The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-07-11
HOUSE COMMIT TEES
VIII Be Appointed When The Tariff Bill
Is Out Of the Way.
PREcEDEN1s USUALLY OBSERVED
ForocHstinE Chairmansh, ps ana load.
ing Minority Mem q Conlparn,
lively Easy observation-disclosures
That Speaker Reed VIVA Prob.
ably Nuke.

written for the Sunday virglnian by
4 Amos j. Cummings-) :
i Washington. d. c., July 10, 1897.
4 The refusal Of the House of Represen-
4 natives to express the opinion that the
speaker oughtto appoint his committees
@s soon as possible has apparently set
Tied the aggitation on the subject. There
is no longer any doubt that the Speaker
VIII Withhold the appointments until
/ ahe tariff bill Is at last sent to the Pres
csSuent. The plea made by General Hen
SSqderson that the SPEAKER required time
TO become acquainted with the members
ana ascertain their adaptability for the
various committees is ingenious but
hardly ingenious. The action Of the
Speaker Is probably foreshadowed by his
action In the Fifty-tirst and Fifty-fourth
congresses. 1t is customary to select as
chairman of o committee, when
change Of administration has been
made, the leading IN e1nber of the minor
lily OF the committee in the preceding
congress. MIR. Reed, with very few en-
Geptlons followed this precedent in the
ctty-i1rst and Fifty-fourth Congresses
In the Fifty-fourth he made Jonathan
va. Rowell, of Illinois chairman of the
committee on elections. Mr.. Rowell had
demonstrated his merits as a leader
OF the minority in the I7iftieth Congress-
me Speaker followed precedent in his
appointment of the chairman Of the
committee of ways and means. The
leader OF the minority on that commit
tee in the preceding Congress was VIII
nam d. Kelley, Of Pennsylvania The
Speaker selected as chairman In the Eff
ty-1irst Congress Mai VIM. A1cKin-
ley. Jr., of Ohio. Judge Kelley was said
to have been very indignant because he
mad been set aside. He had served thir-
ty years in the House, and as father
or the House had administered the oath
TO the new Speaker when he took the
chair. The selection however, was
made In strict consonance with prece-
dence. Major Mckinley had been tie
leading contestant In the struggle for
the nomination for Speaker. etiquette
seemed to require that the new Speaker
should place the major al the head Of
the ways and means. At all events in
full fairness he had a right to choose
between the major and the judge
II was fortunate for the major that
the selection fell upon him. 1t made
\ MN President Of the United States
neventually. On the other had, IT seem
: ca TO be unfortunate for Mr.. Reed that
ne was elected Speaker. If Major Me-
smiley had secured the nomination
Ihomas b. Reed would probably be
seated IN the White House today.
me Speaker made Joseph G. Cannon
or illinois, chairman Of the great COM
m1ttee on appropriations to succeed
samuel j. Randall. Cannon was the
!eader or the minority on that commit
Tee IN the preceding Congress- Ezra 3
IayIor, or Ohio, was made chairman Of
the judiciary committee, strictly follow
ing precedent If precedent had a1sn
peen followed Nelson Dingley, Jr., Of
Maine would have been chairman of
i the conanittee on banking and curren-
y. for some reason George w. Il. Dor
sey, a banker Of Freemont. Neb wos
made chairman OF that committees
dorsey had not even been q member Of
bhat committee In the preceding Con
gress. Mr. Dingley was placed fourth
on the committee of ways and means
end was not made chairman on ,nnr
chant marine and fisheries, although the
mead OF the minority there in The. proceed
Ing Congress. lie had not previously
served on the ways and means The
speaker appointed Chas j. WicI<ham
or OHIO, chairman Of the COMMITTEES on
banking and currency. He was The only
republican, member of that committee
VINO was reelected, he made Lewis =.
Payson cf Illinois, chairman or the
committee on public lands The chair
man Of the committee on commerce was
Charles s.. Baker of New York. He
had never before served on this commit
lee. II precedent had been followed
Cnarles O'Nelll. of Pennsylvania, would
nave .Deen chairman Of the committees.
y Nelll however, requested the Speaker
10 give him the chairmanship OF the
committee on library, as the duties OF
the chairman Of the committee Oh com.
merce were too arduous for him
In making the appointment on rivers
and harbors, precedent was again fol-
lowed. Ihomas ]. Henderson, OF nIinoi,
belns made chairman. The new chair
man or the committee on merchant ma
rine and fisheries was Maj. John M. Far
qHhar, or New York. He had previously
served on the committee. blIt no v-as
not the ranking member after Mr. Din
ley. Edward II. Funston, OF Kansas
became chairman or the committee on
agriculture. He was the ranking Nom,
per in the previous Congress. Robert
H. Pitt, of Illinois, was the new chair.
man OF the committee on foreign ar
fairs. The ranking member or the pro
A ceolns congress was John II. Ketcham.
or New York, valiant Union General.
with twenty years service in the House
Gen. Byron NJ. Cutcheon, or Michigan
became chairman OF the committed. on
military affairs He was entitled to II
under the precedent. The chairman of
the committee on naval affairs wac
Charles A. Boutelle, Of Maine. The
ranking member was Alfred c. Hammer
OF Pennsylvania, who had served seven,
teen years on this committee. The an
pointment OF Mr.. Boutelle gave rise 10
1nuch newspaper comment. IT was said
that Mr.. Harmer had been sighted be-
cause he had been an ardent supporter
OF Maj. Mckinley In the Republican
caucus as candidate for Speaker. Al
though one Of the oldest Republican
members in the House, Mr.. Har1ner was
placed third on the committee on IN
dian affairs and second on the commit
tee on expenditure In the. Interior De-
partntent the Inter OF, which never met.
i He has not prey ousl ys served In either
or these Commit one OF