The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-11
CHAIRMEN OF COMMITTEES.
The Delay Of the Speaker Of the House
IL Appointing Them.
HIS DIVERGENCE FROM PRECEDENTS.
If Mckinley Had Been hiecte" Spe"N'i
Instead OF Reed. the Latter Would have
Probably Been Elected President
Instead of the Former

WASHINGTON, j. c., July "-iho
,cf,sal Of the House OF Representatives
10 oxprcss tho opinion that ihe speaker
might 10 appoint his committee as soon
= possible has apparently seitito INC
agitation on the subject theic '' pay,
loneer any doubt that the Speaker VIII
,,,itsbola Tho appointments until Tho tar
an nm IS al last sent 90 the President
rrbo plea made by General henderson
sbat inc Speaker required time 10 n'-
como acquainted with thc members ana
ascertain their adaptanilliy Tor the var
Sous committees is ingenious hut h"iuiy
ingenious. The action OF the speaker ~
probably fOrcshadOwc0 hy MS acuol 4'
inc Tifty-nrst and fhty-ioufth Con-
presses. II is customary 10 select as
.lfofrroo, Of "a committee. when change
OF administration has been made inc
leading member of che minority or tne
committee in the preceding 1onsig 81.
MIR Reed. with very few exceptions lob
lowed this precedent Dub inc tllly -liia-
and Flfty-fourth Congresses.
In the Fifty-fourth DC made Jonathan
II. Howcl OF Illinois. chairman oi inc
committee ON elections. AIR. koWel hao
demonstrated his merits as 81 leader OF
4he minority in the Fifucth Congress.
The Speaker followed precedent in his
appointment of the chairman of the com
rrittce of ways and means. The leader
of the minority ON that committee in the
preceding Congress was William u. kci-
lev. OF Pennsylvania. The Speaker see
lectcd as Tho chairman in the FIFTY -iirst
Congress Maj. Wm. Mckinney, Jrs OF
ONO. judge Kelley was said to have
been very indignant because Doe mad been
set aside. He had served thirty years ln
The House and AS "father OF The House,
had administered the oath to the new
Speaker when he took the chair. The see
lection however. was made in strict con-
sonamce with precedence. Major Mchm-
lev had been the leading contestant In
1ho struggle for the nomination for
Speaker. Etiquette scented TO require
that the new Speaker should place inc
Major at the head of the ways ana means.
At all events in fun fairness he had q
right TO choose between the Major anu
the Judge.
II was fortunate for the Major that the
selection fen upon him. 10 made him
President of the United States eventually.
on the other hand 30 seems 10 be uniof-
tunate for Mr.. Reed that Dee was elected
Speaker. IL Major Mckinley had secured
the nomination Thomas d. Reed would
probably DE seated in the White House
to-day.
ME HEADS OF COMMITTEES.
Illinois. chairman of the great committee
on appropriations TO succeed Samuel j..
Randall. Cannon was the leader OF the
minority on that committee iu the proceed
ing Congress. Ezra B. Taylor. of ONO,
was made chairman of the judiciary COM
mittee, strictly following precedent. III
precedent had also been followed Nelson
Dingloy. Jr.. OF Maine would have been
chairman OF the committee ON banking
81. Va
W. h. Dorsey Il banker. of Fremont
Neb., was made chairman of that COM
mittce. Dorsey had not been even "a
member Of that committee in the preced-
ing Congress. Mr. Dingley was placed
fourth ON the committee Of ways ana
means. and was not made chairman OF
the committee ON merchant marine ana
fisheries, although the head of the minor
ity there in the preceding Congress. Tie
had not previously served on the ways
and means The Speaker appointed Chas.
T.. Wickham, Of Ohio, chairman Of the
committee on banking and currency. lie
was the only Republican member of that
committee who was reelected. Following
the same precedent. he made Lewis H..
PaysOn, Of Illinois, chairman of the COM
mittee on public lands The chairman
Of the committee on commerce WAS
Charles $. Baker. of New York. lie had
never before served on this committee.
IL precedent had been followed Charles
O'Nein Of Pennsylvania. would have been
chairman Of the committee. O.Ncili.
however, requested the Speaker 10 give
him the chairmanship OF the committee
Oh library ass the duties Of the chairman
Of the committee on commerce were too
arduous for him.
in making the appointment on rivers ana
harbors precedent was again followed,
Thomas J. Henderson. of Illinois being
made chairman. The new chairman Of
the committee on merchant marine and
fisheries was Maj John NJ. Farquhar, Of
New York. He had previously served ON
the committee. but DE was not the ranking
member after Mr.. Dingley. Edward IL.
Funston. of Kansas became chairman OF
the committee on agriculture. lie was
the ranking member in the previous Com
press Robert y. Hit, of Illinois was the
new chairman Of the committee on foreign
affairs The ranking member in the pre-
ceding Congress was John ii. ketcham,
Of New York. a valiant Union general
with twenty years service in the House
Cen. Byron NJ Cutcheon, of Michigan.
became chairman of the committee on
military affairs. lie was entitled TO ii
under precedent. The chairman Of the
committee on naval affairs was Charles
\. Boutellc Of Maine. The ranking meme
her was Alfred c. Harmer. of Pennsyl-
vania. who had served seventeen years