Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-05-21
THE sPEAkERsHIP is WITHIN IT'S
REACH.
1T WILL COME IF DEMANDED
EITHER HOPKINS OR HENDERSON
CAN WEAR REEDS MANTLE.
Campaigning for the Position Has
Already Bcgun-It Is Intimntcd
the ex-Spcaker May Recon-
slider His Determine
tiOn to Retire.

WASHINGTON, May 2O.-(special) The
speakership contest continues to absorb in
terest in congressional circles here to the
exclusion of every other topic, not except
ing the campaigns in the Philippines and
Samoa. The only subject to vary the
monotony of the discussion Is the extra
session talk which persists in crowding it
self into prominence in connection with the
problem, who Will succeed eX-Speaker
Reed.
The four commanding figures in the con-
test are Sherman, of New York; Hender-
son, of Iowa; Hopkins. of Illinois, and
Payne. of the Empire state. General Harry
Bingham, of Philadelphia, has announced
his candidacy, but his campaign is attract
ing very little attention. 1t is generally
understood that Bingham is in the race
simply to hold the Pennsylvania delegation
together and to prevent certain members
of it from starting a boom for DalZel. Ths
latter actively antagoniZed Senator Quay's
reelection and was himself a candidate
for the senate against Quay before the
Pennsylvania legislature. Senator Quay s
friends in the keystone state delegation
do not intend to give DalZell any chance
of being elected speaker, although Quay
himself is not bothering his head about
the speakership. All the talk that the
i
up to the hilt and using the speakership
contest TO make votes for himself in the
senate when the question comes up wheth-
er he shall be seated on the governor 5
certificate. is emphatically denied. Quay S
friends say he has no need of trading
votes, or, in other words. using the speak
ership situation a club to obtain his
seat, as he is assured of his seat already.
Cullom VIII Vote for Quay.
In this connection, great significance is
attached to the recent utterances of Sem
ator Cullom, of Illinois, who declared he
would vote for Quay when the time ar
rived to seat him. The significance of this
statement lies in the fact that Cullom has
| consistently opposed seating candidates for
the senate who came from states where
the legislatures failed to elect and pre-
sented certificates of temporary appoint
| ment from their governor.
He voted an emphatic no in the Corbett
case, from Oregon, and the disposition OF
this case was supposed to set a precedent
| for all subsequent cases of this kind. not
only so far as Cullom was concerned. but
as rule of action for the senate for all
time to come. The Quay case. however, is
| regarded as possessing exceptional cle-
| ments of virtue which take it out of the
| general run Of preccd2Its-principa this
| that Quay is an old member of the senate
presenting a case free from all questions
| of doubt as to the governors right to ap-
| point With the conservative element OF
| the senate arrayed on the side of the Penn
| sylvania senator, as voiced by an ultra
conservative like Cullom and the accession
| of a considerable number of new senators
| untrammeled by prccedents of any sort
| Quay's admission seems assured and the
need of his exercising any influence in the
| house contest over a successor to Mr.
| Reed eliminated.
| Sectional Line Gossip,
| There has been a great deal of GOSSIP
over the sectional line in the speakershI
contest. 1t has been shown that the great
est gains for the Republicans were made
in the West, and that therefore a good
| Western man ought to be chosen speaker
| There has not thus far been any decided
| tendency to draw the sectional line on the
| speakership, but no one can tell how soor
| 1t may come, in which event the honor is
sure to go either to Hopkins or Henderson
| Icy is as difficult to predict as what may
! precipitate war between two nations to-
day at peace. Should the crisis come how
| ever, few Western members would have the
| fortitude to break the line by casting theii
| votes for an Eastern candidate. The Wes
| can have the speakership any time 1t de-
|
| words. whenever one of the Western can.
| didates, through his managers. can define
| a clear policy why the sectional line shoulc
be drawn in the interest of the West Ir
| this event everything west of the ALE
| ghenies would consolidate, and the Ohio
| delegation would be found voting for z
| Western man.
Sentiment Is for Sherman.
The strong undercurrent of sentiment i:
for Sherman. The greater number oi
Western representatives would like tc
vote for him in preference to any othel
candidate. Few, however, are avowins
| their true sentiments where there is an!
| likelihood of their words being quoted. AL
realize that the powers which the speaker
| ship carries with it are too great to b'
| defied An incautious utterance may
cause a member to lose a Craftsmanship OF
the chance of favorite committee ap
pointment in the organization of the mex
house.
What is here set down as the current o
sentiment is the expression of members un
der the seal of strict confidence, and thf:
expression points to Sherman as first
choice. This is due to sincere admiration
of the man, his ability as a presiding Off
Ger and his uniform good nature and per
Sonal popularity.
kins, OF Illinois, has the good will of thu
majority of the members who have beer
in Washington in the last ten days or TIVE
| weeks, and If a Western man should b,
chosen tomorrow Hopkins would doubt
less control the strongest following. HI
has the Illinois delegation well in han,
and has the personal influence of Uncle
Joe Cannon, who. although at one tim
looked upon as a strong factor in th'
probabilities of the speakership, has since
unequivocally announced his allegiance t.
his colleague and his determination Il
WELD every available element of persona
influence to land him.
Henderson Campaigning vigorously
Henderson. however, is a force to b.
reckoned with. and has opened campaign
that promises to bring him close enough Il
the gavel to involve the issue in a serious
question of doubt. He was chairman o
the committee on the judiciary and th
leading member on the floor of the com
mittee on rules. The latter connection
has not served particularly to add to hi
popularity, as the committee OH rules l.
charged with many of the disappointment
of members over the failure to secure rec
ognition for this bill or that. But per
sonally Henderson is popular man, ant
his great strength as n candidate IS il
the fact that he was a brave Union soldier
losing a leg in the war, circumstance
which have enlisted In his campaign TIL
active support of the Union Veterans AS
sociations nearly everywhere.