secretary Sherman had plainly indicated
what its scope and purpose ought TO be- Tariff rev.
oluton was not what was wanted and if the busi
ness of the country was ready for the Government
to turn a square corner in its policy Of taxation
las it viii not be for many years to GOMEZ, Mr..
Woods scheme could hardly have been more ac-
ceptable than it was. Whatever merit there was in
pushing through the Internal Revenue bill belongs
to other members Of the Ways and Means COM
mittee and not TO Mr.. Wood, and as it was the
committee was beaten the tobacco tax was re-
dueed in the face of vote IN the committee thatit
would not be wise to meddle with that subject at
at this session of Congress. The section relating TO
insolvent banks agreed to by the committee was
stricken out. The tax on matches was abolished;
and of the most important features Of the bill
as 1t passed the House, that establishing bonded
warehouses for tobacco, was put in on the
motion of Mr.. Hewitt, of New-YOrf, who was
member Of the committee
Mr. Atkins, of the Appropriation, Committee,
lacks almost all the qualities Of leader. In the
first place he is not pleasant speaker and Is want
ing in the power OF winning support by his personal
appeals. He got through the appropriation bills
because the House felt sort Of responsibility with
his committee for their passage but their progress
was not expedited through any influence Mr. Atkins
able 20 exert aside from that which his position
gave him.
Leaving these two committees Those on Ways and
Means and Appropriations one searches through
the Democratic side of the House in vain for q
leader. The Banking and Currency Committee did
get through Of its measures, but no one would
think Of attnbuting its TO tbs personal OF
political influence Of its chairman, Nh Buckucr.
Mr.. Knott has become almost a cipher in the House
even if he does hold the charmanshp OF the Judi
ciary Committee. Neither Mr.. Potter, Mr.. Reagan,
Mr.. Morrison, Mr.. WhitthOrne, nor Mr. Swami,
aspres to the leadership Mr. Alexander II.
Stephens is too independent and too lnirm for the
place. And so might go through with the entire
list
The Democrats have no leader In the present
House of Representatives; and that IS one of the
principal why they have 50 little TO show as
the fruits of their eight months session.