The Portland daily press., 1883-12-21
Doings In Washington.
What ihe Special Correspondents have to
Say.
KEIFER REpuD1ArED.


1t would be characterizing Mr.. Keifer's discomf-
ture to-day in very mild language to say that the
Republicans repndiated his leadership. The unani-
nifty with which he rejected was so point led as
to seem cruel. Mr.. Kefer has been busy for sever
al days preparing for the appearance in the House
of Mr.. Thomas o. Skinner, the member elected
from the First District of North Carolina to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of W. r. Pool who
lied after his election and before the meeting of
Con gress. Mr.. Keifer has delved into Congres-
sional records, consulted many precede nts, ard
was presumably filled to the throat with arguments
When MIR, Scales called he matter up this morning
and moved that Mr. Skinner be sworn in Mr.. eife
was unon his feet glancing about upon his r. publ
can associates with a sort of "folow-your-eader'
express on H. his eyes He has a resolution in his
b nd hich he wanted the House TO ,ss and which
be proposed to refer the whole matter to the Com
mittee on Elections. There was some speaking to
this resolution, in the course IF which it beca
apparent that here were Republicans who held the
opinion that it useless TO attempt to keep MIR.
skinner out of his seat and that The question of i'm
portance to be decided at an early day whether
Mr.. skinner held a val Ger itfcate and not wheth-
er he hal been properly rtihed from a new dis
triet instead of the ola in which Mr.. Pool was
chosen. MIR Hiseock in he conrse Of the debate
Offered substitute for Mr. Keifer's resolution the
substitute calliIg upon the Comm ttee on Elections
to report at the earliest practicable moment III ON
the legal question involved, instead of going into
the merits of the Mr. Refers views were not
backed up with that zeal which ought to have been
ready to obey the dictation OF leader and il soon
became apparent that Mr.. Hiscock, who very
tenacious of the point he making wa. COM
maDding he sympathy both 81 es of The House.
MIR. Kefer presssd his resolution and Mr.. His ,ock
insisted upo his substitute. Pend ng vote Mr..
Skinner was sworn in Tue previous question hav
IL been ordered. rising vote was taken upon Mr..
Hsc ck's substitute. TGat vote must have been
q sad blow to Mr.. Keifer's pIide ii he can be as
sumed t. have sensibility snougn to appreciate the
force of it. The Republicans seemed to rise as one
man to Mr.. Hiscock's support, while the only per-
| son who was conspicuous by his advocacy of MIR.
| Keifer's proposition was "Calami " Weller OF
e fgr
| by rising vote, roll-call was demanded Upon
the roll-cal Hiscock's proDosilion prevailed by
large Republican and Democl ats vote combined,
| and by similar vote Mr.. Kefer's ution, as
| amended by Mr.. Hiscock, wos carried The repu-
diation of Mr.. Refers pretebsions to leadership
was the talk OF tne memDers on both sides
wednesday eveoing. No one doubts, except per
haps Mr. Keiter that the expression of the House
Will be conclusive -lNew York lines.
Keifer as n Reforurr.
THE COMMITTEES
When the committee on rules reported their
finding the first thing causing discussion was upou
droppiug the joint committee upon the alcoholic
liquor traffic. Judge Wait of Connecticut was its
chairman in the last Congress, but nothing was
| a,or dona 7, tho comuittee ON rules Carlisle and
II,k h,,rr .,tsd 70 iron II iron, the l;st - Ill
P5aII W pooJ ana Kifr fsvo1ad IL. re,an,i
nns M, W u"i neeu t e a ~, NJ .s;ils ne r. ~
s,n;,av ssISed ..Wbst democrat by voting to
Sen ,b;s committees showed himself 4, favor 5f a
snmptuary law deciding what a man sha eat and
dri l." Vance, stiff old Presbyterian elder from
,nyot,ae msSea sharn temperance lecture d.
clarng III t um is one evil which oes 70 the root
of tie conLtry's existence or course the Republic
oans @ @ ht hnId ~ seon think ~ ;t
ing a Committee on the state of religion
| Reed contented himself with complaceut-
| ly declaring that the great wave o.
Temperance seemed tn be spreading over the landf
and b ack burn shut off debate with the previous
quest on The commit ee was saved by the vote of
i43 to SO. of the latter ali were democrats hut
two. Lowering and Eaton were the only New Eng
land members in the minoritv = hen the committee
on eiuc tion and labor WAS divided into so, in