The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-17
A Vast Amount of Intrigue Already Devel-
oped, with Indications that the Penn
sylvanian Will Win,
Cost of Public Buildings from the
Founding of the Government.
Our Corn and Wheat, and How the Con-
sumption is Distributed-Sick and
Starving Indians-General News.
THE sPEAKERsHIP FIGHT.
Prospect of a Stubborn Contest. with the
Odds in Favor of Randall.

Odds in Favor of Randall.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, March 16.-The contest for
Speaker is developing a world of intrigue
already. 1t is in that kind of a fight that
MIR. Randall shows up to advantage. He is
strong in combinations. Starting out, as he
will, with the backing of the Pennsylvania
railroad and iron interests and their coz
n~ections, he will have q tangible trading
strength, an advantage not possessed by Mr..
Carlisle. His experience in the Speakers
chair has given him a clear and intelligent
inside knowledge of the power of the vari-
Gus interests that are eternally pressing for
a foothold in Congress, and he is not
the man to hesitate about making use
Of this information. For ten years the
corporation influence has been strong enough
in Congress to obstruct and defeat hostile
legislation, and it is as powerful to-day as
ever. For ten years the railroad and Judi
ciary committees have been formed, if not
in the interest of railroads certainly not
against them. Successive speakers have
found it advantageous to give the corpora
tions recognition o. committees, and the
consequence 10 oGCh III nv ia VI GOISIGSS
to legislate against railroads or dc anything
to compel the Immigrant roads to surrender
the 100, 600, 600 acres of unearned land, kept
out of the market through the efforts of the
corporations concerned.
Mr.. Randall never made himself offensive
to the moneyed interests. On the con-
trary, they ever found him q very
pleasant man to do business with. They
have tried him, md he suits them
to a nicely. They do not know so much
about Mr.. Carlisle. He has not gone out of
the way to curry favor with m~onopolistic in
%terests, and there is a feeling that he would
not show them special favors. He made a
fine record from his party standpoint in Con-
gress this winter, and if a Speaker were to be
elected tomorrow he would have a four
ifths majority. He is making a free, open
fight and may win, but in a contest extend
ing over a period of eight months he is placed
at a decided disadvantage. Mr.. Randall is
doing his fighting under his cover. He is not
and will not advertise his movements, though
it is well known what his policy will be.
1t is understood among wire-working
politicians that he will make a great play for
the support of the Mississip4i-river crowd,
which one would think would rally to Car
isles banners to a man. The Missouri,
Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana delega-
tons in Congress will clamor and work for a
continuation of Federal appropriations for
improving the Mississippi for years to come.
Ii they could do it they would dump the
Treasury of the United States into the river.
They stand ready to trade and bargain and
sell themselves and all their relations and
connections for the success of their raiding
schemes, and Randall is ready to open
negotiations with them. Mr.. Randalrs
main following is in the South. The levee
and outlet and jetty beggars have nothing
to gain by giving their assistance to Mr..
Carlisle. He cannot promise them anything
they are not sure of in any contingency;
whereas Mr.. Randall can promise and
deliver them a big block of Eastern and
middle State Democrats in return for leyee
votes.
Mr.. Carlisle will find his time we'll occu-
pied during the summer months defending
his rear from the raids of his willy Pennsyl-
vania adversary. His free-trade declarations
and o~utspoken expression of q desire to re-
sumo the tariff agitation next winter sounded
quite we'll when uttered, but as time pro-
crosses they will be regarded as little short of
revolutionary in the opinion of many close
observers, 1t is promised that by next fall
a proposition to rip up the tariff and subject
the busine interests of the country to the
paralyzing strain of another six months
agitation, will be exceedingly unpopular.
Such a platform might have won a month
ago, but next fall the issue will be doubtful.
Messrs. Cox, Blackburn, Springer, Tucker
and Morrison, whose names have been sug-
gested in connection with the speakership,
are not heard of. They will cut very little
figure, and are only in the race for the pur-
pose of drawing out on the promise of good
chairmanships-an old, familiar dodge.
PUBL BUILDINGS.