The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-20

0nieeI Nos. aS and "a Fourteenth stFoet.
Tho speakershlp Of Legislative BOdles.

OHIeeI Nos. rs and "a Fourteenth BtFeet
The speakershIp OF Legislative bodies
There Is great dissatisfaction in the House
OF Representatives at Washington over the
committees selected by Speaker Keller.
This dissatisfaction has been manifested in
ono form and another ever since the COM
mittees were announced. No hesitation
has been felt in charging that gross faVorit-
ism has figured cN1spicuously in the make
up Of said committees. It Is believed that
traffic arrangement was entered into as
to appointments on said committees when
the election Of Speaker was pending. AS
the result OF such bargain certain members,
OF no specially recognized fitness
have been given very desirable and
influential appointments; while other
members, qualified by their experience and
abilities for high service, have been as.
signed TO inferior places on important
committees, or else to inferior committees.
For instance, on the all important Commit
tee Of Ways and MeNus, Pen nsylvania has
three members, while the great State Of
New York has not single member, This
is something, perhaps, unhcard Of in the
experience Of tho House. The Chairman
Of the Committee is Grcenback. .Republi.
can, Kelly, Of Philadclphia), man who
wayered at critical moment in the iate Of
the country during the era OF depression
succeeding the panic, and did his best in
Congress to overthrow the financial leader.
ship OF General Garfield. This sort Of q
man was manifCstly unfit to go to the head
Of the first and most important COM
mittee Of the House. In addition, he
is a monomaniac on the tariff
question, and in the New York tariff con-
vention advocated the repeal Of the tax on
.spirituous and malt liquors for the sake Of
preventing revision Of the tariff. Yet
because the Pennsylvania delegation, un-
der the inspiration OF Don Cameron, went
over early to Keller, shecarried olFthelion's
share Of eligible places on the committees.
Even on the Judiciary Committee, New
York has no place. And on the important
Committee Of Banking and Currency, all
thu vast territory from Maryland to Texas
has snorepresentative. Representative Robe
son, Of New Jersey, ex-secretary ofthe Navy,
who has had many charges made against
him in connection with his administration
of 1.-THE Navy Department, was given the
second place on the Naval Committee, the
second place on the Committee on Appro.
priations, and the first place on the Com
mittee ofNaval Expenditures. This string
otappointments excitOs, under the circum-
stances, very emphatic comments aud crit
icism. 1t is also noticed that General
Rosecrans, a distinguished and gallant
Union General in the war, was denied q
place on the Military Committee, and was
put of with the sixth place on the Com.
mittee OF Public Health, thus depriving the
country OF the advantages of his large ex-
perience in Military matters
1t is no wonder that there is feeling Of
soreness on both sides Of the House in
consequence OF such assignments. They
are unsparingty condemned both by Re
publicans and Democrats. The cry goes
up that this system Of making appoint
ments-lodging them in the hands OF ono
man-is all wrong. Prior TO 1910 this was
not the practice. The House selected its
own committees, and this ought to become
the practice once again. Hence there is
great sympathy felt with the efforts
now making, not to undo the appointments
already made, but to inaugurate reform
looking to the future. Representative
orth, Of Indiana, has submitted plan that
should receive the serious attention not
only OF the House OF Representatives, but
Of all legislative bodies throughout the
country, for the abuses Mt Washington are
only part and parcel Of similar abuses
that prevail in the legislatures OF many OF
the States. His plan is rs follows:
First-The committees shall be appoint
ed by board OF eleven members elected
by the House. The Chairman Of this
board is to be chosen by a viva-Voce vote
of the House, each member naming his
candidate, and the person who receives n
majority OF the whole House shall be
elected 10 that position. In the same man
ner aCt-member OF the House shall name
five members TO serve on the board, and
1 the ten receiving the highest number Of
votes shall, with the Chairman already
Chosen, constitute the board
Second-The board to select committees
must report within reasonable time the
standing, select and joint committees pro-
vided by the rules OF the House, and must
be governed in their selections by seniority
OF service. tits made necessary that the
House should approve the list, with OF
without any. amendments which it sees
iitto make, and the board shall serve during
the entire Congress TO I'LL vacancies in like
manner.
Third-It is provided that, at a subse'
oueht meeting Of the House, at least two
thirds OF the members being present, q
permanent Chairman known as Speaker,
shall be selected by majority Of the mem
bers.
The merits OF this plan are easily dis
cerned. 1t separates the selection Of The
presiding officer from the makeup Of tht
committees, and largely increases thu
chances OF securing an officer for his merit'
alone rs an experienced and capable PAL
Humanitarian. Secondly, itsecures propel
recognition Of the claims Of all the mem
bers to committee PLACES without reference
to their accidental relations to the Speaker
1t also aims to secure to the minority 1
proper representation on the board Of Sc
lection, and yet guarantees to the maiorit!
the control of the speakcrship and the var
ious committees.
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