Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-10
Precedents the Speaker Follows in
Making the Appointments.
TAKING CARE OF TEE STRONG mem
Mr.. Reeds Probable Action Fore
Swallowed by His Past Record
IN THE FIFTY -FOU RTH

Written for The Evening star.
The refusal Of the House Of Representa-
tives to express the opinion that the Speak
er ought to appoint his committees as soon
as possible has apparently settled the agi-
tation on the subject. There is no longer
any doubt that the Speaker will withhold
the appointments until the tariff bill Is at
last sent to the President. The plea made
by General Henderson that the Speaker
required time to become acquainted with
the members and ascertain their adaptable
ity for the various committees Is ingenious
but hardly ingenious. The action of the
Speaker is probably foreshadowed by his
action in the Fifty-first and Fffty-fourth
Congresses. 1t Is customary to select as
Chairman Of a committee, when a change
OF administration has been made, the lead
ing member Of the minority of the COM
mittee in the preceding Congress. Mr..
Reed with very few exceptions, followed
this precedent in the Fifty-first and Fifty
fourth Congresses.
In the Fifty-fourth he made Jonathan H.
Rowell of Illinois chairman Of the commit
tee on elections Mr.. Rowell had demon
strated his merits as leader of the minor
tty in the Fiftieth Congress. The Speaker
followed precedent in his appointment of
the chairman Of the committee Of ways and
means. The leader of the minority on that
committee in the preceding Congress was
William d. Kelley Of Pennsylvania. The
Speaker selected as the chairman in the
Flfty-frst Congress Maj. VIM. Mckinley,
jr., of Ohio. Judge Kelley was said to have
been very indignant because he had been
set aside. He had served thirty years in
the House. and as father Of the House"
mad administered the oath to the new
speaker when he took the chair. The Sc
lection, however, was made. in strict con-
sonaEce with precedence. Major Mckinley
had been the leading contestant in the
struggle for the nomination for Speaker.
n hot he
speaker should place the major at the
heau OF the ways and means. At all events
In full fairness he had a right to choose
between the major and the judge
1t was fortunate for the. major that the
selection fell upon him. 1t made him
PRESIDENT of the United States eventually.
On the other hand. 1t seems to be unfor-
tunate for Mr.. Reed that he was elected
Speaker. If Major Mckinley had secured
the nomination Thomas b. Reed would
day. -A'""e 'o-
Following Preeedents.
Inc Speaker made Joseph G. Cannon of
Illinois chairman of the great committee
on appropriations to succeed Samuel T
Randall. Cannon was the leader of the
minority on that committee In the preced
ing Congress. Ezra B. Taylor of Ohio was
made chairman of the judiciary committee.
strictly following precedent II precedent
mad also been followed Nelson Dingley, IT,,
OF Maine would have been chairman of the
committee on banking and currency. For
some reason George w. E. Dorsey. q bank
er or Fremont. Neb., was made Chairman
or nhat committee: Dorsey had not been
preceding Congress. Mr. Dineley was
paced fourth on the committee of ways
ana means, and was not made chairman of
s ene committee on merchant marine and
fisheries, although the head Of the minor
ity there In the preceding Congress. He
had not previously served on the va
and means. The Speaker Appointed C'has
-n,.. dchham OF Ohio chairman of the com
!rittee on banking and currency He Was
the only republican member of thai e",,'
Lilttee VINO was reelected Following I'll.
same precedent, he made Lewis r. Paysnn
n,,bu ii i chali man of the committee on
puoac lands. The chairman OF the connnitN
zee on commerce was Charles Ea,1a -,
.S We" 1ork He had never before served IN
I'M, ms committee. If precedent had hen To-,
n,o,,Id Snaries ONeill Of Pennsylvania
would have beer chairman of the cor 80
zee. ONeill, how ever, requested ~ Saa,e
" give him the chatrmanshin ~ a.
ouuilnit.ee on library. as the duties -, the
IRE TOO ardCOus for him. &c
In making the appointment a, r,,,
TLs precedent was again foIIo,TaS
Ihomas j. Henderson of IIlinois b",Ea
con,,; CHAIRMAN. The new chairman Of the
committee on merchant marine and Ssh .ie
les was Maj John NJ. Faroubar ~ Yer
lork. tie had previously served IN ~
coInmlttee, but he was not the rankin.s
Fnnater after II, Mr.: Dirsley. Edward III
~. u'sloh OF Kansas became chairman ~
the committee on agriculture He 1.a ol
InanAns member In the previous Conorsss
robert r. Hit Of Illinois was tba -, -.
1 1a;.n OF the committee on foreign af-
ialrs: The ranking member in the pracaI
ing Congress was John II. Ketcham ~ NJ
YORK. valiant Union general with tven+w
years service In the House. Gen. Ryron
~ ~ H th OF Michigan became chairman
OF the committee on military affairs Il
was entitled to 1T under precedent IN
chairman OF the committee on naval AZ
1airs was Charles A. BoutaiIe of Maine
- G lankng member was Alfred C. Hammer
OF pennsylvania. who had served seventeen
years on this committee. The appofntment
OF Mr.. Boutelle gave rise to much news
paper comment. 1t was said that Mr.
narmer mad been sighted because he had
neen an ardent supporter Of Mai MCKINLEY
IN the republican caucus as a candidate Tor
Speaker. Although one of the Oldest re-
publican members of the House. Mr.
aarmer was placed third on the COMMITTEES
on Indian affairs and second on the com
mlttee on expenditures In the Interior De-
partment, the latter of which never met
He had not previously served ON either of
tnese committees. He is today one of the
intimate friends of President Mckinley.
The Other Committees,
Gen. Harry Bingham of Pennsylvania
was Hrdue CHdlrfnan OF the committee on
post offices and post roads, as he had been
the ranking minority member in the pre-
ceding Congress. The same precedent was
followed in making Bishop W. Perkins of
Kansas chairman Of the committee on In
dian affairs. Isaac s. Struble of Iowa chair
man OF territories. Henry c. Mccormick of
Pennsylvania chairman of railways and
canals and James Buchanan of New Jer-
sey chairman of the committee on manu-
features. On mines and mining Thomas H.
Carter Of Montana became chairman
| Carter was new member. but the previ-
| GUS election had swept into oblivion every
| republican member Of that committee In
| the Fiftieth Congress Seth Milliken Of
| Maine became chairman of the committee
| on public buildings and grounds, and John
| Dalzell of Pennsylvania chairman of the
committee on Pacific railroads, both being
| the ranking minority members Of said COM
mfttees in the Fiftfeth Congress.
Julius Caesar Burrows of Michigan was
made chairman Of the committee on levees
and improvements of the Mississippi river.
| He had not previously served ON the COM
| mittee. but the surviving members of the
| committee were elsewhere properly placed.
| James O'DonneH Of Michigan being the
/ ranking minority member of the commit
| tee on educ alton Of the previous Congress-.
| became chairman Of that committee. VIII
L ITO II xnH