Arizona republican., 1899-11-24
General Henderson is Already
on the Ground.
THE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT
Preparation for Most important
Session-proposed Caucus Rule.
The msjsriiy TO Be Relied on TO
Greater Extent Than Heroic
fore-The Possible Leader OF
the Minority.

Washington, Nov. 23.- General Hen
derson. who is now in the city, has
taken quarters at the Normandie for
the winter. He was kept busy last
night and for awhile this morning with
a multitude of callers. Nearly every
one in the city especially interested in
the approaching session of congress
sought occasion to pay respects to the
coming speaker. AS yet there are but
few members of the house or senators
in the city, and therefore the callers
were for the most part people not in
congress who have a pleasant acquaint-
ance with General Henderson or his
family, but about every member of the
house who is here called. After 10
o'clock this morning the general was
engaged in visiting the departments
and the capitol on business missions.
He refuses to talk politics or to dis
cuss the outlook of the approaching
session, nor is he committing himself
as to the details of committee assign
ments. During the several months
since it became definitely decided that
he would have no opposition for the
speakership about all the members of
the house have made known to him
what are their preferences of commit
tee places, and his familiarity with the
general situation has probably en-
abled him to make nearly complete
outline of assignments, but it is un-
derstood that he has made it clear that
he does not intend to embarrass him
self by making any promises in ad-
vance, and this has a tendency to re
iieve the pressure.
The general understanding is that to
4 very great extent old committee as
signments will be taken as a basis for
the new, and there is likely to be little
more of an upheaval than there would
have been had Mr.. Reed continued as
speaker. The large number of va
cancies, however, afford considerable
opportunity for the advancement of
members whose old assignments are
not satisfactory. There will be some
contests, but by no means as many as
usual when there is a change in the
speakership.
General Henderson, in common with
all the leading men in congress. rec
ognize that the coming session prom
ises to be one of the most important in
many years, and careful consideration
is being given to the matter of a policy
of legislation. Some very important
things are to be done, and a pro-
gramme of procedure viii have ito be
decided on. 1t is expected that the
the determination of questions of leg
islation to a far greater extent than
during the regime of Mr.. Reed.
Whether there will be a change Of
is uncertain. General Henderson's coll
league, Mr.. Hepburn, is active in advo-
cacy of such changes as would increase
the individual power of each member
of a committee organized by the house
itself, and not by the speaker, the de-
cision as to the order of business. Many
members, however, are rather slow to
adopt this suggestion, and it is appar-
ent that the question will depend much
upon what the new speaker desires in
the matter. There will be little dispo-
sition to take from the speaker any
powers formerly given to Mr.. Reed
which he may want to have continued
in him. General Henderson has the
confidence of members of the house,
and there will certainly be no change
made that would imply distrust of
either his fairness or his wisdom. But
General Henderson has no greed of
power. and he may himself favor
changes in the rules which will take
from him some of the responsibility of
an autocrat which rested on the shoul-
ders of Mr.. Reed.
The caucus of the majority will be
held on the Saturday before congress
meets, and at that time the speaker
and the minor officers of the house will
be nominated. over the election of
these officers there will be no contest,
the nominations of the minority being
merely formal.
There has been an active canvass
among the democrats of the house for
the honor of the minority nomination
for speaker. as a sort of recognition of
minority leadership, but the indica-
tons now are that this Pickwickian
contest will dwindle into insignificance