Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-21


Congress goes Of on its holiday recess to-day.
ambitious for cabinet honors viii put in their
leisure hours to the best advantage. A large
number Of the members viii go home, and they
may all get some light on the extra-session
question from their friends, who are supposed
to hold their fingers on the pulse of the people.
They expect to come back with better under
standing Of all these matters than they now
have. There viii probably be some pilgrim
ages to indianapolis during the recess.
THE DEMOCRATS OF THE HOUSE
win probably eat their Christmas turkey with
out any great questions arising to disturb their
digestion. Those Of the Senate may spend
some Of the time in preparing for the closing
debate on the tariff bill.
THE sPEAKERsHIp CANDIDATES
are hard at work on their canvass. Their cor
respondence with new members Of the next
House is active. But they are all finding great
difficulty in securing pledges of support. Each
republican delegation that has not one of its
members in the field is reluctant to be COM
mitted to any one until some judgment can be
had OF the final result. None of them is anx-
ious to throw away votes. After the holidays
If 1t is then apparent that there is likely to be
an extra session, there will be more open &C
tivity in the canvass, and the delegations will
divide up among the various candidates in a
way to give some indication OF their relative
strength. Reed being the
ONLY EASTERN CANDIDATE
in the field, his friends are giving all the en-
couragement they can to the canvass Of a num-
Der of western men. The more the west is
split up the better they feel their chances to be
OF electing the Maine candidate. With three
such good men as Messrs. Burrows Cannon,
and Mckinley in the field, apparently almost
equal in strength, the west is pretty well di-
ylded. DIR. Reeds friends do not want any of
them to retire, and each of them, it is said.
holds to the hope that if Mr.. Reed finds he can
not be elected he will get that force. Mr. Reed
is making very clever canvass that is by no
means without promise. During the HOLIDAYS
there will probably be an attempt at some un-
Outstanding between the western candidates to,
as far as possible, guard against the dangers in
their situation. There is
LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
which is interesting the various candi iates. At
the opening Of the Forty-seventh Congress the
republican majority was small, as it will be on
the opening of the Fifty-first. AT that time
twelve southern republican representatives
held together and actually controlled the or
ganization of the House. There will be sixteen
or more southern republicans in the next
House. They intend to unite so as to hold the
balance OF power in the caucus. They do not
propose to provoke any antagonisms. but thew
will probably select some man not among the
present prominent candidates to hold their
forces together, and at the proper
time will throw their votes where
they may accomplish the organization
They will not permit themselves to be divided
up among the candidates so as to be shorn of
all their power. Their course beyond this will
be determined by the way the contest goes on
between the four prominent candida4aS Tha
contest may grow SO hot that neither of them
can win. Then the southern men have their
eye on man who. they think, could win. But
throughout their course will be aimed to pre-
vent the growth of discord They do not ex-
pect to make southern man Speaker. but they
may have it in their power to decide who from
some other section may be chosen. and they
will probably claim one of the other officers of
the House and the right to proper recognition
In committee assignments