The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-13
The SpeaRership.

{ -. 81 -. ~. a
from All that we can learn, We inner tl'as
Mfr RaSpaII's prospect OF rece'Vins sue
democratic nomination for Speaker Oh ."s
next House .; Representatives arc oe..e'
than those Of Mr, BIAcKRURS' anu ~,
RI. acxpcRs being his most formiaapie ii,a''
a. toi,oy,s ,aat Mr.. RANDALL Will prooaoy
o,,tinnr NJ fcsss two years longer to I'LL the
osece raose ,tsnties he has so ably ana ialtn-
fa,lv sepiormed for the last Tour years. We
haye mad some doubts as to whether the
Denoorats viii have present at the De-
wiuning OF the session members enough
On eous,sute a majority OF the whole num-
Der elected; but we are assured %! tnose
who, ought to know that there IS put h'''e
danger Of such a failure. The house eon-
s;sss OF a93 members, OF which NUMBER i4'
.Sons,,,pfe A quorum. 4 question was
.,.o-scd shortly before the expiration OF INC
i,ae Congress as to the number feq"'iea ~
constitute quorum, and Mr. RANDALL. ue-
.x,;ded tba, il required only majority OF inc
members clccted-tha. is to say, II there
were vacancies, the number necessary 10
constitute 4 quorum was proport!ona'e''
rcduced. Ee based this decision upon pre-
-cedcnts made BY his Republican predeceS-
sors in Office. For example, daring the 50
called "rcbell.on," the bloody haoe''S
.ynu1u nave peeu alIEosL nr'piess II INC!
had been required to make up quorum
consisting OF majority OF the "no'e
number OF members that ough: TO nave
been elected in the entire Union, including
the soulbern States. or course. Therefore,
the Speakers OF that period held that Nil
7oritv Of the members elected from the
northern States was all that was requisite
tn n nuorum. The ruling that was good
enough for the Republicans OF 1866 Is sooo
enounh for the Democrats OF 1919. AS
tbere arc four vacancies in the California
delegation and one in the Texas de'esa'on'
it will require but 145 votes to elect tue he"
Sneaker. We suppose there can DC out III
tIc roam 10 doubt that the Democratic noml'
nee can command that number OF votes.
There is some talk OF boiling on the part
OF few dissatisfied Democrats; but we are
not inclined to think that they VII! 40 SO
crimiaal an act. And it is not lnpossiote
that should Mr.. RANDALL be tue nominee
one Republican will vote for him for every
Democrat who will bolt.
This last remark brings us back to the
startjpc-poiut: Will Mr.. RANDALL be the
Democratic nominee? We are dlSnosea 10
think that lie will, and for several reasons.
First, it is natural to expect Mr.. RANDALL
20 get in the caucus the votes OF large ma
ioritv Of all the northern Democrats. man!
or them do not think the time has yet come
when southern man ought to he elected TO
The third iii net the seco"o) otllre In the
Government. Others OF them are old-lash-
toned strict-constructio Democrats WEo
are opposed to subsidies Of all sorts; and to
this class Mr.. RANDALL is peculiarly accept
able. The votes OF many OF the southern
Democrats will be cast for Mr.. RANDALL for
the same reasons. The Virginia delegation
will probably be pretty nearly equally o'-
yided as between BLACKECRE and RANDALL.
So rs to the North Carolina delegation. the
Kentucky delegation is. said to he unanl-
nous for Mr.. BLAcKBURS; but II so, 1t Is
doubtless the only delegation that Will
show q united front. We repeat, then, that
Mr.. RANDALL will probably be the success
full man. ~-a.
AS to whether Mr.. RANDALL or Mr..
BLAcKBURS ought to be nominated VIC have
not much to say. Either Of them will suit
us; but we are rather inclined to favor
RANDALL, especially i'll view of the conflict
between the House and the President
which it is expected will take place during
the approaching session. We are perfectly
willing, however, to entrust the whole mat
ter to our representatives in the House. 1t
is impossible to object TO Mr.. BLAcKBURN's
election upon grounds other than those OF
mere policy. lie is a trained Parliamcnta-
rian; ready man; a fine lawyer; and has
a sonorous and penetrating voice, and all
the other qualities which 80 to make up Il
skilful Speaker.
A few days more, and speculation will
end in action.