The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-03-12
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Speaker Reed Sure to Succeed
Himself as Speaker.
Committee Chairmanships For Maine
Members Candidates For Office Plenty.
Osborne to Succeed Collins.
From Our Correspondent.


From Our Correspondent.
Now that the Inauguration is over
and William Mckinley has been installed
as the 18th president of the great United
States, he and those officially associated
with him must devote themselves to the
grave responsibilities of the trust which
is now in their hands.
Mr. Mckinley has already announced,
in his inaugural address, that he will
call an extra session of the F'ifty-fifth
congress on March Is. 1t is we'll under
stood that the one and practically only
purpose of that convention will be to
enact a Republican, protective tariff
bill Mr.. Mckinley and leading Repub-
licans in Washington, and throughout
the country, think that with the speedy
enactment Of protective tariff measure
times will rapidly and permanently i'm
prove.
With the converting of the extra SEES
sion on the date mentioned, Hon. Thomas
B. Reed, representative from the state
of Maine, and the present speaker of the
house, will be reelected to that highly
responsible office, and in point of in
f1uence second to none in the country
excepting, of course, that of president
There has been some talk of a candidate
in opposition to Mr.. Reed among the Re-
publicanS, but it has been the mere idle
chatter of those who have been disap-
POINTED in some petty object, concerned
in which perhaps the man from Maine
may have indirectly been a factor. In
all probability the leading representa-
tive of the Republican party in New
England, and recent ca ndidate for the
Republican nom nation fer the pres-
dency, viii continue to serve as speaker
of the hOuTe Of representatives as long
as he sees fit to return to Washington, a
member Of congress from the First
Maine district.
1t is quite generally limited, however,
that Mr. Reed viii not serve another
term in congress after his service in the
present Fifty-ffth congress. He has re-
ceived fattering opportunities of a bust
ness nature, which he is seriously con-
sidering. He is already the referee for
the large insurance companies of the
United States, position formerly held
by that bright young Massachusetts
and New England man, the late Hon.
William e. Russell, Democratic govern
VI VI TIE Olu Day olttiG III III &C Gull
secutive terms, position not held pre-
viously by a Democrat since the days of
William CASTOR
Mr.. Reed during the Fifty-fOurth con-
gress exercised every means in his
power to keep down the appropriations
of congress- and Notwithstanding his
hercuIean efforts in this direction, the
aggregate amount appropriated by that
congress exceeded that appropriated by
any other congress, but the country is
growing all the time, and it stands TO
reason that what would pay the eX-
penses of the government 10 years agS
will not do so now, and hence larger eX-
penditures are not only necessary but I
imperatively so.
Maine congressman will continue in |
the coming congress to serve on the COM
mittees which they were assigned to at
the beginning of the last one. Probably no
delegation in Washington is assigned to
more important committee work than the
gentlemen from Maine. 1t is not because !
Mr.. Reed, their colleague is speaker,
but because they are entitled to these
having been in congress some
- or IL consecutive years. This fact gives
them seniority of service, and this is
what is ordinarily considered in the ap-
pointment of committee places, no mat
ter what the other attendant circum-
stances may be.
The genial and much beloved Nelson
Jr., of Lewiston, than whom
none are more popular in Washington
and Maine both will be assigned to the
Craftsmanship of the committee on ways
and means, which has the preparation of
the new tariff bill. All revenue measures
must, according to the constitution, orig
mate in the house of representatives, /
and, therefore, this committee on ways
and means is the most important one in
the house, excepting, possibly, that OF
rules, which engineers the business OF
the house, of which the speaker is always |
the chairman.
The tariff bill emanating from the com
mittee on ways and means always bears |
the name of it's distinguished chairman
it's legislative career and final
stages down to history. Thus the Nor |
rison bill, the Mills bill, the Mckinley |
bill and the Wilson bill are known .
the land. When the new tariff bill .
from Governor Dingleys COM
mittee room, it will thenceforth be known .
as the Dingley bill and will go on the .
statute books, if passed, as the tariff law
of the country for many years to come.
Another thing in connection with the .
craftsmanship of the committee on ways .
and means is that the gentleman ac-
corded this distinguished honor is al
ways the leader of the majority side of
the house. Thus it will be seen that Gov .
ernor DingIey commands a high power
Of influence in Washington. He is re-
garded as one of the most conservative .
public men ever sent to the Capitol to
Maine or any other state.
Seth L. Milliken of Belfast will be as
signed to the craftsmanship of the COM
mittee on public buildings and grounds,
which has all to do with recommendation
for the erection of public buildings
the country. as well as the
of public grounds also. Mr..
Milliken's committee during the last
congresI recommended the erection of
some 100 publ : buildings throughout The
United States but inasmuch as such a
course of procedure would entail a vast
of public moneys, Speaker
Reed, in his desire to enforce economy
n every possible channel, and not bur-
len the new Mckinley administration
With a heavy debt, decided not to permit
and of these public building bills to be-