St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-06
The Speaker Of the House the Central Fig
ure of All the Public Men at
Washington,
And the Prediction Ventured That he
Will Be Prominent Presidential
Candidate in 1888.
President Cleveland Throws Out a
Hint That the Legislative Branch
VIII Understand.
The Senate Discusses the Utah Bill
and the House Goes on Intro
ducing Measures.
Carlisle a Central Figure.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-Speal1er Carlisle
is one of the great figures in Washington.
He occupies to-day much higher position
than a speaker under ordinary circum-
stances. He is the head of very powerful
tariff reform movement. The strength of
that movement has developed with such
rapidity that it practically has made all Op-
position to him in the house powerless.
The test of hisfuture WILL however, come
this winter. He is the first speaker who
has had so much power given him unfet-
tered. He has the making of the commit
tees which are to carry out as far as posi-
bic the policy of the administration. He is
at present working in harmony with the
president, while he has at the same time
the fullest confidence and loyal support of
the Democrats who are opposed to the ad-
ministratiOn in almost every feature of its
outlined policy. Mr.. Carlisle occupies a
very trying position. He is in
favor of compromises. He hopes
TO eventually bring the administration
and the extreme members of his following
together The unusual importance at
tached to the formation of committees this
year has increased the work and added
greatly to its trying perpleXities. He is so
popular and so well supported now that a
house during the present term will certainly
make him very formidable candidate in
1888. There is only one possible objection
that can be made to him, and that is the
very
MARROW ONE OF HIS RESIDENCE.
He is south of Mason & Dixon's line, and
therefore classed as Southern man. He
lives in Covington, KY, just across the
river from Cincinnati. He does not belong
60 the type of men who can be claimed by
any one section. To meet him you would
hardly know whether he was from North,
East or West, He has less of sectional pre-
judce and less of local color in his makeup
than almost any man in public life. His
record is clean and his accomplishments
are such as should commend him TO the
most thoughtful and critical. Then. too,
there is a feeling in favor of promoting a
man to the highest Office in the national
gift who has earned such elevation by long
and upright public services. The simplicity
of Mr.. Carlisle's life, and his devotion 10 his
work. make him stand almost alone among
the public men of Washington. He is
rarely seen out in society, and although he
is one of the most approachable and kindly
of men, he yet is the most contented when
he is alone at his desk, with nothing be-
tween him and the work in front of him.
He has as much industry as the present
president and is equally unremitting in his
attention TO what he has in hand. If he
should succeed in having tariff bill passed
this winter through the house of kind and
character which should commend itself to
the business people of the country, and it
should be rejected by the senate, Mr.. Car
Isle would then be brought very prom
inently to the front as
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
There is no doubt but what William r.
Morrison regards himself as a presidential
possibility, and that he thinks he is the
leader to-day of the tariff reform element.
Mr.. Carlisle is the real leader. Mr.. Morri-
son owes the greater part of his strength to
his relations with Mr.. Carlisle. Mr.. MOrri-
son has never succeeded in making much
headway as a candidate for the speaker
ship. He has only been successful in the
politics of the house, when he has acted as
the first lieutenant of some other leader.
His first prominence in the house was given
him through his association with Michael
G. Kerr. Kerr was elected as leader of
the revenue reformers. Mr.. Morrison re-
ceived then the credit of succeeding in
Mr. KerT's election. He was made
chairman of the ways and means
committee and occupied the
position of Kerr's lieutenant, Yet when
Kerr died in the midst of his term his man
tie fell upon Mr.. Randall, who was the
avowed opponent then of the revenue re-
formers. If Mr.. Morrison had been the
strong and independent leader that his
friends then claimed him to be he naturally
would have succeeded Kerr. In the next
house the majority of the Democrats were
revenue reformers, but Mr.. Randall de-
feated Mr.. Morrison easily. So when the
Democrats obtained control after the retire
ment of Keifer Mr.. Morrison fell back
gracefully and naturally to his position of
first lieutenant. and championed Mr.. Car
lise instead of being himself candidate.
1t will need all of Mr.. Carlisle's support and
management to enable Mr.. Morrison to
carry any tariff measure through the house
this winter. This too, when there is
very decided majority in the house in favor
of tariff reform.