Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-12-05
Waterman, What Of the Hour +?


In the ~speakership contest, it was
not the unexpected that happened.
Gear Reed, than whom no better
parlimentarian ever sat in the Speak
er's chair of the lower House at
Washington, was elected to direct
the destinies of the present Congress
without a dissenting voice from the
Republican side of the house. 1t IS
but seldom such an honor falls to the
lot Of any man, there being only two
instances in the history of the nation
prior to the present. The result of
the House organization is interesting
In that it shows a combination in be-
half of Mr.. Reed for the Republican
presidential nomination next year.
The election OF Mr.. GrosvenoT. of
Ohio, as chairman of the Republican
caucus was thought to be a triumph
for Mckinley, but the subsequent
action, cutting off entirely the west
ard south from any Of its substantial
emolunents. develops a situation
that would seem TO point to the fact
that the eastern politicians have de-
termined that presidential timber
shall not come from any Of the states
west Of the Mississippi. The warn
ing to the west ONE opportane'y.
1t gives them a knowledge of the
situation that, if improved, will serve
to open the eyes Of cur eastern breth-
ern to the further fact that the day
of machine politics . past,
There is no denying the fact, how
ever, that the chances of Mckinley
and Allison are, to a large extent,
ieopardized by the result Of the
House organization, and if the west
and south expect to succeed i'll the
next national convention, it can only
be done BY united action. Divided
counsels and roars aud kicks can only
land them farther away from the
coveted goal. Allison's friends pro,
fess to be happy in the thought that
he is the second choice Of the friends
Of all the leading candidates in the
race, while the friends Of both ALI
son and Mckinley place great re-
liance on their personal popularity /:
but personal popularity, unfortunate
Iy, has but little to do with the choice
of a president, when we remember
that Webster, Clay, and Sherman in
our early history and Blaine in our
later days possessed this qualification
in greater degree than the two favor
eel sons Of the west mentioned above
and yet signally failed when the test
of convention work came.
To our mind. the present condition
would seem to indicate that the
struggle for political supremacy will
bring a sharply-defned battle be-
tween the east as against the west
and south, and with harmony and
union on the part of the latter, will
surely result in the transfer Of the
political power of the nation to them.
To place either Allison or MeKin
Lev at the head of the presidential
ticket next year requires a careful,
silent, pains-taking, united effort,
and one that must be fostered and
sustained every minute of the time
till the final result is announced.
The organization, therefore, of the
present House means more to the
great west and south, to their great
and progressive interests. than ever
before in our history and demands Of
rs y best ability and effort, eur
uniagging work to defeat the mani
fest design Of the combination that
ruled this ceucos as o preliminary
step to the p%eePle's .sr4a. caucus ss
next year.