The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1886-01-17

Nal. Lydeckcr In his annual report speaks In the
highest terms OF the services rendered by capt.
Symons and has declared In the most emphatic way
that II he is to be relieved OF It's charge 1t should
nnqucstionably be given to this Office
-
THE JUG-HANDLE HOUSE COM
MITTEEs.
Eastern and Middle States Ignored-The South and
West In Control.
The Eastern Democrat who studies carefully the
personnel OF the House committees can come TO but
one conclusion--that, in the opinion OF those who
made the assignments, the New England and Middle
States are no longer considered as factors in the
Democratic party. OF the Hfty-two chairmanships
OF committees forty-nve are held by Southern and
Western members, giving New England and the
Middle States but seven. OF these forty-1ve the
South has thlrty-three, the West twelve or the
southern members appointed chairmen, eleven have
servcdbut term In Congress- and OF these four are
from Kentucky and Tennessee, so that there is no
reason for the excuse often heard that these posi-
lions nave been given on account OF previous Con-
gressional experience. or the twelve western
members made charmen, one-half, or six members.
have served but one term. or the chairmen from
the Eastern States, but two have served only one
terfn while there were others eligible for choice,
who had served longer period. The State OF New
the House, Of which seventeen members are Demo.
Gratis, has not single charmanshp OF the
first class, and must be content with Foregna
Affairs, Accounts, tof the House,) Expendi-
tures on Public Buildings, and Militia, while
Texas has Commerce. Ito say nothing of Pacific
Railroads and Indian Arilrs;) Kentucky has River
and Harbors, with Rules, Expenditures In the War
Department. and Land Claims;) Alabama has Naval
Affairs and Revision of the Laws; Florida Railways
and Canals; Missouri Coinage, Weights and Meas
ures, Mines and Mining, Agriculture, and Labor;
Virginia. Judiciary, Manufactures, and District of
Columbia, and Illinois, Ways and Means, besides
Claims and Enrolled Bills Massachusetts, with two
Democratic members who have served q. previous
term In the House, gets no chairmanship Maryland,
with five Democratic members, is treated the same
way, as is Delaware, with one member who Is now
serving his second term In Congress, as Is
New Jersey. with three Democratic members.
As to the Ways and Meaus Committee, the per.
sonnel OF which the whole country s so largely in
terested in the majority in Congress is represented
by eight MEMBERS OF which five are from the South,
two from the West, and but one from the Middle
and New England States on this committee Ken
lucky (besldes her four chairmanships) has men,
bcr who, according to the Congressional Directory,
has never had any Congressional experience, this
being his first term. As to the Appropriation Com
mlttee including Its chairman, whom public opinion
appointed. to speak, the Souh of the nine majority
members. has four members, the West three, and the
New England and Middle States two OF the Judiciary
Committee, the dominant majority consists OF six
Southern members, two Western, and one from the
East. On Rivers and Harbors the dominant mai jorty
consists Of seven Southern and two Western men,
bers, neither New England the Middle States, nor
the Pacific Coast having any Democratic representa-
tive upon it. 1t is a fresh-water committee, not a
single one of the nine Democrats coming from
saltwater district. Neither the Atlantic nor Pacific
Coast have representative on it, while Mr.. Jones,
Of Demopolis may be said to partially represent the
Gulf Coast, so far at least as Mobile harbor is con-
cerned. The Mississippi Valley has this committee,
1t also has the Committee on Levees and Improve
| ments OF the Mississippi River. The Committee on
Commerce has but one single Democratic represen-
tatiye from the Atlantic Coast, who Is also the only
| Democrat on this committee from the New England
and Middle States, viz: MIR. Pulitzer, of the New
| York World. OF the nine Democratic member
who will regulate commerce, six are from the Sonth,
two from the West and one from the Middle States.
| six Southern Democrats. one New York Democrat,
and one Illinois Democrat are to regulate our Foreign
Affairs. OF the nine Democrats whe are TO construe
the Constitution and the laws members of the Ju-
dietary Committee, the South has six, the West two,
and the balance of the country one And ofthe eight
Democrats who are to revise the laws as members of
the Committee on Revision OF the Laws, five are from
the South, two from the West and one from the
balance of the country.
As some compensation, perhaps, for Its absence OF
representation on the committees which levy taxes,
| appropriate most OF the money raised, regulate
commerce, construe and revise the laws, look after
| the river and harbors, ETC., the Northeastern and
Middle States have four Democratic members on the
Committee on Invalid Pensions, the Northwestern
Democrats an equal number, and the South but one
and he from Kentucky. OF equal magnitude to the
| business interests Of the country is the Committee
on Civil Service Reform, and this committee the
| New England and Eastern States have four Deme
crals and the Southern States four. These two are
| the only committees on which the New England ant
| Middle States are not completely swamped. And
they amount to nothing in the practical business o
| the country.
| OF the thirty Eight New England and Middle State
members, twenty-five had served one more
previous terms in Congress. OF these, Mr.. Randall
who had served eleven consecutive terms got
committee; MIR. Muller, an insignificant one
Milita,) after three terms of service; Sprggs, the
committee which audits the accounts of the House
having served one term; Beach, with two terms, go
the insignificant committee which is supposed tt
look after the Expenditures for Public Buildings, bu
which seems but nfth wheel TO coach, since ther
is another committee, uhe Committee on Publ,
Buildings and Grounds;) Mr.. Belmont, the Com
miec on Foreign Affairs, after two terms of service
| Mitchell, OF Connecticut, the Committee on Patents
after one term of service, and last but not least
Affairs and assigned to Banking and Currency, witt
twoterIns of valuable service to his credit Maryland
| got nothing. Neither did Massachusetts, nor Della
ware, nor New jersey and this although each hat
members OF the present Congress who had seel
Congressional service heretofore.
OF the thirty-three Southern members appointed
chairmen OF committees, eleven had seen but on,
term service In Congress, and of these eleven ther
were four from Kentucky and Tennessee, (Which
two States had In all six chairmen and two mem
hers of the Ways and Means Committee0 one from
West Virginia, one from Missouri, with four chair
men to the credit OF that StateJ one from Missis
sppi, chat State having two charmen in all ).on
from North Carolina, with three chairmen to th
credit of that StateJ one from Arkansas, (whcl
State has two charmen, and one from South Caro-
lima, (Which State had also two chairmen in all.
From the Western States Blk members we're mad
chairmen who had served but one term, including
two of such length of service from Indiana, (whcl
State has three charmen and member Of the Ap
propriation Committee) one of similar length o
service from Ohio, (Which State has three chairme
and member OF the Appropriation Commit
tee) Kentucky and Tennessee, with twenty-on
Representatives in all, or seventeen Dem
ocratc Representatives, have six chairme
and two Democratic members OF Ways an
Means, while the New England and Middle States
with hundred and two Representatives. In all an
thiry-hve Democratic Representatives, have bu
seven chalrInen and one Democratic MEMBER OF IN
Ways and Means. OF these eight there are but tw
who have not seen longer service than one session
the aggregate terms OF service of the other ak ben
twenty-fonr terms! In other words, OF the thirty
three Southern members appointed chairnen, eleve
had seen but one term Of service, and Of the twev
Western chairman, six, or one-half, had seen bu
one term. or the Western chairmen, Mr.. Weaver
who never trained with the Democratic party, wit
claims to be a "National," and who contributed 81
largely to the defeat OF Hancock In 1880, s rewarde
with a chalrmanship.
The non-acceplance by Governor Curtin of tn
craftsmanship OF the Committee on Banking an
Currency devolves another important chairmanshi
upon Southern member, The South win now hav
thirty-four out of the nfty-two chairmanships. A
the committees are now constituted as to secon
places on those having Northern and Wester
charmanships, resignation all along the line wOul
add twelve more to the Southern list OF chairmen
giving that section OF the country, among othe
committees. Appropriations, Accounts, Enrolle
Bills, Expenditures on the Interior Department, Ex
pendtures on Public Buildings, Expenditures OF
the Treasury Department, Foreign Affairs. Militar
Affairs, Militia, Patents, Pensions, and Ways an