Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-11-12
TUESDAY. NOVEMBER 70, 1889
The Next Speaker.

Three weeks from yesterday the Congress
of the United States will begin its fifty
first annual session. The first business in
order in the House Of Representatives Of
Ter swearing the members viii be the cleo
ton Of a Speaker to preside over its de-
alterations. On the Saturday before the
Monday on which the Congress VIII assem-
bic the two parties viii hold csucusses and
select their candidates for that Office.
The Democratic candidate will receive
an unfruitful nomination. inasmuch as his
party ia in the minority. The Republican
nomination will be considered equivalent
TO an election, seeing that the Republicans
have majority of three in the House
without counting the members from the
four new States (Teritories they are),
and majority Of eight with those
members. Al this upon the assumption
that the Democrats viii answer to their
names when tho Republicans undertake
70 elect a speaker, and not hlibuster
against the election Of tho Republican
nominee. We take il that one OF the ef-
fects Of the recent Democratic victories
will be 70 induce the Democratic members
10 allow the Republicansto elect o Speaker
rs soon as the House assemblies and its
members are sworn in. Otherwise, 1t
would be long time before the Republ-
cans could command quorum Of Repub-
lcan members. The total strength Of the
Republican party in the House Is 1G9
There being $50 members, il takes 166
votes 20 make upa Quorum-a number OF
members it would be next TO impossible
for the Republicans 10 get together. There
must almost necessarily be at least four
members absent out Of 169. In the last
House OF Representatives the Demo
Gratis had q majority of nearly twenty,
but were able TO muster q majority Of their
own members on only one occasion. Our
readers no doubt remember how, success
fully the Republican minority several times
fihbusieroG during the last session. The
Democrats VIII have the opportunity to
llbuster in the next House unless they al-
low the Republicans to organize without
plcdcing themselves to adopt the rules Of
the last House. If they by their inaction or
indsposition TO fight fora good cause allow
the Republicans to adopt a new set of rules
they Will deserve to be cXecrated by the
people Of the whole Union, especially by
those OF the southern States. The first
thing to be done by the Democrats is to
hearken TO the voice Of the voters as it was
heard all over the land last week and COM
pei the Republicans to permit the Demo-
Gratis in the next House to have the same
rights and privileges which the Republi-
cans enjoyed in the last House.
The leading Republican candidates for
the Office Of Speaker are Thomas b. REED,
of Maine, who, according TO the Cincinnati
Commercial C-efie, claims SO votes on the
first ballot in caucus; WILLIAM MCKINLEY,
Of Ohio, who claims "a JOSEPH G. CANNON,
of Illinois, who claims 81; Mr.. JULIUs
CESAR burrows, of Michigan, who claims
IS; and DAVID j. HENDERSON, of Iowa, who
claims II. All these men except BURRows
(and we are not sure that we ought to ex-
cept HIM are capable Of filing the Office
with credit to themselves and 10 the salts
faction of both parties. BIT would they
do so? We should be afraid TO trust any
one of them to enforce the rules and re-
spect the customs of the House. One Re
publican Speaker ruled few years ago that
ne uhu lllt flEDl w utNl0D ny DbAoO III
spection whether there was a quorum
present or not. The Democrats ought
never to consent to the organization of the
House. if they can by flibusterns prevent
ii, until the Republicans pledge themselves
against any such high-handed ruling as
that.
Mr.. REED is bitter partisan. The article
which he recently wrote for The Forum
fixes his status. Mr.. MCKINLEY is so
thorough gentleman that we would
rather see him elected than any one of the
Others. though Mr.. CANNON also is a man
entitled TO high respect. Mr.. BURROWS no
Virginia Democrat would now trust (but
we have seen it stated that Mr. BowDEN, of
Virginia, would support him for Speaker.
Mr.. HENDERSON we class with BURROWS
Why cannot the Democrats of the House
of Representatives cast their votes for
Republican willing to adhere to the old
rules2 For the good reason that there are
not known 70 be any Republicans who
will refuse TO be bound 10y the Republican
caucus. II was at one time hoped that n
few southern Republicans would refuse to
20 into caucus; but we think that tho
election of five Republicans from the four
bogus new States has caused the Demo-
Gratis to be hopeless of accomplishing
anything by combining with the dissatis-
fed Republicans. They would need to
secure four Republican boilers. 1t is not
probable. therefore, that the Democrats
will attempt TO elects Republican Speaker.
But they should filibuster for six months
rather than let the Republicans adopt
rules which will enable the latter to unseat
as many Democrats az they might deem it
necessary to unseat in order to insure
Republican majority to be present all the
timo and thus make it possible 10 pass
naturalization law. Next to the rule of
MALONE. such law would be the greatest
wrong that could be perpetrated upon yir-
GINA. Indeed, the whole South would be
ruined by it,
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