Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-03-27
HOUSE COMMITTEES.
Figuring on Changes in the DingIey
BIN Cannon's Shot at Sayers.
tFrom our regular corresponds


WASHINGTON, March 72.-Speaker
Reed has not authorized the state
ment that he will not appoint the
other House Committees until the
meeting Of the regular session of Con-
gress, next December To all in
quiries on the subject the Speaker has
replied in substance that he has not
decided the matter definitely The
impression LETT upon the mind of those
who have talked with him on the sub
jecr is that Mr. Reed will be governed
by circumstances. There is reason to
believe that the committee assign
ments have practically been completed
and could be announced at short notice.
A gentleman whose position is as good
as anybody's for getting advance
knowledge of Mr.. Reeds intentions,
said when asked about the committees:
81 don't know, but my guess is that
the committees will be announced at
the present session, but not until the
joint resolution naming the day Of
adjournment has been adopted and
signed by the President. !"
1t hay1ng been made very plain by
the business-like beginning Of the de-
bate on the Dingley tariff bill in the
House that the Republicans intend to
put that measure through just as it
is on the afternoon of March 3Ist, in
accordance with the rule which has
been adopted, the men who are trying
to get the bill amended in all sorts of
ways have transferred their attention
to the members of the Senate Finance
Committee, which has already taken
the bill up for consideration. These
men are now predicting that the bill
will be amended out of all resemblance
to itself in the Senate, but Republicans
are 10th to believe that the Republi-
cans on the Finance Committee-Sen-
ators Morrill,, Allison, Aldrich, Platt
and Wolcott-willsa sanction any amend
ments calculated to make the bill any
less protective to American interests.
Senator Jones, of Nevada, holds the
balance of power between Republicans
and Democrats in the Committee, and
he has only recently said that he be-
lieved il protection as much as he ever
did. Injurious amendments may be
added on the floor of the Senate, but
Republicans do not expect such from
the finance committee.
Representative Cannon, of Illinois,
has habit of getting off retorts in
such droll and dry manner that he
seldom tails to make his victim join
in the laughter which usually follows.
Speaking of the Indian Appropriations
bill, one of those that failed at the last
session, Representative Sayers, of
Texas, expressed the opinion that
President Mckinley would not sign
the bill if it were passed. Looking
straight at Mr.. Sayers. Mr.. Cannon
said very slowly and distinctly: II
have great confidence in my friend,
but / would never shoot him for a
prophet" Mr.. Sayers joined in the
shout of laughter. The house acted
promptly upon the advice of Mr.. Can
non, who was Chairman of the Com
mittee on Appropriations in the last
House and who will occupy the same
position in the present House, and
passed the appropriation bills that
failed at the last Congress, just as
they had been passed before, with the
exception of one paragraph in the In
dian bill There was no occasion to
do over again what had been well-done
at first.
Senator Allen, of Nebraska, under
took to give the Republicans and
Democrats of the Senate asco1ding be-
cause the vacancies in the Senate COM
mittees had not been filled, but he had
no reply to make when Senator Chan
dler said: Doesn't the Senator know
that neither party has majority here,
unless it gets the cooperation of the
Populists. Now would suggest that
if the Senator will only cast his vote
with us, we will have the necessary
working majority"
The speech of Senator Davis, of
Minnesota, now Chairman ofthe Com
mittee on Foreign Relations, in favor
of the Arbitration Treaty, has made
new friends for the treaty. Mr. Davis
stated in his speech, which was made
in executive session, that he had OPP
posed the treaty as it was sent to the
Senate, but that the amendments, now
added, had removed the Objectionable