New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-22
THE NEXT SPEAKERSHIP.
STATEMENTS THAT THE CONTEST WILL
BE wAGED ON GEOGRAPHICAL LINES.
MR. HULL DECLARES HIMSELF FOR MR..
HoPKINs-MR. REEDS PREDECESSORS
AND THE SECTIONS FROM
WHICH THEY CAME.

WHICH THEY CAME
TBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rrInuxEl
Washington, April 21-As usual. It is pro-
claimed that the canvass for the speakership OF
the House OF Representatives. In the event OF
Mr.. Reeds retirement. is to be conducted
on sectional. or rather on geographical lines;
that 1t to be tussle between the West and
the East. Mr. Hull. OF Iowa. declares that the
Speaker sh0ild not only be Western man. but
one from State west Of Ohio. and takes up
the cudgels for Mr.. Hopkins Of Illinois
In the Speakership contest in the XLVIIth
Congress geographical considerations were
strongly urged. Mr.. Kasson Of Iowa, was a
candidate; so were Mr. Ortiz OF Indiana; Mr.
keifer. of Ohio. and others. The Ohio candidate
finally won, but not by virtue . bis geograph-
ical position for at the eleventh hour the Penn
syivania votes were swung to him and against
Mr. Hiscock. whose canvass had not been cor
Quoted on geographical lines IN the List Con-
gress geography was invoked against Thomas
B. Reed. and then. as now there was promis-
ing crop Of Western candidates-Cannon. OF ILL.,
nois; Mckinley. of Ohio; Burrows. OF Michigan.
and Henderson, Of Iowa And yet Mr.. Reed
won on the first ballot in the Republican caucus
FORMER OCCUPANTS OF THE CHAIR
There have been thirty-two Speakers OF the
beginning OF the Lincoln Administration there
have been nine-fve Republicans and four
Democrats. Mr. Grow. who is now a member
OF the House. elected from Pennsylvania at
large. was Speaker in the XXXvIIth Congress-
1861 to 1868 No Speaker before this time is
still living and he is seventy-six years old. He
was followed by Schuyler Colfax. OF Indiana.
who was Speaker for three Congresses-the
Ky he nd
was elected Vice President with Grant in 1868
and so Mr. Blaine chosen to take his place
as Speaker of the House. This office Mr.. Blaine
held for three terms in succession from the
opening OF the Grant Administration 10 the loss
OF the House to the Democrats in 1874 Mr.
Kerr, Of Indiana then became Speaker, but did
not live out first term Samuel J. Randall of
Pennsylvania, was elected to fill out the rest OF
the term. and for the two succeeding Congresses.
These three Democratic Congresses covered the
last two years Of the Grant Administration and
all Of the Hayes Administration A Republican
House was elected in 1880 with Garfield. and
John Warren Keifer. Of Ohio. made its
Speaker. The Republicans lost the three sue
ceedng Congresses. in the Arthur and first
Cleveland Administrations, and for these three
terms John G. Carlisle was Speaker. With the
incoming OF the Harrison Administration
Thomas B. Reed was made Speaker.
Three terms seem to be a favorite length Of
service Counting fractions full terms the
thrce-term Speakers have been Reed. Carlisle
Randall, Blaine. Colfax. Stevenson and Macon
Henry Clay Speaker during the whole OF
the XIIth. XIVth. XVIII and XVIIIth Con-
crosses. and in part Of the XIIIth and the
XVIII. His record will be rather hard to break
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
The geographical distribution Of the Speaker
ship is somewhat significant Only fourteen
States have been thus honored Kentucky Viz
ginia and Massachusetts have each had four
Speakers or twelve OF the thirty-tWo. New
York has had only one. John w Taylor. who
served two terms. the latter ending in 1871
Virginias four Speakers. Barbour, Stevenson
Hunter and Jones. have been pretty generally
forgotten. while Kentuckys four Clay. White
BOYD and Carlisle. have made lasting impress
sion the great office. Narnum was the only
Massachusetts Speaker who served two terms
Sedgwick Winthrop and Banks were each in
office only one term.
New-England has had. besides these four
three other Speakers. Blaine end Reed. OF
vania has had three Speakers; Muhlenberg.
Grow and Randall New-Jersey has had Day
ton and Pennington. OF the thirty-two Speak
ers fifteen have come from States south or
Mason and Dixon's line These include. besides
Kentucky and Virginia. two each from Tennes-
see South Carolina and Georgia, ana one from
North Carolina The West has had only four
Speakers one from Ohio, Keifer. and three from
Indiana Davis. Colfax and Kerr. james II.
polk Is the only Speaker of the House who ever
became President Of the United States