Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-12-26
CHOSE THE BEST MEN.
SENIORITY DISREGARDeO IN SPEAK
Err REEDS COMMITTEES.
New England We'll Remembered in Chair
manipulating Heads the Ways and
Means-H. II. Powers Chairman of
Pacific Enilways.

Washington, Dec 22-Spcaker Reed has
appointed his committees and the House
is organized. The selections will cause
surprise in many respects, but in none
other more than that the principle OF
seniority has been SO conspcuously dis
regarded. The keynote of the policy
in accordance with which the committees
have been framed, may. perhaps, best
be discovered in the committee on app
preparations ana ways and means. Speak
CT Reed has made Mr.. DingieN of Maine
chairman of the committee ON ways and
means, and Mr.. Cannon of Illinois, chair
man of the committee On appropriations
Neither of these gentlemen, if the pr!n-
cipe of seniority controlled, would nave
been made chairmcn of these commit
tees. Yet the choice of both Of them is
cmincntlY tit, ami will meet the UMPIRE
JUDGED approval of The House ana OF the
country Mr.. DinGlcY was not even a
member of the committee on ways ana
means III the last Congress- and couSc-
qucntly was not in the republican remnant
| Of the committee.
Mr.. Reed has departed from the pre-
Cedcnt that has been followed by probably
all of his predecessors. and has ConSuju-
ted his committees ON the principle of it-
| ness ana merit and without regard to the
| ancient usages of the House, or TO per
sonal, party or political preference. lie
/
| respect in that he has not only dctied the
| usages OF the House, and of the Congress
| but has disrcgardcd the strongest tics
! of personal comradeship and friendship
/ The selection OF Nlr Cannon Of Illinoi,
| as chairman. of the committee on appro
prations is one of the typical tests Of the
| method which has been adopted in tn,
/ organization OF the House. Mr. Cannon
! because Of the mere accident that he wa.
/ not elected to one Congress, by reason oil
/ a Cleveland tidal wave, although he mas
| been 20 years "A member of Congress
| was not the ranking republican member OF
| the remnant of the appropriations com
/ mittee. Gen. Henderson of Iowa was j.
| advance of him. Moreover, Gen. ll"nder
SON was a very close personal friend oI
| the speaker. and has never been brought
| into antagonism with him. Mr.. Cannon
| on the other hand, in consequence OF ht'
/ Independence, and tho courage with Whict
! he avows ana adhcrcs to his opinion Ia:
| ON different occasions when ne mas amer
| ed with the speaker, publicly sald So am
/ has not shrunk from the avowal of his
| opinion because Of The commanding posi-
uon Of Mr Reed.
The more important committees in Gui
are:
Rulcs-Thc speaker. =. y. Henderson OF
low q. John DaiZcn Of Pennsylvania, c. i
1 Crisp Of Georgia, f. alton McMu,aE o
/ Tcnucssa4
Ways and Mcans-Rcpubicaus H. demo
Gratis G; Nelson DinaIcy, jr, Of Maine
Serene T.. Payne Of New York, John Dal
I eel Of Pennsylvania, Albert J. Hopkins o
Illinois, =. H. Grcsyonor of Ohio Charlie
Russell Of Connecticut, ). p, Deliver @
Iowa, George steel Of indiana, NJ. \
johnson Of North Dakota, Waller Evan
I of kentucky, J. \. Townoy of Minnesota
Charles =. crisp of Georgia, Benton Nc
Of r.p O