The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-12-08
THE NEW SPEAKER

Prominence of position, while it brings
often glory and always notoriety, creates re-
sponsibility and places its possessor in an
extremely delicate situation. But most men
are anxious to assume the duties and at
tempt the discharge of any new trust when
it brings them money and notice, and Mr.
John W. Keifer. who was yesterday elected
Speaker of the Forty-Seventh Congress, is
no exception to the rule. A vigorous effort
was made in his interest and with success
full result, and now Mr.. Keifer is answera-
BILE to the people of the United States for
the legitimate consequences of his
conduct and rulings as presiding officer of
1.-The most turbulent and yet the most
powerful and important of Ameri-
can legislative bodies. Not only
will it be in Mr.. Keifer's power as
Speaker to control the personnelle of debate
ON great or uninteresting occasions by CIV
ing as may seem proper to him this or that
friend or this or that gentleman the privi-
leges of the floor, but the moulding of
Legislation is thrown into his hands to
greater extent perhaps, than on any one
else. 1t is thetSpeakcr who appoints the
committees AMI every intelligent man
ISn1 that in these times of pc
Ttical craftsmanship the bulk
oflegisation is conducted before the vari-
GUS committees. 1t used to be different to
some degree, it is true, but the Speaker now
represents the political majority, the com
mittee, the speaker and the determinations
of the committee are too often but the reflex
ofparty views and meet the. unqualified
appreciation of the controlling authority
when they come up for final action. With
the exception of infrequent personal preju-
dices and now and then in all likelihood an
outside influence emapating in the lobby
this is the true exposition of the man.
~ Of conducting the machinery Of the law
making branch of the government " can
thus be seen how q ruling here or a we'll
timed appointment there may throw the
balances up or down in an hour Of external
peril or national significance. All this
opportunity for veal or woe to the general
government, this extensive authority, to-
gether with the enviable distinction of
presiding over the first legislative council
Of the world, has passed into the
hands Of Mr.. John W. Keifer, of
Ohio Although this gentleman has
been in Office for some years and'hails from
the State whose representative men are
generally well-known to the reading public,
Mr.. Keifer has not been prominent man
nor well known, and IT is impossible to fore
cast the success he will achieve in his new
field oflabor. For the good Of the nation
il is 10 be hoped he will appreciate his po-
sition, discharge its duties with skill and
fidelity to the great people whose official he
? Is and whose interests he should guard, and
win all the glory his Office may throw in
his way For the benefit of those who are
curious 10 learn something Of history,
we epitomize the following: He was
born in Springfield, Ohio, and is a. years Of
age; he represents the Eighth district in
Congress; he spent most Of his youth on a
Hrm, and received a common-schoon educs-
ton: was admitted to the bar and prac-
ticed Law til the beginning Of the war; en-
tered the Union army as private and rose
to the rank OF Hajor-General ''for gallant
service" in the last campaigns against Lee;
was, after the war, a member Of the Ohio
Senate, and delegate to the Republican
Convention At Cincinnati, from the State at
large, and in 1876 was elected 10 Con
gress. and has consequently had four
years experience in that body.
Mr.. Keller is not pre-eminent for his intel
l.tiual ability, and as 10 his capacity as
presiding officer or his knowledge Of the
infricacies q parliamentary law We must
wait I'D en- opportunity is furnished for dis
playing them. Mr.. Keller has one obstacle 1
ofpeculiar force 70 contend with aside from
fhs Others mentiontd- Il il the fact fhst
he succeeds Speaker with such peculiar
fitness for and thorough mastery Of the
eminent ststions he has occuriied uninter-
rursedy since Ire accession Il tie Demo
cnv 70 power in the Naiion.l
House Eosline can Re sid neainsf
sifhsr he sbfifg the record o. The !
ruritT Of thzrscis ~ Of samuel J. Randall.