The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-01-13

W .1,aV
HON. Z. q. NILS, DIHoCRATIc LIADII
m THI HOUSE OF 1IPRIs1NfA.
TIv13.
The democratic party In the Nation
al House of Representatives comes un
der new leadership by the appoint
ment Of Roger q. Mills, of Texas, a
chairman Of the ways and means com
mittee. This responsible position Il
always accorded the leader Of the ma
jority party and. would unquestionably
have been retained by Morrison, Of iii
nois, had he been reelected to the Fiji
tieth Congress. His defeat, while II
did not retire him from public life
placed upon Speaker Carlisle the del
icate duty Of appointing successor al
q critical time. The President and tn,
party press were demanding a tariff
revision. and the attitude of the lead.
ers of both political organisations indi.
Gated In unmistakable ways that tn.
next Presidential contest would have
for Its leading and perhaps decisive in.
sue the tariff. Upon the Judgment
alertness, and farsightedness Of the
chairman Of the House Ways ant
Means Committee depended half tn,
battle.
It was this situation that confronted
the Speaker at the opening of the ses
sion. Cox had previously held thu
position, but there was a recent hiatu,
in his career, and he preferred to serv,
his country and party in a less con
spicious position. Mills was in tn,
line Of succession, having been vice.
chairman of the committee during the
two previous Congresses. He was a,
ardent, energetic and persistent a
Morrison. He had been fourteen year
In Congress and had been an activ,
participant in the tariff fights of paa1
sessions. It was not unnatural that
Mills, under the circumstances, wal
accorded the leadership Of his party In
the House, and his colleagues on the
democratic side promptly gave him the
usual precedence when 1t was known
though not then officially announced
that the Speaker would recognize him
as such.
The conspicuous characteristic Of
Mills is his determination. Every. line
Of his face shows it, and the set of his
jaw and his shaggy eyebrows make il
more emphatic. He has always been
regarded as q more advanced tariff re.
former than Morrison in the sense tina,
he would support heavier reduction
Of duty than the latter advocated.
Clothed as he now ia with the respon'
sibility Of preparing tariff bill which
he himself must steer through the
conflicting opinions he appears less
aggressive and more willing to make
reasonable concessions to those who
differ from his own views. As speak.
or he does not possess more than ordin.
ary ability, but this Is not any particu'
lar draw back, a. no doubt there was
never any member of Congress whose
views on the tariff were ever altered
by q speech on the floor.
IT is expected that Cox will share to
some extent the honors of floor leader.
ship with Mills. The ex-minister to
Turkey has the quick perceptive facul.
t. and ready tongue with which to
grapple with the schemes and traps OF
the opposition. 1t is always the policy
of the minority to harass and annoy
the majority, and ttele is no man on
the democratic side of the House who
can turn an adversary's point to biz
own advantage as readily as Cox. II
Mills can elaborate and complete tar.
liz bill that will be acceptable to the
House, the Senate and President, he
can afford to surrender some of the dis.
tinction of floor leadership to 90 clever
. colleague as Cox.
Representative Mills is q resident oil
Corslcana, Texae. He is not a man Of
means, having only had his salary fol-
an income during his fourteen years OF
Congressional life, and it is well known
that the demands made upon Congress
men rarely leave them anything to
hoard out of their pay. He is appar.
emily about fifty-seven years old,
though he will not make public the
date of his birth, even refusing to fur.
nish it for that valuable document
known as the Congressional Directory.
VIcK's FLORAL GUIDE.
A silver line to every cloud! With
the short dull days of early winter
come the CHEEKY holidays and Vick's
beautiful annual, and 10! spring
already appears not far distant. We
can almost see the greening grass and
the blooming flowers. In the way OF
Catalogue, Vick's Floral Guide is
unequaled in artistic appearance, and