The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-12-21
Keifer Put Down.

Most of the Washington correspondents
argue that the action of the Republican
members of the House on Wednesday in the
Spinner election case was of the nature of
an intentional Reputation Of the leadership
of ex-Speaker Keifer. 1t does have that ap-
pearance. But we notice that a Boston
paper, one which has very hospitable feel
ing for persons of the Keifer style, insists
editorially that the Republicans could not
have voted against Mr.. Keifer's resolution
for any such reason; but must have done so
because they thought his proposition was
wrong. Well it makes but little difference
A leader whoi is so egregiously and inexcusa-
bly, wrong that no member of his party sup
ports him on yea and nay vote which be
calls for, is repudiated beyond doubt. No
party can afford to have leader who goes
wrong in that fashion. 1t is equivalent to a
unanimous vote of want of confidence, and
we do not question that the intent was as
good as the act.
Mr.. Keifer has been afflicted with notion
that he was born to be the leader of his par
ty in the House ever since he entered Con-
gress, and nobody knows for how long be-
fore. He has not been in his seat long
enough to warm il before he undertook to
antagonize General Garfield who had sat in
the House fifteen years and was generally
supposed to know thing or two about the
conduct of pnblic business. To differ open
ly and Extensively with General Garfield, and
seem to be not afraid to do it, was apparent
ly thought by Mr.. Keifer to be a proper
thing for him to do, and probably he imag-
ined, because Garfield disdained to reply,
that the elder legislator was at loss for ar
guments to rebute him, and that the House
sided with Garfield not with reason but
through prejudice.
His conduct since this session opened has
been entirely characteristic. The Republi-
can side of the House was put by what
Governor Long aptly calls Mr.. Phelps's
faur pas in the position of having to sup
port Keller for Speaker in order not to con-
denim itself and it's action in the last Con-
gress. The Republicans did not vote for
Keifer SO much to vindicate him as to es-
cape the appearance of condemning their
own act. A man with any wit would
have discerned the situation. Certainly it
was hiuted broadly enough by the circum-
stances of the Republican caucus that the
Republicans did not nominate Keifer out of
any peculiar regard for him. A hint TO the
wise may be sufficient, but persons of the
Keifer quality do not sense hint. They
bo oo,,uinood v1.,1o 10
ed, by cudjeling. A polite invitation to
walk down stairs they ignore, and lipger
until someDody is indignant enough to take
them by the collar and the slack of their
trousers and drop them over the banister.
Keifer has probably read the anecdote re-
lated of Fox, that he said he became en- or
ator by boring the House of Commons, and
he has contemplated with admiration the
defiance of Disraeli, when the House of
Commons coughed him down, and he has
imagined that whatever Fox or Disraeli
could do he can do. He has undertaken to
lead the Republican party this term, by vir-
tue of his nomination as its candidate for
Speaker. He had this in his favor, that he
could get a chance, because by custom be
was entitled to recognition by the Chair as
the representative of the Republican side I'M
til it had deposed him. With this in his
favor be could retain the leadership if he was
wise enough to command confidence but only
on that condition. He has made an early
failure, and probably decisive one. He called
on the party to follow him in an onset on
the Democratic position. Mr.. Hiscock sug-
gested another line of battle and forthwith
all the Republicans left Keifer standing
alone and impotent and rallied around Mr..
Hiscock. Undoubtedly Mr.. Keifer thinks
they are a parcel of fools who do not know
leader when he shows himself before them;
bat all the same II ls true, as matter of
fact, that leader without followers is rath-