The National tribune., 1899-04-27
Congresses.


Kentucky has had the greatest array 0
| SpeakeTs-Henry Clay, who presided owe
| four Houses, Linn Boyd and John q. Car
| Isle, who each presided over three. Maine
has had Jas. g. Blaine and 1hos. Is
Reed. While every one Of the Speakers
had Presidential aspirations except Crisp
who was born abroad, Tennessee hac
the only one who was elected-Jas. X
Polk, who was Speaker Of the Gath anc
25th Congresses.
Vice-President Hobart denies that he is
not candidate Tor re election.
The American Federation of Labor is
after Claude NJ. Johnston, the Superin-
tendent OF the Bureau OF Printing and
Engraving, very sharply, with a resOlu-
ton asking the President to remove HIM.
He is charged with incOmpetency, viola
ton of Civil Service, unfair and tyran-
nical treatment Of employees, etc. Mr..
Johnston is one OF President Cleveland 8
appointees, who removed Capt. VIM. NJ.
Meredith, a gallant soldier, who served
in President HARRISON regiment, to make
a place tor him. Capt. Meredith is one OF
the most competent printers in the coun-
try, and gave up good place i'll Chicago
in order to enter Government employ.
There is much astonishment that PreSI-
dent Mckinley did not long ago remove
JDUflStDn, WHO has DttH
cal to old soldiers, and has filled the good
places in the Bureau with his family and
friends from Kentucky. Capt. Meredith
was given a short Shrift when Cleveland
came in. 1t was enough to know that he
had served with President Harrison.
Speaker Reeds retirement will be fol-
lowed by a modification of the rules.
Probably these would have been modi-
fled anyway, even If he had not retired,
for the Representatives were getting very
restive under his autOcracy. The princi-
pal modification will be in the constitu-
ton of the Committee on Rules. For
years this committee, like all others, has
been appointed by the Speaker, he has
has been an all-pOwerful aid To him in
the House. 1t dictated what
might or might not be done in the way OF
legislation. The custom was TO make il
up of the Speaker and two Of his party,
and two of the opposite party. In the
last Congress it consisted OF Speaker
Reed, David b. Henderson, of Iowa, and
John Dalzell, of Pennsylvania, for the
and Joseph w. Bailey, of
Texas, and Benton McMilIen, OF Tennes-
see, for the Democrats. The proposition
now is to return to the practice in the
earlier Congresses of electing the Com
mittee on Rules.
The candidates to succeed Mr.. Reed
are numerous, and while none of them
that intense personal force
that made Reed such a power, they arc
all men of decided ability, and veteran
parliamentarians. Furthermore, they are
all men OF genial, pleasant personality,
which Reed is not. While many admire
Reed, few like him. lie has a great deal
more vinegar than honey in his makeup,
and his wit is like n hornets sting. The
leading candidate at this moment seems
to be James S. Sherman, of New York,
who has been picked out by many as the
best candidate with whom TO beat Reed
in the next Congress. New York has
another candidate in Serene l.. Payne
who has been re-chected for his eighth
term. lie succeeded Nelson Dingley as
Chairman OF the Committee on Ways and
Means. Pennsylvania has John III. Dali
zeil, who has not yet been formally an
nounced, but is an able parliamcntarian,
and is now reelected for his sixth term
Ohio has Gen. Charles II. Grosvcnor, now
reelected for his sixth term, very able
man, who, though he dearly loves q
fight, and is quick, hard hitter, is gen
orally popular. His sharpness has no
bitterness in Ii, and when he is through
q fight he is through. The veteran Jos.
G. Cannon, of Illinois, is here already,
laying his wires for election, and when
Uncle Joe canters into the ring on his
bicycle, smaller fellows begin to
climb trees. Cannon has been in every
Congress but one since the 43d, and has
no superior in the country In his knowI-
edge Of Governmental business. Illinois
has another candidate in A. j. Hopkins,
who has been reelected for his eighth
term. Iowa has Gen. ID. b. Henderson
and Capt. A. T. Hull. There has been
a good deal of talk OF Cli. ". p. Hepburn,
but SO far he has shown no personal in
terest in the matter. In an interview
Capt. Hull seems to favor Mr.. Hopkins.