Evening star., 1899-05-01
A WESTERN COMBINE
Organization of Representatives From
That Section.
SPEAKERSRIP CONTEST IMPERSONAL
Composition of the House Com
mittees important.
P A Y E WILL STIC X

Republican members of the House from
states in the west which Will not present
candidates for the speakership are organ
izing with the view Of influencing the policy
to control in the organization Of the House
There has been great deal Of correspond
enCe on the subject already. and il is ex-
pected that within a short time there Will
be very considerable band OF representa-
tives engaged in an agreement not to pledge
their support to any candidate for the
speakership until the situation has so de-
veloped that they will he able to act togeth-
er in the election of a Speaker pledged to a
policy which will be acceptable to their sec
ton of the country.
An ImpcrsonaI Contest.
The tendency of this movement is TO
make the sreakership contest impersonaL
The idea is for enough men to control the
situation to remain uncommittad 10 any
candidate, either from the east Or from the
west, until perfect understanding has
been reached. and the object is not 50 fnuch
to secure the election of a western man to
the SpeakerShip as to prevent the election
OF any man who will not So organize the
committees of the House as to give the
cnance for legislation that the west wants
me west wants to control the iegislat i've
policy through the committee organization
OF the House, no matter who is Speaker
1t is said by those who are active in The
movement that eastern combinations"
winch desire TO control legislation might
agree upon the election of a western man
to be Speaker. with the undcrs fanJlin,, thar
the committee organization should lie as
they wanted it, and that they should main
tain legislative control.
Theory of Organization.
Upon this theory the unattached western
clement Is organizing, not necessarily for
the election of
but to insure the adoption of a western re-
publican legislative policy. They prefer
Speaker of their own sort and expect to
be in position to influence a combination
OF ali the west on some one man. but the
speakership without the committee organi-
Zation in form satisfactory to them they
would regard as Of little value
1t has been complained by this western
element that the important chairmanships
of committee were taken up for the most
part by the east and that there has been
no way TO get before the House measures
Of great Importance TO the west which the
eastern combination" opposed What they
want now is TO get control of more impor-
tant committees and become more potential
in legislation.
The tendency of this is to give a sectional
instead of a personal character to the con-
test, and 1t is regarded as likely that on
both sides considerations other than the
claim of any individual upon the honor Of
the speakership will control in the contest
Payne VIII Remain Candidate.
1t is asserted by friends of Representa-
tive Payne of New York. as coming directly
from him within twenty-four hours, that
he will persist in kis candidacy for the
speakership to the end of the contest and
viii not permit himself to be crowded.
1t is said also that Representative Ray
OF New York viii be an aggressive candi-