The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-12-23

AFTER debating the question for
couple of days, the House on Fri
day last decided by two-thirds vote
to adopt the amendment to its rules
proposed by Mr.. Morrison. BY this
amendment the Appropriation bills,
which have heretofore been referred
to one Committee-the" COMMITTEE
on Appropriations"-of which Mr..
Randall Of this State has for years
been Chairman, are now to be dis
tributed among the various commit
tees, thus shearing TIE Committee
on Appropriations" of most of its
power, and reducing its importance
to very ordinary proportions. There
was scarcely an attempt made to
disguise the fact that the principal
object of this change was to depose
Mr.. Randall from his important po-
sition, humiliate him personally,
and deprive him of his strength. He
had stood in with the Republicans
at the last session to defeat Morri-
sons horizontal bill for the reduc-
ton of the tariff, he is clean-handed
and is opposed to jobbing, he had
antagonized the objects OF the whisky
ring, he had labored for economy
and fearlessly opposed extravagant
appropriations, and he is looming
up daily as a formidable candidate
for the Democratic Presidential nom
ination, SO it was determined by the
Carlisle Morrison wing of the party
that he must be crushed. Accord
ingly the Free traders, the whisky
ring, the seekers after big appropri-
ations, the jobbers whose bills he
had been instrumental in defeating,
the aspirants for power and honors
to be gained by casting lots for his
garments, and the little fellows con-
trolled by petty spites and jealous
les, were all rallied and united
against him and by their combined
power have given him a crushing
defeat.
The HERALD is not an admirer of
Mr.. Randall's. We have contempt
for his straddling tariff policy; ma
ny of his friends in the State are not
of the cleanest he has dickered in
the patronage OF the Administration,
and he has, through the office which
he holds by Republican sufferance,
caused the removal of capable and
non partisan officials, but his hu-
initiation from mere motives of spite
was not desirable, and portends no
good to the country. The Republi-
cans who by their votes assisted in
the overthrow of Mr.. Randall, may
consider it good politics to help his
enemies in his own party to deprive
him of power and influence, but
whether it is good craftsmanship
to assist in killing the Watchdog,
and thus give thieves access to the
Treasury, is another question. The
dividing up of the power and re-
sponsibility of preparing and report
ing appropriation bills among a
number of committees, instead of
confining il to one, where the gross
total will constantly confront its
members. will unauestionably lead
to extravaganza and increased APP
preparations, and the country may
speedily have cause to regret a po-
litical victory gained over MIR. Ran
!. dali, at the expense of Treasury
deprived of the surplus accumulated
by the Republicans when in power.
This fight against Randall has caus-
ed a breach in the Democratic ranks
that portends trouble to the Nation
al Administration, and will not be
easily healed. He is able and has
y pluck, and will deal his enemies
many a sturdy blow before this Con-
gress comes to an end. The war of
the Democratic factions will event
uste in good for the Republican
cause, but in view of the extrava-
gance and waste that is sure to fol-
low this change of the rules, it is to
be feared that the country viii pay
too dear for the whistle. Be that as
! it may, Randall is the under dog in
the fight at present
Guild With Two Heads.