Savannah morning news., 1885-12-23
: peaker CarIisIe,s pimcuIties.


! q In The formation of the committees Of
the HDaseSpeaker II Carlisle has very del
/ 4ca,eAasd dsfiicult task to perform, 1t Is
delicate because it is necessary to 80 form
the committees as to secure party har-
mony, and promptness and economy in
/ legislative matters II is ificult because
oiths eisiris of members for prominent
committee places. OF course tine Speaker
cannot extect to satisfy everybody, how
ever anxious he may be 10 do what he be-
lieves to be right, and however we'll quail
lied he may be tor the performance OF his
duties. The most he can hope for is the
approval OF so large a majority OF the
members OF his own party as to practi-
cally silence the complaints Of those who
fail 80 get what they want.
. The action of the House in amending
stherules so az todistribute the approprla-
ftion bills among a half-dozen or more
committees increases the power of the
Speaker. He can now put more OF his
immediate friends in important and in
1uential positions on committees, and in
that way, to a much greater extent than
when all the appropriation bills were
handled by one committee, control legis-
lation.
The good OF the party requires that the
appropriations shall not be extravagant,
and that appropriation bills shall he re-
ported to the House and acted upon in
time to give both the Senate and the
President an opportunity to consider
them carefully. There are doubtless
plenty OF anxious applicants for the
chairmanships of the committees which
will have charge OF appropriation bills.
To select the right men will require the
exercise of excellent judgment and the
ability to place duty above personal
friendships.
1t is probable that more trouble will be
experienced in forming the Committee on
Coinage than any other. Both parties are
divided on the silver question, and a very
large part Of the Democratic party is not
in sympathy with the administration on
that question. The Committee on Coin
age will have great influence in shaping
legislation with regard TO it. To appoint
a committee favorable to the continued
coinage Of silver would be to make a d.
rect issue with the administration, while
to make up the committee so as to secure
a report in favor of suspending silver
coinage would be certain to make the
Speaker enemies where he is anxious to
make friends. The difficulties with which
the Speaker is confronted can hardly fail
to be appreciated even by those who have
little acquaintance with such matters.
1t could not be regarded as otherwise
than unfortunate if an important COM
mittee should make a report which indi-
Gated that the President and his advisers
were not in harmony with their party on
one Of the most important questions
before the country, and yet that condition
of affairs Will exist il the silver men are
given control of the Committee on Coin
age.
Mr.. Carlisle won a great reputation as
Speaker OF the Forty-eight Congress for
fairness, and for ability to overcome difTi-
cultes. If he succeeds in maintaining
his well earned reputation under more
trying circumstances in the present Con-
gress there is no position in the govern
ment to which be may not aspire with a
very reasonable prospect of success.