Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-27
TarRtNo or REVOLT.

There is alleged TO be combination
among republican members OF congress
from the south to attempt to elect an
independent candidate for speaker.
The actuating influence is said TO be
dissatisfaction with the manner in
which the president has dispensed the
patronage in the south. The instigator
and leader Of this proposed revolt is
Congressman Brewer, OF North Caro-
lima, and he has publicly announced
that he Is candidate for tho speaker
ship. In this way this statement has only
just attained national notoriety. We
find Mr.. Brewer described as compara-
lively young man, native OF North
Carolina, who has been candidate OF
the republican party for various offices
since 1872. He is a. farmer and tobacco
manufacturer. After several efforts to
be elected to congress, in which he was
defeated by only small maiorities, he
finally had his ambition rewarded by
being elected to the last congress and
reelected to the next. 1t is not recorded
that the congressional career OF Mr..
Brewer has been particularly
notable or brilliant. He is cred
tied with having been attentive to
his duties, but he was not a conspicu-
Gus member of the last congress, and
neither his achievements nor the exhi
bition of any striking ability give him
any warrant for aspiring to the speak
ership.
There are seventeen republican rep
resentatives from south of the Potomac,
and If q majority of them were to COM
bine upon any project they could make
themselves troublesome and embarrass
the situation. The republican major
ity in the next house can not exceed
eight, and it may not be more than
seven. Therefore, any eight republican
members of that body who should con-
spire to attempt the carrying out OF
some scheme Of their own concocting
could make great deal of mischief.
There is extremely little probability,
however, of any such combine being
| made. Thus far Mr.. Brewer appears to
be playing alone. Congressman Houk,
OF Tennessee, was reported to favor the
scheme of the North Carolina represen-
tative, but he has repudlated the sug-
gestion, saying that he is republican
from principle. 1t is not to be doubted
| that most or all of the other re-
publican congressman from the south
will refuse to join the proposed
revolt against their party. They car
| not fail to see that such q proce eding
| would be disastrous to all hope of re-
claiming any portion of the south from
democratic domination, at least for
many years. If southern republicans
proclaim hostility to the administra-
| tion and conspire to embarrasS and
worry their party representatives. in
congress, simply tor the reason that the
spoils have not been distributed in
their section to their liking, obviously
| republican effort in the south might as
we'll cease. 1t could not be expected to
make any headway against such a state
of affairs.
1t is quite probable there is some is
satisfaction among southern republi-
cans with the manner in which the
president has dispensed the patronage
in tine south. This was to have been
expected, and very likely under no cir
cumstances could the president have
avoided creating some displeasure. He
has been unable to prevent this among
northern republicans, and the task o
trying to satisfy those OF the south was
far more difficult. But southern re
| publicans could make no more serou:
mistake than to subject themselves t.
the charge of being republican
only for the spoils, and as un
doubtedly only very small number o
them are so, a very general repudiatiol
of the scheme of Mr.. Brewer can very
safely be predicted. Meanwhile h,
will doubtless not lack all the encourage
ment from the opponents of the repub
lican party which they can find oppor
tunlty to give.