New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-26
ON TILE SADDLE AGAIN.D

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country, so far as it is governed by the Dem
ocratic House. There are fifty three com
mittccs which control all action. The first and
second places on these committees are parcclled
out to fourteen Southern and eleven Northern
| States-an average of more than four places to
each of these States. Meanwhile, thirteen States
| have no share in controlling legislation in the
House through the leadership of its committees
and only twelve Southern States and nine
Northern States have chairmanships.
! But the committees differ very widely in impor-
lance. The craftsmanship gives member the
control of room, and private secretary at
public expense, and various other perquisltcs,
but does not necessarily give him any real
control over legislation. The ten committees
| first named in the official lists control a large
share of the legislation which affects the whole
country, namely: the Committees on Elections,
| of which Georgia has the craftsmanship; Ways
and means, Illinois; Appropriations Penn
sylvania Judiciary, Virginia; Banking and
Currency, Missouri; Coinage, Missouri Com
merce, Texas Rivers and IIarbors, Kentucky {;
Agriculture, Missouri, and Foreign Affairs, Penn
sylvania Thus, ont of these ten important
places, seven go to Southern and only three to
Northern States. Second TO the chairmen on
these ten committees are eight members from
the South and only two from the North. OF
these twenty places of the largest influence,
Missouri alone has five, Georgia and Texas two
each, and Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina,
North Carolina, Alabama and Louisiana one
each, in all fifteen for the South; while Penn
sylyania gets three and Illinois and New York
each one, in all five for the Northern States.
in,
number, may be divided into two classes.
About fourteen control legislation on special
subjects of permanent Importance, and OF these
the Committee on Military Affairs has Cali
fornia chairman; Naval Affairs, NewYOrk;
Postal, Mississippi; Railways and Canals,
Florida; Public Lands, Indiana; Indians
Texas Territories, South Carolina Mississippi
River, louisiana Patents, North Carolina;
Education, South Carolina; Pensions,
Alabama; Claims, Tennessee; Revision of
Laws, Alabama and Rules, Kentucky. Thus
eleven of these secOnd-class charmanships 90
to the South, and only three to the North. Of
the members standing second on these COM
mittees, the division is just the same eleven to
the South and three to the North. All the other
standing committees are practically impOtent;
they control no legislation of any general in
terest, and might about as well be abolished,
but for the convenience of the chaiImen, or the
service which some of them render in faciltat-
ing routine business. For all general purposes,
the twenty four committees named will govern
the country far the House can govern it,
and eighteen of these have chairmen from
twelve Southern States, while only six have
chairmen from five Northern States. Less than
half of the States will thus virtually control all
legislation on subjects of permanent and general
interest The loyal soldiers who seek pensions
must go to Hewitt of Alabama for q hearing,
or to his second, Tillman of South Carolina.
The loyal soldiers who have settled in the
Territories must look for legislation to Evins
of South Carolina or Pryor of Alabama. The
interests of railways and canals, mainly at the
North, will be cared for by Davidson of Florida.
The farmers of the Northwest who have lcgisla-
ton to propose will address Hatch of Missouri
or Aiken of South Carolina; our harbors and
rivers are under the care of Willis of Kentucky
and Blanchard of Louisiana our National COM
merce is intrusted to Reagan of Texas and
Clardy of Missouri, and contested elections to
Turner of Georgia or Davis of Missouri.
The questions which affect the industry and
business of the country most closely will be
passed upon by the Committees on Ways and
Means, Banking and Coinage. The Ways and
Means has chairman from Illinois, but five Of
his associates are from the South, and seven of
the thirteen are Free Traders. The Banking and
Currency Committee goes to Mr.. Buckner of
Missouri, whose hostility to the National bank
ing system has been proved by votes and
speeches without number. Finally, the ques-
ton Of Coinage goes to Mr.. Bland of Missouri,
author of the intolerable silver bill which pro-
vided, not for limited silver coinage-that we
have found bad enough--but for unlimited
coinage of silver. From such committees. what
hope is there of wise and honorable legislation
Including all the committees standing and
select, important and unimportant, there are
twenty-eight chairmen from twelve Southern
States, and twenty-five from nine Northern
States, but nineteen of the Northern chair
manships are of standing committees that have
no power, or of select committees. Of the
hfty-three men who stand second on COM
mittees, thirty-five are from the South. Thus
the whole number of persons who have first or
second places is sixty three from the South and
forty three from the North. 1t is said, no