Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-12
SPEAKER keller
A Very Unpopular Man with his Party,
Although a Bitter Partisan-Busi-
ness Blocked in the House
By his Attempt to Engross it in the
Hands OF a Few Republieans-Ar-
thur Unpopular in Congress.

the IeaCer OF Congress now 2.
sit has no leader on the Republican side.
THE ABLEsT MAN IN CoNGREss,
by the general understanding of both parties,
is Mr.. Carlisle, of Kentucky, a Democrat.
He is quite different man from the average
Kentuckian. He lives at Covington, which
is really a suburb of Cincinnati, and has
nothing of the bulIdozer or loose Grafton in
his composition. He is a reasoning man, Of
a modest nature, and is not DESTROYS TO make
points upon his political adversaries, nor
give a small snowy advantage to political
party by repartee a dramatic perform
ance He seems imbued with the disposition
of fairness and right, and he is very oppor-
tune in the times and methods he chooses to
convince some adversaries, to reason with his
political friends, TO listen respectfully to his
political opponents. Consequently, he has a
standing in the House of Representatives
that is very remarkable. Mr.. Kasson is
probably the leader of the House. Robson
undertook to be, but made woful failure OF
it. Frank Hiscock has not shown up very
strong since he lost the Speake-ship."
Glow do you account for the Republican
party's comparative decline in status and
ideas?"
at arises from two things. In the first
place, the success of the intrigue which made
Keifer Speaker of the House; and in the
second place, the success of the war on Gar
House who has no general ideas nor strong
understanding of national questions. Arthur
and Keller mark
THE ALMOST MORTAL DECLINE
of the Republican party"
"Show me how Keller has let things run
down."
ale allowed himself TO be made Speaker
by little junta of INSCRIPTIONS congress-
men, at the head OF whom was George Robe
son. You know what Robson is-a man
tarred with stick, and not enjoying the re-
spect or confidence either of public opinion
or of his fellow-congressmen. He was as
sisted in electing Keifer by Frank Page, a
California stage-driver, coarse, common
man, and by Hazleton, of Wisconsin, an OBJ
scure lawer, of but little expe rience in con-
gress; by Valentine, of Nebraska, and Hub
bell, of Michigan. Hubbell is the man who
entrapped Garfield into writing a letter to
Brady asking for subscriptions to the Repub-
Iican campaign fund. Those were the prin-
cipal men who put up the scheme to elect
Keller They could not have done it but by
the sale of the Pennsylvania delegation,
which was worked ont by Robson and by
Don Cameron and two or three other Penn
sylvania shysters Interested in subsidies and
Jobs"
"Being elected Speaker, Keifer had not the
manliness of character to set up for himself,
but allowed this set of fellows l have named
to make the committees of Congress"
SUCH A COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEES
has never been seen in the American Con-
gress. Keller made them as if he was some
tyro, just forming government. If he had
been the first Speaker of Congress, elected
over body where he had no knowledge of
the individual members, he could not have
made such blunders. And when he make s
he hut he
contrary, defends it. Having undertaken
several times to harangue Congress, and
using some unauthorized word, like the
word 'reprimand,' he will send for a diction-
airy to show that he used it in the proper
way. The House got out of his hands few
days ago, and just ran riot, and he had no
more control over it than a lady would have
of a runaway team. The old heads around
Congress, the old clerks and servitors, are
. looking on with apprehension and contemp pit
to see the Congress which really carried out
, these vast changes OF government falling
into disorder under such incompetent and
common hands. Since Keifer was elected
Speaker the men of ability have all been dis
counted, and do not spring to their work
with any enthusiasm; and besides, Keifer's
bosses have made these committees in such
a bungling manner that it is
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CARRY ON THE BusI-
NESS"
"Give me an instance of that" said l.
"Well, Just take the Ways and Means
Committee and the Appropriations Commit
tee, which require the almost undivided at
tention of the whole of their members Al
most every man on the committee is more
prominent on some other committee than on
his own. There is Mckinley, for instance,
on the Ways and Means Committee, but also
chairman of the Revision of the Laws Com
mittee, VIII ch takes a large part of his time
away There is Russell Errett, of the Ways
and Means Committee, chairman of the Pub
lie Buildings Committee. There is Robson,
one Of the most useful men on the Ways and
Means, also on Foreign Affairs, so that he
attends to the Ways and Means but slightly.
Haskell, of the Ways and Means, is chairman
of Indian Affairs. The Appropriations Com
mittee shows the same mistakes. In the
anxiety of this clique, which made Keller to
promote themselves, they have emasculated
the two great committees of Congress, which
require Woodworking men,"
"Does Keller feel that he is failure?"
''YEs, HE FEELS IT BADLY.
He r, ferred to the hostility that there seems
to be against him in the press. He knows
perfectly we'll that his dull and stupid ambi-
ton has brought his party in Congress into
next to impotence, and the jobbers of that
House made the committees up for the
Speaker. The men of real ability are not at
the head of the committees. There is dis
satisfaction all through the House. Conse-
quently the party loses that harmony and
composure which make strong policy"
"Has Robson assisted himself much by
getting on all the different naval committees
and on the appropriations too?"
"No. Robson is almost destroyed. He is
disliked in the House. The Republicans re-
sent his leadership, and he has now quar-
relied with the administration ALSO"
"Are you sure that the President has made
Don Cameron his political manager"
Eyes, perfectly sure. Arthur has the itch
TO be reelected, and being but small poll
iician in large things, he looked around
among the different bosses to find one who
would use his patronage for denomination
with ability. John Logan has lost his
health, and is off at the Hot Springs. There
is no political manager in New York equal
to Cornell, who is not Arthur's friend; and
there seemed nobody left but Don Cameron.
So Arthur has
GIVEN HIN FULL CONTROL OF HIS PATRON
AGE,
and he is appointing postmasters to day in
Kentu cky. and fixing up the State for Arthur
next time"
Glow is Cameron going TO manage Penn
sylvania this year."
wen, lie Is trying 10 CHEAT the 11ue-
pendents and Half-Breeds there by giving
them the unimportant Offices and reserving
the only important Office at stake for him
self"
"Could Arthur be elected if nominated"
"Not in the present state of feeling in the
Republican party. He would be defeated SO
badly that it would extinguish the little
reputation he has made"
as he going TO fight Cornell in New York
any more?"
mo. He cannot afford to have il appear
that New York State has gone against the
Republican party, and it is now conceded
that Cornell will get the nomination. Arthur
must turn and help him be elected. If
Cornell should still be beaten it would look
as if the Republican party had put its
stigma upon both Cornell and Arthur Ar
thur can probably work up the Southern
States, where there is no Republican party
except the ofice-holders, and have them
come TO the convention for him. 1t looks at
present as if he might get only those States
where there is no public opinion and the
several office holders constitute the party.
Arthur is very sensitive to criticism. He is
particularly annoyed at present at the story
going around that Tom Murphy, Clint
Wheeler and Stephen French run his adj
ministration. Yet everybody knows that
THEY ARE HIS BOON COMPANIONS.
The nearest man TO him at this moment is
Steve French. Some of these men have