The age-herald., 1898-02-15
CHAlRMANSHlP TALK
 FROM WASHINGTON
sneoial to The Are-Herald.

house or representatives,, IS dalty ihehShSH-
 ing himself in his position and the opinion
 is general among democrats that if they
 carry the next house, and they seem posi-
 tive of that now, Bailey will be elected
 speaker.
 There is practically no opposition to him.
 What little there was is dwindling and he
 Is growing stronger daily. He has shown
 himself during the recent debates in the
 house, to be possessed of much more good
 sound sense even than his friends gave him
 credit for The opposition is divided and
 his friends say he will win in walk
 In view of the almost certainty then that
 Bailey will be the fortunate candidate, It
 becomes interesting to surmise what will
 be the composition of the different commit
 tees and whom he will select as chairmen.
 Although 1t has been the usual policy of
 the successful candidate to give his leading
 opponent for the caucus nomination the
 chairmanshlp of the committee on ways
 and means 1t Is not probable that Richard-
 son, and he will be Bailey's strongest op-
 ponent will be appointed to this important
 committee. It is doubtful if Richardson
 wants it. His ambition, and one that will
 probably be gratified by Bailey, is to be
 chairman of the committee on the District
 of Columbia. He has been a member of the
 committee for nearly eight years and will
 make an ideal chairman.
 There is a good deal of doubt as to who
 will be chairman of the committee on ways
 and means. Next to Bailey, McMillin IS
 the ranking member of that committee in
 the present house, but McMillin will never
 be chairman. His views on several ques-
 tions are too much at variance with Bai-
 ley's The most formidable candidate now
 seems to be MacRea, of Arkansas. Mac
 Req has been in the house for nearly twen-
 ty years. He is a strong, sound man, hard
 committee worker. and would make an ex-
 cellent chairman. The ranking member of the committee on banking and currency in
 the present house Is Nicholas Cox, of Ten
 nessee As Cox has already announced his
 retirement from the house at the end Of this
 session, he is out of the race for the chair
 manship. Stallngs, of Alabama, is the next
 ranking member, and as he has already
 served two terms on this committee ms
 election can be set down as almost certain.
 The selection is as good a one as can be
 made. He is a strong, conservative man,
 well nkeu OH DOlu SlucS Ol tiiC ShoiiicSAf
 and essentially the best man for the place.
 Cookery, of Missouri, will, of course, be
 chairman of the appropriation committed
 He is outranked by Savers, but as the lat ter will leave congress to make the race for governor of Texas, Dockery's selection is assured. Underwood, of Alabama, an old schoolmate of Bailey's, and one of the brightest of the young lawyers in the house, will be made chairman of the committee on the judiciary. It will be the first time in the history of the house that so young man is appointed to so important position, but no one denies that he will be an excel lent chairman. He Is at present on that committee and is said to be doing excellent work. He has practically no opposition in Alabama, and will be back here in, 1899. Arkansas, if she is wise enough to re- turn her old delegation, will come in for a number of important chairmanships. Hugh Dinsmore, of the Fifth district, will be se- lected as chairman of the committee on foreign affairs. He is well qualified for the position, for, besides having served on this committee for a number of years, he served four years during Cleveland's first administration as minister to Corea. His attitude in the present session has made certain his selection. He has not taken advantage of partisan discord to make capital by threatening to disturb the peace of this country, and his speech on the con- sular and diplomatic bill, when the same was up in the house, won him any number of admirers It will be loss to his district and the country if he is not returned Little, of the same state, will be chair- man of the committee on Indian affairs of which he is now ranking member He is a good man for the place, thoroughly familiar with the Indian question in all it's phases, and will make good chairman Alabama will get another chairmanship of | A. very important committee when Bank head, of Alabama, is appointed to the com- mittee on rivers and harbors. Mcclellan, of New York, son of the famous federal general of that name, will be chairman of the military affairs committee. Amos Cum mings, of the same state, will probably get his old place as chairman of the naval af- | fairs committee which he held In the Fifty-third congress- These are about the most important committees. The chair manships of the committee on pensions and of the committee on invalid pensions will, of course, go to northern democrats. l Norton, of Ohio, a new man in the house, | but with long experience in his state legis- | lature, will probably be chairman of one l or the other. War claims will probably be given to Cooper. of Texas, who will come back, while the committee on claims may l be given to Champ Clark. Some commit- tee chairmanship that does not involve too much work, but is still of considerable importance, will be reserved by Bailey for | his old friend, Joe Wheeler, whose working | days are about over, but who will be sent by an admiring constituency to congress as Hong as he cares to come.
 l Of course these are all surmises, but as | such they are interesting especially as they I are gathered in the highways and by-ways, ! and are the gist of the general opinions, not only on the democratic but on the re- ! publican side as well. They are guess | work, but guesses are sometimes not far ] from right.
 l HAROLD EVERETT CLAY.