The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-07
WHO WILL BE SPEAKER! |
SOME or THE MEN ALREADY IN THE
RACE UITH Mr.. RANDILI.
The Immense Power Welded nv the Man who |
Prcsidea over the Uouse-The Elements
that Oppose the EN-Spcnkcr's Recollection. |


WASHINGTON. March 6.-By the first OF
ncNt week the contest for the Speakership "
the next House WILDE warm. At present writ
ing the ilght is 10 all outward Appearances one
sided. Randall of course has a great adyan-
t1ec over any competitor because no has been
twice Speaker. and has given very general sat
isiacton to his own party and commanded tho
unpnnl.flcd respect Of his political opponents
1t * rate in any mans political career that such
hearty and emphatic concentrations are be-
slowed. oven hy his political friends. ms Mr.
Randall re- cntly received from the Republican
leaders OF the House W Representatives. Again.
it is indisputahle that Mr.. Randall has as few
men in the high position he has held have ever
had. the confidence ~ the country. The only cen-
suro hc has ever received on account Of his
course rs Speaker. has come from q section
and through men whose selfish interests he
hns from sense Of public duty antaeonized.
II is unfortunately true that almost the only
safeguard the country has against iobbing
legislation by the House Of Representatives is
the Speaker himself. The power Of the Speaker
for good or evil Is immensely greater than
people generally suppose An old member Of
Congress was once asked during the Forty
second Congress who were the men who cxcr-
cscd n controlling influence in tho House,
| md he replied. there is only one man.
| WAS almost literally true. Tn" Speaker makes
J M arbitrarily the committees. and the chair
| men and the leading men " the committees are
/ his personal friends and devoted polite all
! torrents. No measure can ho acted upou 10y the
! House until IL has been r'trrrel to the Hppro-
pirate committee and reported back except by
| unanimous consent. or 10y susp"ndng the
rules, 10 do which requires n two-thrd vote
| AMI no member can get the floor tn move To
| suspend the rules without the Speakers con-
sent motion 20 suspend the rules is only IN
! order, except IN the last six DAYS Of tho session
I MONDAYS nc tie pNptTutIpu ~ hour uffpr
| III" reading NJ the journal. Custom has mnde
| the speaker mt the beginning NJ euch ses-l ION
I shall begin end keep u list Of the names of
! those members who desire 10 be recognized IN
| many years past. under Republican admins
| irailon, the Speaker required the member -
| intended To- move 20 suspend tho rules. and il
| the speaker did not approve Of the object. he
! could reius" TO allow the name 81 the would-he
! mover To 20 uuon his list This practice. how
| ever. was abandoned 10y Speaker Randall hc-
| cause 1t was in his judgment. atogethertoo ar
! httnry. There are many WAYS. also. 10y when
the speaker can. after the session has contin-
uel a while. cut of motions ~ suspend thrrules
| on Mondays For instance unfinished business
| coming over Immediately after the morning
hour on Monday will prevent motion T. su~-
pend the rules and so will special order for the
! consideration Of appropriation bills.
II may be- SAID that It is not the duty oi the
tint himself with presiding over ihc House ana
allow the majority 10 tRtc the ~pou- ihility fpr
whnteyer Legislation II nny enact If "A Sunnksr
were selected who would adopt this rule. there
would be- no protection against loe rolling lrEis-
lation. II would rost the country from twenty
displeased with Randall because hn has soon
III IN the interest of honest legislation AMI
legislation of all kinds. lie hos tn tho Iursuance
OF this policy offended certain sections. and
some Representatives from the West and South
west VIII utterly onpos' MN on mat account
! His defeat ~ tn Brazilian subsidy year ago
and Inst week will cost him a few votes from
friends Of m" Texas Pacn' Railroad will do
whit they can % prevent his election for a lk"
reason. All that influence which crutr.s about
private claim jobs. the small fry Of the lobby
will sock To defeat Randall because he has N
the close ~ every session 50 managed IL that
the majority hns not been able To got AT the
tpeaker's table. IL must be remembered
nat it has boon t.9lerably easy here
These come 10 the House and 20 on the Speak,
er's table and in the last days Of tho session
there is always great pressure brought 10 bear
10 80 10 the Speakers inhl" when a majority
vote can Ii~s any 20 these bills. have seen IN
single night Iu"r' mas h""n % er'nt 'ry raised
since the close 81 the last s"sS uu BECAUSE thin
was my reached ~ ~" closing hours. and Ran
dali Is hrd Responsible" tor 10.
| II happens. however. That some - 10" very
men who are OPP sing MIN Were, uuwitf ug.y
| unrhHu-. the ones who stood iu M" way ~ got
ing nl tho speaker table. Springer ~ Illinois
| pr uEht ln aus lnl'h lul"W hfI'f7 against
seward az tho heels u the session and the
Republicans. by their flihusteriug tactics. pre-
stopped M IN" sninr time an other business. Il
wu- n fortunate thing for the country thpf no.
! 0Illultaring which defeated the ends - iu-'frs
I'M Sn,VnrI'- case n 'so saved AZ lna4t - 0Ui OuO
is keeping the minority away from the Speak o.
er's table
There arc mon opposing Randnrs rrclec-
| ton who nro not influenced hy any Of tl,, moo
tvs above mentioned MorrI son n Illinois IS
/ the chief Of the orplncnis ~ EuuIuII and he
is nm honest man - is tioodo. 50 TOO Spring
er. and honest men are many others who Viii
support Bn .kiurn ior ne Speaker~hip Nor
ram is a ehrrvd politician. a soGui-mon"y
Democrat mud nm uurelrnt nE f0e ~ an subsidy
jois Blurklurn j. good ptrliamrntarun ana
a fluent speaker. lie has hui much cNunrirn..
A. "A nrnsilInl, officer Hons man of integrity
and very popular. hut It is moi likely thI th,
0uun-ii lon o. Randall Will combine upDn him
bstnusr he comes from the South ana wa. I'M
tho 'nuf.,larute army. tioodp ~ Nlreiulu who
wns n rnndilute t,vp years ago against Randall
has some hopes of being a dark horse.
But inc man most likely to be- finally centred
mon ms tho strongest man 10 opp1sc RandnIi In
liz. caucus is Mcmahon of ONO He il "A Mary
lander hy birth. the son Of the great lawyer of
thnt state John V A. McMuhon He rs II de-.
cilnd ability keen inrislVe drhutcr and A
g"ntl,mnh' ina very !. puNr win ri MS l"luN