Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-05-13
the SPEAKERSHiP CONTEST.

The contest for the speakership of the
House of Representatives cannot be re-
garded merely as party affair. Its
Issue Is a matter of vital concern to the
nation irrespective Of party. Next to
the President the Speaker II the most
important individual In the Govern.
ment, trusted with almost autocratic
power over debate and legislation and
often able TO battle and defeat the plans
Of the chief executive himself. Hence
II becomes OF grave consequence TO the
people to know by what councils he is
10 be guided and under what influence
he Is to exercise his power.
Unfortunately, perhaps. the people
have very little to say about IT, the bust.
ness being done by their Congressman
under the direction Of the party man
ayers, and this time they have less in.
Huence than usual. The matter has
been taken up by little ring Of Sena.
tors who propose to dictate the election
OF the Speaker Of the House In the in
terests Of one of the most Ubiquitous
pieces Of legislation ever brought be.
fore an American Congress. II reports
be true, Plat, Hanna and Quay will
make an effort to elect Sherman OF New
York, a Thoroughbred machine politi.
clan Of the Plat stripe, and member
Of the Plat machine, In order that the
Hanna-Payne ship subsldizing bill may
have the right OF way in the lower
house.
u IN n n ~
the people of this country Of q sum be-
tween billion and billion and half
OF dollars for the benefit of the great
steamship lines, that proposes to pay
the Standard OIL Company $1,000 900
a year on its fleets OF tank steamers for
transporting its own product, and to
secure absolute monopoly TO existing
lines as long as their ships will last.
IL is the bill for which ex-senator Ed
munds, formerly of Vermont, now Of
Philadelphia, Is said 10 receive $1,000
every time he goes to Washington to
lobby in It's interest. Quay probably
will be presented with his seat In the
Senate for ordering the Pennsylvania
delegation in the lower house TO help
liam" this bill through, and Sherman
j. 10 have the speakership, If all goes
well, on the same condition.
There has been great deal of loose
talk about the Vaccinations of the
money power" in this country, but
here il o case In which the money pow
er's hand is too plain 10 be ignored If
anybody wanted TO ignore II. such
shameless, open prostitution of the leg
islat!ve function Of government TO the
greed of few corporations probably
has not been proposed in this country
before. II Is the overt act by which
the avarice and rapacity of the trusts
and railway combines that have been
1hrOttlIng private enterprise and rob
bling the Individual consumer, take adj
vantage OF the public interest in the re-
yiyal OF an American merchant marine
10 make a direct attack on the national
treasury. The election OF machine
Speaker and the control OF the House
of Representatives are part Of the plan.
II Is a most deplorablc thing, and a
dangerous thing, that the contest over
the speakershlp should be entangled
with the promotion Of such a job as
this, II j. of the greatest importance
not merely that this particular job
should fail, but that the effort of a little
ring Of dlscredted Senators TO control
the organization OF the lower house
should be checked at It's outset. There
ought 10 be enough backbone among
the Western Republican members TO
check II, and 10 compel the election Of
mfa who, whatever his feeling re-