Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-01-11
.LITTLE SOLID SOUTH. .
Eighteen Southern Republicans in the
House OF Repres entatiVes Com
Bined TO Control the As-
ton OF Congress-
AS Wen as to Dictate its Organization
So Far Their Demands seem co be
Modest Compared With rs
minated Power

WAsHNaroH. D. O, December 28.-
An extra ordinary phase of the solid south
presents itself. It cOnfrOnts the president
elect and the candidates for speaker with a
condition, or rather several conditions.
There will be eighteen southern republicans
in the next house, that is counting Missouri
and Maryland as southern, and they count
big in the present arrangement. These
eighteen members-elect are standing to-
gether. Their front stretches from Mary
land through the Yirginias, Tennessee and
Kentucky to Missouri. Not a weak spot ap-
pears IN the line. These southern repubi-
cans are as solid as their states were in No
vember. If the combination holds-and so
far il has shown wonderful vitality-it viii
WELD a great influence after the Attn Of
March. The first test OF its cohesiveness
came wheu Mahone's friends attempted 90
swing the whole southern republican inf1-
ence to his support for the cabinet. The
meeting called here was composed mostly
Of Mahone's friend, but the southern mem
bers elect controlled its action and pre-
vented Endorsement of anybody. This viii
be the policy Of the eighteen Lney VIII
call upon General Harrison at the proper
time with their united request for the re-
cOgnition of the south in the cabinet, but
they VIII not ask B0G appointment u IN y
particular person. In this way the solid
eighteen smooth rather than roughen the
way Of the president-elect to the selection
Of his southern cabinet officers.
But with the candidates for speaker the
eighteen are pursuing different tactics
They are insisting on an understanding
definite in uetail. Eighteen votes castsOl-
idly mean muCl IN such q speak6r5h1p con-
test as Is going on now. 1t may also be SAID
that these southern republicans can dictate
who will be speaker if they hold together.
The candidates know this and they are
dealing very considerably with ''Ihe Little
Solid South" as one of them has named the
combination. SO far as can be learned the
eighteen arr not asking too much They
want ono Of the four principal Offices IN the
organization of the house and they want
certain committee appointments. The OF
fee they ask is that of dOOrkeepeE. The
committee appointments they desire are
not go important in general estimation as
they are important to the section which the
eighteen represent. There seems no good
reason why the organization Of southern re-
Dubiicans should not hold together and If 1t
dOesit will get about all it is asking Tor.
The eighteen have good leadership. Nc
COmas of Maryland, Wade OF Missouri and
Houk of Tennessee are not only old mem
bers but shrewd managers. If they can
can make the new embers-eIect appreciate
the situation as they themselves see It,
then the eighteen will remain solid, not only
until after the house is organized but after
ward, and they will be able to secure more
legislation and more patronage than they
would if scattered. SectiOnalIsm IS not q
very good thing, but it IS necessary to some
extent for self-prOteCtIOn.