The Portland daily press., 1896-12-08

he may be invited to seat in the cabl-
net. Mr.. Cobb, Democrat, from Mis-
souri, has been defeated, and Mr. Crisp
has died. But these are few changes In
a large committee of seventeen mem Ders.
Thus the changes will be few If any
on the Republican side of the committee,
and they can 60 ahead with the CON-
struction of tariff bill. with the GER
tainty that. what they do this session will
not be thrown out by the fortunes OF
war in the next Congress.
OF course the object of all this haste
is to have the bill ready for tne extra
session which is regarded as inevitable
after the fourth of hext March.
Democrats Devoid of Leader.
This review of the mem bsrship of the
ways and means committee during the
next Congress calls to attention the very
dilapidated condition in which the
Democratic party is left in the House of
Representatives by its successive defeats
in 1894 and 1896. Death has taken away
ex-Speaker Crisp. Mr.. Turner, of
Georgia, by many considered the equal If
not the superior of Mr.. Crisp, is sound
money man, and although his constitu-
ents were ready to nominate him again
if he would run on free silver platform,
he declined to stultify himself, and will
remain at home. Patterson. of Teunes-
see, another Democratic leader of the
first GLASS, was defeated, or counted out
as he says because he il sound money
man. These men being gone, who knows
the mes of the Democratic leaders in
the National House of REPRESENTATIVES.? |?
Benton McMilliD, of Tennessee, stands
almost alone among them sc. far as
national reputation is CO ncerned.
Mr.. DiDgley's Visit to Canton.
MIR. Dingley has returned from Canton
without anyone being much wiser as to
the object of his visit. 1t is true that
all sorts of rumors have been put afluat !;
and the special dispatches from Caaton
have purported TO convey considerable
knowledge. But in reality Mr.. Dingley
kept his own counsel while there. After
he had left Mr.. Mckinley he was met by
two newspaper men. He greeted them
pleasantly; but said absolutely nothing
as to the.obJect and result of his visit.
Yet. neither of the soribes sent out less
than half column about the results of
his visit. This is sample of the in
formation which is paraded around in
these days about the public men and
their intentions.
Miscellaneous Matters.
Mark Hanna on Saturday looked over
the new Congressional Library building
with an eye to using it for the inaugural
ball. This is most beautiful and al
ready famous building, chiefly for its ar
tistic decorations. 1t will be to the
nation what the Boston Public Library
is to the city of Boston, a nome for
Literature with the companionship ofArt
An inaugural ball held in this building
could not fail, if there is anything In
environment, to be worthy of the oocas-
ion.
The Capitol has been cleaned and
FURNISHED as usual during the summer
vacation. The most notable improve.
ment il the installation of an electric
plant for the lighting of the building.
This change Is particularly noticeable in
the hall Of the House, where dim re-
ligious light has been afforded by gas
jets shining through the glass panels of
the ceiling of the hall. Electric lights
nave been put in the places of these gas
jets with the result that the lighting of
the hall is greatly improved. In the
Speakers room, also, the large gas
chandelier, which has illumined the desk
of the Speakers for the last twenty
years, has given place to a cluster OF in
can lescents high up at the apex of the
ceiling.
Those who 60 through the gallery of
the portraits in the House lobby notice
that the portrait lot ex-Speaker Crisp is
draped with Grape, he having died since
the adjournment Of tine last session.
Probably early in the session a day will
be set apart for eulogies in Mr. Crisp's
memory. EHis death leaves three living
ex-Speakers. Galusha A. Grow, OF Penn
sylvania, j. Warren Keifer, of Ohio, and
John G. Carlisle, of Kentucky. 10 these
might be added Mr.. Heed, who is ex-
Speaker of the 51st Congress, Speaker OF
the present Congress, and undoubtedly
Speaker-to-be of the Fifty Mr..
Grow, who was Speaker during the war,
is member of the present House, and
has been re.electsd to the 55th Congress.
His return to public life in his old age,
after SO long an interval, is one OF the
interesting events of our politics. OF
course his old prominence and influence
does not serve him much now, since
every man on returning after long
absence has to begin again at the foot Of
the ladder But he is vigorous and
40 tive. and to see him walking through
the lobby with the springing gait of
youth, one would hardly suppose him to
be nearing his 10Th year.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
How Both Branches of Congress Heard
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