New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-17
RHNNLNG FOR SPEAKER.

RUNNING FOR SPEAKER.
| The new Congress Is evidently going to be
remarkable assemblage of statesmen, IL we may
| Judge by tho estimate which its Democratic
members put upon their own abilities. Nearly
every man of them considers himself competent
| to ill the position of Speaker and is already In
the field as a candidate. We say nearly all, but
| this may be an unnecessarily cautious state
ment, for we have yet to learn of a member
elect who declines to have his name used.
| About half of tho 191 are in the field now,
| nearly year before the new Congress is likely
| to meet. This is in accordance with Demo-
| cratic custom. The minute an Office appears in
view, no matter whether ii be one month, OF one
year, or five years ahead, the whole party starts
on the jump for 1t at once. Some die and others
fall out from exhaustion before the Office Is
reached and it not infrequently happens that
before the time arrives for the vacancy to occur
a swing In the political pendulum sends the con-
troll over to the Republicans, and not one OF the
runners gets in at all. There is no danger Of
such result "a this III the Speakership contest.
A Democrat IL bound to have that when the
time comes, and judging from present appear
ances he viii have lively scramble before he
gets II.
The New-York Democrats are making Wig
OrOus effort to capture the prize for their DELE
CATION. They have three candidates in full
chase for it already-Mr. Cox, Mr. Dorsheimer
and General Slocum. Mr.. Cox starts OIL nimbly,
as usual He has run for the Office with great
speed and enthusiasm every time there has
been Democratic majority for the past ten
years. He is always sanguine of success and
l., dol IF
strength which lie exhibits whenever doubts are
expressed about his following. He runs beau
tifully until the voting begins; after that point
is reached he usually. disappears from the
contest. He is repeating this interesting
performance now. He has been flying along
like the wind for several months. When asked
il he doesn't think he is wasting good deal of
energy with slight promise of success, he
replies that with the solid support of the New
York delegation he Is sure TO win, and he has
strong hopes of getting that support Further
more he has o voluntary promise OF three
California votes, and has received letters
from Ohio and Michigan urging him to run.
Besides this formidable array of support, he
counts on his record as revenue tariff
reformer to make him votes in the South and
West. If Dorsheimer or Slocum can get more
New York support than he can he will cheer
fully stop running and favor him. AS for RAN
dali. Mr.. Cox does not believe he can command
"A single New York vote 1t will be seen from
his own utterances that Mr.. Cox is running
about as usual. lie will undoubtedly be nomi-
mated il he can get the necessary votes.
As for Mr. Dorsheimer, we do not see why he
should be- u formidable opponent to anybody.
lie has never been in Congress, and that fact
alone is likely to be an insurmountable obsta-
Gle to his selection. A Democratic House is a
good deal of circus under the best of disci-
pine but Democratic House presided over by
a green member would be pandemOnium with
all the modern improvements. Still Mr.. Dor
sheimer is running with all the speed he can
muster. He has been to Washington in order
that the members may see his handsome
face, and what the admiring couespOn-
dents call his large and imposing figure"
and he has been tn the trouble to have
neat and stirring biography of himself prepared
tor the same correspondents to lay before their
readers. He has constructed q ready made
boom which he Ia likely to find considerable
difficulty in keeping in poton. His prospects,,
to the eye of tho outside observer, appear to be-
if General Slocum has any they are invisible
mt present. II is our opinion that Mr. Cox has
the best chance of all the New-York candidates,
but this must not be construed IA advice to bet
on Nj. Cor's success.
Concerning the candidates from other States
there is little new 10 be recorded save that the
grand total is swelling at the rate OF two OF
three a day. Mr.. Randall is pulling wires with
his customary shrewdness and lack of noise,
and his friends claim that his abilities rs a ma
nipulator and tariff straddlor will bring him
success. Mr.. llurd is said to be making pro-
gress as the only avowed Free Trade candidate,
but his chances are injured by the appearance
of his colleague, Mr. Converse, rs a second Ohio
candidate, who may divide tho support of the
Ohio delegation Blackburn looms rs the princi- |
pal Southern candidate, while dancing around
on the outskirts of the field Is the agile and
niwoys interesting Springer.