River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-12-14

vice president. Geographical condi-
tions lave been recognized by nation
al conventions for more than a genera
ton. In 1896 the republicans nominal
ed Mckinley, of Ohio, and Hobart, of
New Jersey, candidates from a west
ern and an eastern state, although
Ohio cannot much longer be classed as
q western state. The democrats in
1896 nominated Bryan, of Nebraska,
and Sewall, of Maine, candidates from
a far western and a far eastern state.
Thus were geographical conditions
recognized by the great political par
ties in their last quadrennial conven-
tons; thus those conditions have been
recognized for many years, and thus
will those conditions be taken into con-
sideration in the year 1900.
1t will be further observed that in
forming their cabinets the incoming
presidents always give recognition to
the north, the south, the east and the
west, often regardless of the superior
fitness of the men selected to fill those
positions. For example, it is easily
within the memory of the writer that
a president appointed a man to be at
torney general who attended lectures
in a law school after coming to the ma
tional capital.
Like conditions prevail in congress
sional districts. For example, where
there are six counties in a COMPRESSION
al district, each one of those counties
will claim the right to name a candi-
date for congress, in due course of time.
Thus it happens that ambitious young
lawyers and others engaged in politics
push forward the claims of their re-
spective counties until recognition is
received; and thus it happens that con-
gressmen are constantly being changed,
greatly to the detriment of the public
service.
At the beginning of the Fifty-fourth
congress Col. d. B. Henderson, of Iowa,
was the senior republican member of
the house committee on appropriations,
and he naturally desired and expected
to be appointed chairman of the COM
mittee on appropriations. But Speak
er Reed refused to make the appoint
ment, on the ground that Senator AL
lison of Iowa was chairman of the
senate committee on appropriations,
and that it would not be polite to have
the two committees on appropriations
under the c~hairmanships of men from
the same state. 1t would be placing too
much national power in the grasp of
men from one state, who. however
honorable, might be tempted to use
that power to the advantage of their
w people and to the disadvantage of
the people of other sovereign states.
Therefore Col. Henderson was disap-
pointed.
There is an old saying that "excep-
tons prove the rule" and it is well
known that there are exceptions to al
most every rule of human action. Thus
it happens that an exception has arisen
and this custom of geographical con-
sideration has been swept aside com
pletely by strange circumstances, and
the greatest power in the congress has
been confided to one state, to two men
in that state, who reside in the same
city. and are near neighbors.
WITCH oPTdhCA RNCo ahAOuiSCo idSt
June that he would not continue TO
serve in congress there began at once
an active canvass for the selection of his
successor, and, early in August. it was
decided that Col. Henderson, of Iowa.
should be selected. This Advancement
of Col. Henderson has placed him in
higher authority than would have been
vested in him if he had been appointed
chairman of the committee on appro-
priations. 1t makes him the most po-
tential factor in national legislation, on
all topics.
At the same time, Senator Allison is
chairman of the sena committee on
appropriations. chairman of the repub-
lican caucus and chairman of the re-
publican steering committee, thus be-
ing virtually as controlling a factor in
the senate as Speaker Henderson is in
the house of representatives. And
these statesmen live in Iowa. in Du-
buque county. and the city of Dubuque.
They have been close friends and neigh
bors for more than 30 years.
In 1898 there came TO Washington for
q New York newspaper a young man
who wrote and published a criticism of
the vice president for appointing GER
tain chairmen of senate committees;
when. as a matter of fact. the vice pres
ident has absolutely nothing TO do with
the appointment of committee chair
men. In the senate the caucuses of
the democratic and republican parties