Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-12
Aaucaster f,ltelliQe11cer
THURSDAY EVENING. JAN. u, 1882.
Changing the Rule.

1nOnoOA1 GVGNAN1S SA&Ss 49, A~SS'
Changing the Rule.
Mr.. Orth has, if nothing more, at least
succeeded in getting before the consider
alton OF the House the question as to
whether the speaker shall appoint the
standing committees of that body. The
resolution which he offered yesterday.
proposing that some other method than
that now in vogue should be adopted
for the selection of the committees, may
or may not bring forth results in the
shape of change in the prevailing rule
by which that important duty is
assigned to the presiding officer. The
speaker is Theoretically the repre-
sentative Of the will Of the members OF
the House, but judging from the present
very general dissatisfaction of large
number of its members and their charges
of unfair arrangement of the committees,
to say nothing Of the popular impression
that they were deliberately made up with
purposes in view other than those which
subserve the public welfare, General
Keifer did not get anywhere near prac
tical realization Of the manifest design
Of the trainers of tie rule which c0nfides
the trust to the speakers hands. The
New York Times notes as a significant
fact that eighty-fve members of the
House gave public expression to their
feelings of discomfort by voting with
Mr.. Orth to have the resolutions referred
TO his own committee, that of civil SER
vice reform, instead of to the committee
on rules. of which the speaker is himself
chairman. but where it surely belonged,
involving as it did an amendment TO the
laws for the government of the House.
That these eighty-five members should
have been thus willing to put themselves
on the record us favQring Il palpabie
,leparture from the customary usage can
bearno other construction than of their
mistrust Of the ability Of Speaker
Keifer,as chairman Of the committee on
rules, to bring to the consideration OF
the question of dividing the respon-
sibility of appointing tho House
committees that judicial fairness
which SO important a matter demands,
but which an observant person would
incline to doubt whether Mr.. Orth had
in view when he projected his missile at
the speakers devoted head yesterday.
Not only did Mr.. Orth move to take the
subject out of the domain to which in
all propriety it really belonged, but he
wanted to have it transferred to the con-
sideration of the committee of which he
himself is chairman. This was truly a
novel proposition, but none the less
characteristic OF It's author. The Times
professes to believe that its party's
speaker would have been more likely
to approach tine subject with i'm
partiality il it had not been made per-
sonal to himself. This is in itself hu-
initiating admission, coming as it does
from the national organ of the party that
put Keifpr in his present exalted and
responsble pOsit ion. It is 4 declaration
of it's want of confidence i'll the speakers
honesty and integrity in matters that
might concern his own interests or per-
s,nal feelings. But the Times does not
believe anything Of the kind. 1t knows
that the speakers disposition of this
matter, that has been put into his hands
with an imputation from sucl, large
proportion of his fellow members upon
his capacity to discharge the duties con-
nected with the position, will he guided
by those considerations which have
always swayed his political course, and
which were SO effectively employed in
his elevation to place in which he so
speedily exhibited himself rs Il weak veS-
sci and subservient tool of the men who
put him there.