The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-12-27
Our Washington Special
THE SPEAKERSHIP Ard IFS
POWER.
The Speaker of the EOTty.niNth
Congress 10 be a Figure mead. Car-
Isle NeticenL an TO the Com III i .
tees. December Agony.

Special to the Democratic Press:
WASHINGTON, Dec % 1893
The month CT December, every two years, is
a month of "agonies :" to the members and
employees of a newly organizing Congress. liz
the House, where the Speakcrahip and other
Caucus positions are filled by mcmb ;rship vote,
vast source of patronage passes into he il 4nds
OF the Speaker and his official aids. Even the
members electing the Speaker, after his taking
the chair. relapse into an agony that continues
until he has blocked out and announced his Sc
lections for the various committees and ther
when the committees are announced, usually
just before the holiday recess. this agony in
creases ten fold in the bOsoms of the honorable
gentlemen who have been given unimp"rtant
positions. only select few going to their homes
to spend " A Merry Christmas - Not SO in the
Senate. The party in majority there. map out
the committees in Caucns ana eject them in
session. thus avoiding tie individual 6ntrali-
zation of power that is delegated o the Speak
er of the House
A number of bills are in pre-. ration and will
be introduced in the House relegaiing commit
tee organization to caucus power This will
be accomplished during the inter To doubt,
and thereafter the Spenkership of the House
Will he AN empty honor as compared with its
present political power
OVER 2.mOBIIL
have thus far been introduced in the House,
covering almost the whole groundwork of our
statute. The total number will! no doubt reach
live or six thOusand before ihe end of the
siou, hut three iourths of them will never he
heard from after having passed INTO the hands
of the various committees. Hundreds of bills
are introduced by members TO please and tickle
the ear of some individual or collective con-
stituency who Imagine that every measme pre-
sented to Congress is carefully Considered by
that body but the Congressman or Ssuator
who can secure the passage of q bill wins Il
trophy which he may generally wear in his
belt" with pride.
THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
The action of the Republican National Com
mittce in selecting Chicago for the next Ma
tiouaI Convention is considered by leading
| ID, mUCrats here as u recognition ty the Repub-
| lcan party that the great battle ground of '94
will comprise the Western States. and all ac-
cord in the opinion that the Democratic Con
vention will be held in the same city and the
same hall. about one month later than the Re-
publican Convention. The Democratic Ma
tional Committee will meet in This city early in
| February next to select the place and time
The Tilden and Hendricks combination v i'll
bring a strong pressure TO bear in favor OF New
| York and they probably would succeed had the
Republicans selected PhiIadelp phit or Saratoga.
PRESIDENT ARTHUR's PROsPFCTs.
The Presidency is slyly ut work in building
| up his candidacy for another term, but his
availability will fall to pieces Il month OF two
before the Convention meets at Chicago in
juno. Ex Senator Dorsey, who worked SO in
ce>santly for Garfeld's election, and at the
same time advanced Arthur's cause, is engaged
| in ferretting out the weakncsscs blunders and
corruption of the latter's administration and
at the proper time will hurl them upon the
country In "a cyclone. sweeping away the possi-
bility of Mr.. Acthur's being considered for a
moment for any public trnst or honor. At least
this is what Mr.. Dorsey SAWS. and have good
reason to think that his animation will explode
with Il considerable force. if noS with the dis
astrous results he anticipates. The ex Senator
will trouble the Republicans more than is now
! imagined in their next Presidential camp aigu,