Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-03-05
THE COMING CONGRESS.
Organization of the Two House

The excitement and tumult attending the
scenes OF dying Congress will have hardly en-
tlrely Subsided, before another contest equally
as exciting will have set in. The early dav at
which the President has convened Congress In
extra session will precipitate before the weeks
end lively and exciting contest for the Offices.
not only OF the House, but of the Senate as
well. The Senate has passed out OF republican
control, and for the first time almost within
quarter of century, been turned over to the
democrats. Applicants for every Office within
Its gift will swarm here with every train. and
VIII bring such political pressure upon demo
cratic Senators. that it is almost safe to predict
that the personnel of the Senate EMPLOYEES viii
undergo complete change
The candidate for THE numerous Senate Offices
are as thick as huckelberries in a Jersey
meadow The choice place being the Secre-
saIysh'p some m OF the choicest democratic lights
known there are DR.. Dennis, who yester1ay re-.
tired as Maryland's Senator Col. John G
'6, blIcn, edltor OF the Nashville american who
mas many warm friends; A. c. Buell., a Well
known journalist; EX-COngressman Franklin
OF Missouri; Prof. MacMahon, of West Virginia:
eeA-kepIesentative e Stenpcr, of PENNSYLVANIA,
eA-SongresSman Wadaell, of North Carolina
and many others, who have not vet made aov
doIinaI announcement OF their canvass, but who
are mating still hunt. For the Office OF Ser
eeaht- alarms, but few candidates have as vet
come 20 the front. The most prominent is L.
g Washington, well-known Washington cor
respondent: Isaac Eaton, OF Kansas, who has
lt.
Also duncan s. Walker, OF this District. and eY-
Congressman Glover, of Missouri.
THE HOUSE ORGANIZATION.
Tie real battle, however Will be for the con-
tlol OF the Offices OF tie House. Within a few
days the canvass for the Sp6akership will wax
warm and exciting. Speaker Randall is, of
course, candidate for reelection. His most
prominent competitor is Representative Black
burn, OF Kentucky. and there are several dark
horses In the stable, already blanketed and
I'm in
BLACKBURN Is not strong enough to get away
with the prize. For the position OF clerk OF the
House House the present incumbent, Col. George NJ.
ADAMS wants to be reelected. His rival Is eE-
congressman Caldwell. OF Alabama, who has
Geen here some days surveying the field OF
course Col. John G. Thompson. of Ohio, is again
WlliDS TO serve the party as sergeant t-at-armS
and Is antagoniZed by Col. Dick Bright. OF m
diana. 1t will be observed. in parentheSis, that
nearly all the candidates fof the subordinate
places are coiOLeiS.
THE sPEAKERsHIP.
1t is difficult to predict to what extent com
bnation has been formed to beat Randall That
there is something OF the sort, there can be no
doubt. An Ohio Congressman. and one who is
generally on the inside Of every movement, told
the representative OF THE STAR On Sunday last
that the combination TO beat Randall had been
formed. Who is the man to beat him?" quer
ried THE STAR. "We have not determined uDon
the man. We concluded to let that stand until
BeXt winter. but he will be beaten" This of
course. was before the extra session was a SET.
tied question. Now that there is to be one
however, this combination will soon show its
hand hand @ ana its strength. Randall will be an
1aGcnlzed hy tie friends of the Texas Pacific
Ealiroad company; by these who think that
they were treated unfairly by him in the make
up OF the committees; by the lobby generally
ara oF those who are antagOniStic to Tildan's
Presidential nomination, it being the general i'm
preston that the Speaker is q Tiiien man
Randall's stlenth, however, will be his good re-
cord OF two terms as Speaker. His name is free
from taln, and no single act Of his Official life
can be challenged. He is a sagaclouS poti-
clah. wise party counsellor; has excellent
Judgment, Is firm, temperate, obIiging. and
w1lhal exceeding discreet. Blackburn, his
ieaolig coinpeiltor, IS also very popular. He
mas ICuth, dash, pluck, eloquence, fine presence,
chpaolilty, discretion and fair Judgment. At
times he gives way to temper, but generally
has wonderful control Of high-struog and I'M
retUCuS nature He has more Imagination than
haL Gall. and has fine social qualities.
In the background, ready to be brought to
lhe 1l0nt IN case OF emergency are Gen. w. r.
John f. House OF Tennessee, and John r. Mac
MahOn. of Ohio. IL seems to be the settled
CONVICTION OF those who say that Randall must
be beaten that il Blackburn is not strong
enough to beat him some one in the list above
mentioned viii be agreed upon as the man up0n
whom 10 rally the opposition. 1t is feared that
Blackburn may not be able to get the votes Of
the northern democrats. and hence other can
didates are held in reserve TO catch this yntn
Ihe shlno,e{h IN seems to be- anything to beat
RANDALL" This cry, however, has been heard
before.
SPECULATIONS AS TO THE SESSION
The length Of the special session is matter
OF diversity Of opinion. I'll may take the House
weeks to organize. The well laid plans OF mice
and men may "gang aft aglee, If the green
hackers throw their disturbing influence In the
organization, and they threaten to do it, The
!eacerS claim that they have twenty one men,
befs OF the next House pledged to act independ-
antly With them. If this calculation be correct
the organization will degenerate into a scrub
cbanpp in 70 nf
the candidate who can get the greenback vote
10 such contingency Randall could never be
elected; but Mcmahon would come to the front,
he having always voted for the widest green
back measures. The belief is that the nationals
have over estimated their strength and that
they lack balf dozen votes at least to be able
10 prevent the democrats from determining the
contest in their own caucus, and independence of
them. Speaker Randall's calculation is that
the democrats, without the greenbackers have
clear majority of five votes.
The danger of long session is that the demo-
Gratis viii Still insist upon repeating the laws.
for which they have contended, and by reason
CT Which an extra session was rendered neceS-
sary. Both branches Of the legislative depart
ment being now democratic, OF course the first
move will be to repeal the supervisors and
Jurors test cath laws, as independent and Sepa-
rate propositions III this is done in view of the
attitude Of the republican party, the belief is
that the President will veto both. Then having
failed, by an iGterpOsitOn of the veto power,
the democrats will undoubtedly attach the re-
peal law to the legislative bill They can, OF
course pass the bill with the repeal clause on
it, but it is even then believed that the PreSi-
dent will veto the appropriation bill. having
this legislation attached. In turn, the demo-
Gratis can say, "You have declined to sign the
bill as separate proposition. You must either
sign it in an appropriation BILL OF we will stop
the supplies 1t would not be- therefore, sur
p1ising if the session were many months
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SENATE
OF course the organization of the Senate will
be smooth enough. There is no presiding officer
to elect, and the body can hold its own and
move along, even If it takes time to choose
Secretary and Sergeant-at-Arms. Senator
Thurman will undoubtedly be elected President
pro tenapore. The committees will be early or
gained. Even before the extra session became
a fixed fact there had been quiet caucussing, at
which this much was decided: that Senator
Thurman should be made chairman OF the iudt-
ciary committee and Mi. Bayard that of finance.
1t is believed that the chairmanship of the
principal committees Will be about as follows
Elections, Mr. salisbury; foreign affairs, Mr.
Eaton, OF Connecticut; finance, Mr. Bayard, of
Delaware; appropriations, Mr.. Beck, OF Ken
lucky; commerce, Mr. Gordon, OF Georgia. judi
cary. Mi. Thurman; public lands, Mr Nc
Donald, OF Indiana; private land claims, Mr.
EdmundS, OF Vermont; pensions, Mr. Voorhees,
OF indiana; District Of Columbia, Mr.. Merrimon.
OF North Carolna railroads, Mr.. Lamar OF Mis-
slsslppi; printing, Mr.. White, OF Indiana
line renuhlinanS having aC pfip