The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-06-02
THE SPEAKERSHIP.
Sectionalism Not to Determine
the Result.
Prsponderancs OF Republican Member
ship In the West
(The New York Tribune. J

Washington, May s0.-Enough In already
known to make 1t assured that the Speak
ership contest will not be determined by
sectionalism. but the roster of Republican
membership shows that II 1t werel to be
so the West would win hands down.
Exclusive Of the Republican Representa-.
tive from the late slave States, and only
counting those from the so-called Northern
States, the Republican membership of
the new House Is thus divided:
Eastern and New England States SO
Western States 10i
Or Western preponderance OF IS. Be-
sides these there are four Republicans
from Maryland, three from West vir-
giniA, three from Missouri, two from
Tennessee. two from North Carolina, two
from Kentucky, one from Delaware and
one from Texas; total, IL. II these
scattering Southern Republicans should
divide on Eastern and Western sectional
lines, IL would not change the result. Nor
would they change the result should they
all support an Eastern candidate for
Speaker and the West remain solid for
Western candidate. The total Republican
membership is.lsss. which of the whole
House is clear majority of only IS.
While there IL apparent desire at the
West to have Western man succeed Mr..
Reed, the division of the Western strength
among several candidates indicates that
the sectional idea is not paramount, but
Is rather being used as an argument in
hs tnf nf ind do &aa
The divisions are even more ~ arked in
the West than the East. The Speaker
ship contest Is far from being settled.
Aside from all individual claims there
are many reasons why New York should
have the Speakership Of the House, but 1t
10 unfortunate that at this favorable
juncture when the field Is open, the
Empire States Republican membership
is 30 small in comparison with its total
representation. There .are only sixteen
Republicans out of total OF thirty four
Representatives, against twenty-eight
Republicans to six Democrats in the last
Congress.
A welI-known Republican politician
from the West said today:
II New York was as strong In the new
House as she was in the last, she would
undoubtedly secure the Speakership. She
may do it as 1t Is but consider 1t doubt
full. Unless Ohio comes In for New
lOfkors t06 game istup. ~ 10 buo Empire
States misfortune that system of per-
sonal politics, llonglin vogue, has leftl her
at critical moment weak in the domi-
nant party (of which she should be the
leader.always), when numbers would give
her the Speakership.
But this Is nothing new In New York's
political history. She has been the Lead
or OF all the States In population and
wealth since ie20, q period Of eighty
years. Yet she has had but one Speaker
Of the House Of Representatives since
the origin of the Government John w.
Taylor. though 1t Is true that Mr. Taylor
was Speaker OF two Congresses, with an
interim OF four years between terms. He
was Speaker of the second session of the
xVIth Congress only, Speaker Clay
having found 1t isnpossi5le to attend.
After lapse OF four years, MIR. Taylor
was elected Speaker Of the XIXth Con-
gress, and served from 1896 to 1897. He
was born In Saratoga County. and was a
member Of the House continuously for
twenty years, entering 1t first in 1913,
during the last war With Great Britain.
Afterward he removed TO Cleveland,
Ohio. where he practised law, dying In
1904.
The third-r State Of Kentucky in
wealth and population has held the
6peakership for twelve terms or Congress
es. Henry Clay was Speaker six terms,
John @. Carlisle three terms. Linn Boyd
two and John White one term. Ono OF
Mr.. Clay's terms was fractional one