The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-12-06
THE NEW SPEAKER,

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, aud now Mr.. Keifer is answers
BILE to the people of the United States for
the legitimate consequences of his
conduct and rulings as presiding officer OF
the most turbulent and yet the most
powerful and important of Ameri-
can legislative bodies. Not only |
will it be in Mr.. Refers 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 priyi-
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 the Speaker who appoints the
committees and every intelligent man
knows full well that in these times of pc
culiar and practical craftsmanship the bulk
oflegislation 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
of party 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 emanating in the lobby
this is the true exposition of the man.
ner of conducting the machinery of the law
making branch of the government 1t can
thus be seen how ruling here or 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-
eether with the enviable distinction of
presiding over the first legislative council
Of the world has passed into the
hands of Mr.. John w. Keller, of
Ohio. Although this gentleman has
been in Office for some years and halls from
the State whose representative pen are
generally wcll-known to the reading public,
Mr.. Keller 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
it is TO 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 arc
r curious to learn something of history
we cpitomzc the following: He was
born in Springfield, Ohio, and is AZ years Of
age he represents the Eighth district in
Congress he spent most of his youth on q
farm, and received a common-schoon cduca
= ton; was admitted to the bar and prac
: ticed law till the beginning of the war; en-
tered the Union army as private and rost
to the rank of Najor-General 'for gallan
). service" in the last campaigns against Lee
;, was, after the war; member Of the Obi,
4 Senate and delegate to the Republican
. Convention at Cincinnati, from the State a
i large, and in 1876 was elected to Con
gress, and has consequently had fou
years experience in that body
V Mr.. Kefor is not pre-eminent for his intel
o lectual ability, and as to his capacity as
e presiding officer or his knowledge of tn,
, intricaces parliamentary law we mus
e wait till an opportunity is furnished for dis
e playing them. Mr.. Keifcr has one obstacl
ofpcculiOr forceto contend with aside fror
the others mentioned 1t is the fact tina
r he succeeds a Speaker with such peculia
4, fitness for and thorough mastery of tn
c eminent stations he has occupied unintel
Ie ruptedly since the accession of the Demo
II cracy TO power Ill the Natloni
III House. Nothing can be said agains
y either the ability, the record or tn
purity of character of Samuel ], Randall
and he it was indeed who inaugurated III
m policy of retrenChment ard reform Thu
" enabled his party to sweep the country
IS 1876. The only verdict of his politics
I'd household as his mantle of authority
to thrown by the fortunes of politics over IL
ok shoulders of his successor is, "well done
a He retires from the chair, but remains
ut the House, and will undoubtedly, as I
H. ought in fact to be, become the leader
the Democratic wing; a minority, it is tru
but so nearly equal in numbers to its opp
hg ncnts as to greatly influence the gener
'u course ofevents in Washington, and opera
ne as q strong and wholesome check.
er
,e. COSTLY NEGLECT.
ly We can never hope to see much traf
| i. IA