Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-08-14
AN AWFUL SNUB.
Robson and KeiCer's Final SOr-
row in the House.
New York World.

AON IN tuC AAONASCs
New York World.
WASHINGTON, August 8.-Keifer
and Robson, thick skinned as they
are, WINGED visibly and palpably uu-
der the merciless discipline admins.
tered to them on the Democratic side
OF the House to. day. Relying on the
bargains which they have made in the
River and Harbor Bill aud in the
questions OF appropriations generally
with sundry Democrats who think
much more of their districts than they
do of their principles or their party,
Robson and Keller undertook TO get
a formal vote of thanks for Keller
from the House. Robson was the
active solicitor. He came lurching
over to the Democratic seats this at
ternoOn and approaching one Demo
crat after another begged him to offer
resolutions of thanks to Keifer for his
conduct in the Speakers chair. One
after another, more or less, politely
and peremptorily refused to do any
thing of the kind. Before he got
through with his meudicant mission
Robeson's color %deepened and his face
fairly famed with shame and vexation
when he found himself finally com
PEELED to give it up as a bad job and
stink back to his own place.
Had any Democrat been weak or
foolish enough 10 listen to him, q
dozen members would have teen on
their feet in a moment to call atten
tion to the fact that there was no
quorum Of the House. A great deal
Of sympathy is felt among the Demo
Gratis for Mr.. Cox, Of New York, who
in consequence of his position on the
Appropriations Committee, was Sc
leoted by Robson and Keifer as the
only Democrat who might be morally
forced into accepting the place into
which they thrust him, on tie special
Committee On Shipping.
The d~isgraceful way in which this
committee has been constituted by
Keifer and Robson condemns and
was meant to condemn Mr.. Cox, if be
accepts the position, to figure before
the county as an instrument of John
Roach, whose ship yards are situated
in Mr.. Cox's district in New York,
and who is well understood to be a
partner in business of Robson. On
the other hand, for Mr.. Cox to decline
would leave the great commercial
capital Of the country without repre-
sentation on the committee.
Mr.. Dingley, of Maine, the most
respectable Republican member of the
committee, is In an almost equally
awkward position. He is a man Of
character and ability; he has a much
larger practical knowledge Of the
subject than Mr.. Cox-or in fact any
other member of the committee as
eonstituted-and as q member from
the ship building State Of Maine, the
work Of the committee seems to be
directly within his province But no
man in the House probably has a
greater contempt than Mr.. Dingley
for the methodist Keller and Robson
and be is perfectly we'll aware shp,
the committee has been constituted
with a deliberate intent of getting him
into a false position.
The friends Of MIR. Cox frankly say
they see no way in WHICH he can save
his reputation if he serves on this
committee, except by attaching him
self to Mr. Dipgley and following Mr.
Dingley's lead. The snub administered
to Keller to-day is the more marked
from the fact that it is the first time
since the constitution Of the govern.
ment that a Speaker has been denied
tho courtesy Ofsuch a resolution. The
neaEest approach TO il was in the case
OF Schuyler Dolfax at the session fol.
lowing the exposure of his ~rascality
In that case The Democrats having
refused to offer a resolution, ono was
submitted by the Republicans. A
division vote was demanded, and every
Democrat went on record against the
resolution. which was nevertheless
adopted. Kiefsg evidently felt as
bitterly as Robson the chastisement
he received to-day, and after adjourn
ment he made his way to Robeson's
desk for coincidence. He aud Robe
son had studiously avoided personal
contact on the floor during the session
but the mask having been torn off in
open House, there was no occasion
and evidently no inclination to simu.
late further, and they mingled tbeil