St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-26
THE SPEAKERSHiP.

In the administration of the public
affairs of this country there is no ques-
ton fraught with so much Importance,
practically. to the American people as
that of selecting a candidate for speaker
of the house of representatives by the
ruling party in congress. Even the
electiun of president of the United
States does not involve so much in its
consequences. 1t has become fixed
rule OF the house of representatives to
permit the committees of appropriations
and ways and means to report at any
time. Thus these two committees have
absolute control of the business of the
house, and shape and give direction to
ali the legislation of congress. Nothing
can be considered practically that is not
approved of by these committees, and
the individual chairmen of these re-
spectiye committees, on the floor OF
the house, have the whole power
of their committees, and hence,
practically the whole power of con-
gress. Who the chairmen OF these
respective committees shall be, is de-
termined by the speaker of the house
of representatives. 1t is for rea-
sons above indicated that the whole
policy of the government, since the war,
has been controlled absolutely by the
interests of the single state of Pennsyl-
vania and those states along the sea-
board having like or kindred interests.
The result of this policy has been to
accumulate and pile up all the wealth
of the country, practically speaking, in
a few of the Eastern states. and to
cover the West, Northwest and South
with mortgage and judgment liens and
Understanding securities of every de-
scriptiOn. TO prove this policy unSOund,
II would seem only necessary to call
the attention of the people to the fact
that wealth in the hands of the few, or not
fairly distributed, is but little different
from public poverty, and that money
or a circulating medium that does not
circulate is but little different, so far as
the public is concerned, from no money
and no circulating medium
Now, it is known to all people ordi-
narily well informed that the speaker
of the house is elected as the result of
nomination made in a caucus of the
members of the ruling party in the
house; and when in the newspapers and
periodicals of the day it is stated that
this man and that man is a candidate
and has following, it seems TO elicit
little consideration from the outside
world beyond the fact that such per
son is a candidate for high honOrS
with or without a prospect of success;
but inside, among the politicians and
public men, it signifies more, and that
this policy or that policy shall prevail.
At the present time it signifies nothing
more nor less than that the laws relat-
ing to the taxation of the people shall
remain oppressive as they are, or shall
be increased or made more oppressive.
or be diminished and the la6oring and
producing masses relieved of their bur
dens. With KELLEY, Of Pennsylvania,
MCKINLEY, of Ohio, or REED, of Maine,
for speaker, taxes on the necessaries of
life will either remain as they are or be
Increased. KELLEY and MCKINLEY. up
on questions of this class, are one and the
same, except that one is the Oldest high
pT0tectiOniSt in the country, and the
other the youngest and most radical
and most extreme. He it was vino
made the Republican platform in the
last campaign, in substance, provide
that all the internal revenue taxes
should be taken OFF from whisky. to-
bacco and articles of that class before
the price of sugar, clothing, salt or
lumber should be reduced to the con-
Sumers of the country.
Whether if CANNON of Illinois or
HENDERSON of Iowa, if elected speaker,
could avoid giving control Of the ways
and means committee to KELLY, Nc
KINLEY and men of their faith, is a Sc
rlous question. Our prediction is that
unless they pledge themselves to do
this they can neither of them be nOmi-
mated for that position. 1t is always
humiliating for US to admit that RAN
DALI of Pennsylvania forms one of this
triangle which has remained invIncible
against all the attacks of the masses
of the people for the relief of this
excessive and oppressive taxation since
the war; but so it is, and while his long
and conspicuous service and his emf
lEHb dDli4blCS SaillllS MN, to al dCI VI
courtesy from ms nominal opponents,
to the position of Craftsmanship of the
committee on appropriations, we are
satisfied that no greater evil can befall
the labOring classes and the first pro-
ducerS of this country than such an APP
pointment. The electors and people of
the West should watch with the keenest
eyes the votes of their members in the
caucus Tor the nomination of speaker
for the house of representatives, for on
this vote will hang all hopes of reduc-
on of the tariff upon sugar, wool, lum-
Der, salt, ard, consequently, all hope of
the reduction of the prices of those arti-
cles of universal necessity and use
which enter into the daily consumption
of the masses of the people, and espe-
cialIy of the poorer classes. 1t is vote