Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-03-08
The Speakership Contested.

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The Speakership Contested.
THE DEMOCRATS NOT SURE OF QuoRuM
EvES-IHE AsPIRASTs AND THE GREEN
hackers.
Special to the Tribune.
WASHINGTON, March 5.-The Presidents
proclamation calling Congress together in ex-
ira session in two weeks, plunges the demo-
Gratis of the House at once into the midst of
the contest for the Speakership, and causes
them to look about with no little anxiety to
ascertain whether they have an actual ma
jority or not
There have been elected already l47 demo-
Gratis One of them, Mr.. Schleicher, has
since died, and two of them, Mr.. Acklen, and
Mr. Bland, are sick, with little prospect of
their sufficiently recovering to be able to par
ticipate in the organization of the House.
The casualties, as they say in the army, will
reduce the democratic strength to IA or three
less than quorum. These figures are not
to be sure, those given out by the democrats
but are those contained in the
Tribune Almanac, and which are not disput-
ed bv some of the best informed politicians
in Washington. The highest number Of dem
oeratic representatives now living claimed by
any one whose opinion is worth having, is
"A. or, deducting the two sick men, las. This
even would leave the democrats with less
than quorum in full house of 293 MEM
bers
And just here arises a very important ques-
tin bicb ,,l,y a art
in the coming contest. What constitutes n
quorum--a majority of representatives from
the districts, or a majority of those who have
been elected? If the former theory is accept
ed, then the man who is elected Speaker mast
have li7 votes i'm order to be sure of an elec-
ton, because the minority may defeat him BY
sitting still and destroying the quorum. If
the latter theory prevails, then l45 members
make a quorum, because no election having
yet taken place in California, only 2S9 rep
resentatives have yet been chosen.
Speaker Grow early in the war made rul-
ing that seems to sustain this last theory. Mr.
Vallandigham having raised the question on
account of the absence of representatives
from the Southern States, Mr.. Grow said that
a quorum of the House consisted of a ma
ioritv of the members who had been elected
it being notorious fact that no representa-
tives had been chosen in the Southern States.
Even accepting this as the law, the demo-
Gratis will lack one of having majority in
the House on the first day of the session, un-
less Messrs. Acklen and Bland recover of
which there is little hope, or unless the va
cancies in the Westchester District of New
York and the Border District of Texas are
filed which is impossible.
This condition of affairs causes the great
nrt L.. 4
one of the oldest members of the House on
that side expresses the opinion to-day that
there will be very sharp struggle, and per-
haps long delay, in organizing the body
after it meets. The only way to avoid this
is for the democrats to secure the co-opera-
ton of few of the greenbackers, who, as
the Importance of their votes becomes mani
fest, will probably be less likely to leave their
own party without receiving the most sub
stantial consideration. The importance OF
the question whether the democrats will be
able to organize the next House at all or not,
and the intense interest that is felt in ii,
make the contest between rival democratic
candidates for the Speakership seem OF
secondary moment.
The two principal aspirants are Speaker
Randall and Mr.. Blackburn, with the chances
decidedly in favor of the former. Mr.. RAN
dalls long service in the House, compared
with that of his chief competitor, the prestige
which his two terms in the chair have given
him, and the opportunities he has had to place
members of the last Congress under
obligations to him, are all in his favor. On
the other hand, some of his appointments and
some of his rulings have made bitter enemies
of a few of the most influential men in his
party. The balance is unquestionably in his
favor, and he will probably be reelected, un.
less the regular nominee of the democratic
party is beaten.
The quiet and determined attitude OF the
Greenbackers and Nationals, who are prepar
ing to nominate and support a candidate O,
their own for the Speakership. adds to the
democratic perplexity. The Greenbacker.
claim to have twenty-one men pledged to en-
ter the caucus with them; and this number
if they hold together, will be sufficient to make
the election of any other than a compromist
candidate impossible.
The republicans number l28 members O
the House, and so far as can be foreseen, will
be able to bring out their full vote on tn,
first day of the session. These, with the 2
Greenbackers, will make total of l49 mem
bers; majority of a full House, who. eithe
by combining upon a candidate in oppositio,
to the one placed in nomination by the demo
crats or by refraining from voting, can make i
possible to prevent an organization until con
sessions satisfactory 20 one or both of the tw
parties are made. Considerable speculation
is indulged in here tonight as to what woul,
be the result, not only in regard to the organ
ization of the next House, but as affecting tn
future of the democratic party, should the Ma
tionals persuade Mr.. Bright of Tennessee, T.
enter their caucus and become their nomine
for the Speakership. Mr.. Bright is prc
nounced soft-money democrat. He has a.
ready served four terms in Congress, is a ma
of acknowledged ability and representatiy
native-born Southern gentleman. Shoul
such a step be taken by the Nationals. an
should 1t result In the election Of Mr. Briph
it might go far toward breaking up the soil
South on present political issues, and woul
utterly demoralize the democratic part,
while it would bring again to the front as n,
tional isues in 1880 the questions of infatio
or contraction, hard or soft money, greer
backs or gold.
For the journal.