New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-11
THE COMING SPEAKER.

The solicitude of The Herald for MI. Samuel
j. Randall is quite touching to behold. Our
contemporary, if we rightly understand the
drift of its occasional ESSAYS on economic ques-
tons, is for the moment quite an earnest ad-
yocate of free trade; or If not of absolute
free trade, of what is called "revenue re-
FORM which is the Same thing practically I'M
der different name. 1t has been preaching to
the Democrats for many months with great
diligence the importance of organizing the next
House by the election of a pronounced free
trader or revenue reformer for Speaker, the
appointment of Ways and Means Committee OF
the same stripe, and then thorough overhauling
of the tariff bill passed by the last Congress. II
has not seemed to be particular who the
Speaker should be-Carlisle, Cox, Hewitt,
Blackburn, Dorsheimer or Springer, su long as
he is sound on the tariff queston-but IL has
been very strenuous upon the point that the
party must not stutify itself and turn tail On
its principles and traditions by electing Ran
dali, who deserted his party on this question In
the last Congress, voting with the Republicans
for the tariff bill that was passed. Not even
The Louisville Courier-J0urnal has been more
positive or more persistent on this subject than
The Herald Whoever else is elected, it mast
not be Randall. Whatever else the next Con-
gress does or leaves undone, it must not fail to
take I'D the tariff question at the very outset,
and meet it fairly.
Several months ago when Mr.. Samuel Cox
who, by the way, continues to be The TRIB-
INES canddate-was announcing that he was
already as good az elected, and Mr.. Carlisle's
friends were saying that he also had sure
thing, and Mr.. Blackburn was equally conf
dent that he held the winning hand, and Mr.
Springer was prancng round on the edge OF
affairs, and Mr.. Eaton was undergoing groom
ing as a "dark horse" and nobody seemed to
know anything about Mr.. Randalrs chances,
THE TRIBUNE took occasion to remark that
while all this fuss and futter were disturbing
the surface, Mr.. Samuel j. Randall was SWIM
ming deep, and that Notwithstanding the conf
dence of all these other candidates he would
| calmly come to the top In December and oc-
| cupy the Speakers chair. The Herald, II 1t did
not take precisely the same view, was saga
| cious enough to see that there was growing
| tendency toward Randall-already the strong
| est candidate in the list-and that unless
| something desperate were done he would be
elected. Within the past fortnight, or since the
| Ohio Democratic State Convention, Mr.. Ran
dall's chances have greatly improved. The
action of that convention struck the Tree
| traders In the face. When the Ohio Dem
ocrats lodged the issue they took the life out OF
| the fIee-trade opposition to Randall. Free
trade newspapers like The COu,icr-JOurnal
| that had been most clamorOus over their hobby,
| had to drop the subject so soon as they accepted
| the Ohio platform, and that made an end of
the howl against Randall as protectionist.
| he nf ba frpp -tT a closed
| the action of the Ohio Convention.
| The Herald, however, keeps up the fight and
insists that Randall cannot be nominated, OF
| if nominated cannot be elected. In pursuit of
| that end and to excite Democratic opposition to
| him, it suggests that the only way by which
| he can secure success is by coalition of Dem
ocratic and Republican votes. Not being able
to control the nnety-seven votes in the Dem
| ocratic caucus necessary for his nomination,
| the question, it says, is whether he could carry
enough votes out of the caucus to give him
with the Republicans majority, and this 1t
| thinks very doubtful. If, on the other hand,
| he should contrive to get the ninety-seyen
| votes and secure the nomination, The Herald is
| confident that there are more than thirty DEM
ocrats In the House who were elected to reform
| the tariff who will not vote for him under any
| circumstances. He would then have TO depend
upon the votes of Republicans, of whom =" he is
| openly the favortc," for his success. Its con-
clusion is that he can only be elected by coal
| ition of protectionist Democrats and Republic
cans, and in that view of the matter it solemnly
| informs him that he has evidently come to
| serious turn In his career" and calls upon him
| to consider it seriously. q 1t is rumored," The
| Herald says, shat he has recently advised
awth his friends, and in well-informed DEM
aocratic circles the report goes that he may con-
@clude to refuse to be candidate for Speaker,
abut may accept the place of chairman of the
Appropriations Committee-a post for which
he is eminently fitted. and where his peculiar
tariff policy would not embarrass him." All
of which Is very neat and pretty, and might
catch younger gudgeon. But Mr.. Randall
was not born yesterday.
The Herad certainly does not lack enterprise,
and it surprises us to learn that it has not yet
found out that the Ohio Convention 3knocked
out the free-trade issue. The party stands
now with its finger on its lip saying S-h-h-hp
1 Mr. Randall will be Sneaker by Democratic