The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-11
WILL HENDERSON BE A CAR?
PROBABLE COURSE OF THE NEW
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.


mer BIows-He Is Natural Peace
maker--A Royal Party Man-Sena-
tor Allison and the New Speaker
Copyright 1899.
washington. Dec 10-Tne days just pre-
ceding the beginning of a term o. Con-
gress are always days of quesu1niugs IN
Vulnerable. aud of speculation upon many
topics at the national capital each ques-
ton ana each topic being Of special i'm
portance to some particular circle or cote
RE. though Of no great moment 10 the ma
jority. But as a rule, there is one gen
eraI topic Of such supreme Importance as
70 overshadow all others whenever Il IS
brought forward. and the last DAYS before
che converting Of the Fifty-sixth Congress
have offered no exception TO the rule The
supreme question this year has TO do with
the probable course ana policies Of the
new speaker David p. Henderson To
everybody in Washington, aud TO many
scattered through the country. this ques-
ton is an interesting one; 20 the represen-
tatives and 10 all directly concerned with
legislation, it is paramount, Of course.
Naturally il takes many forms; but as
oftenest heard il is put in exactly six
words: 'Wnl Speaker Henderson be a
Carr In other phrase: viii his course
be similar to the course pursued by Reed
when he was speaker
Considered specifically as Washington
looks at it, this question may safely be
answered as simply as il is asked, by the
Tnonosyiable NO" The new speaker viii
in no sense be another Reed No che who
has ever known Henderson well can think
of him as a second edition OF anyDody.
But neither can anyone who knows the
Colonel conceive of him as weak and
vacilating presiding officer or as one VINO
can be swerved easily from any course
which ne has once determined 70 follow.
As 40 expediting legislation and carrying
his point say men who have watched him
for a score of years or more, the colonel
certainly viii be the equal of Reed; per
hars the superior. But he is a better
tactician than Reed and his methods will
create less friction than Reeds. Heuder-
sons ways viii probably resemble Blaine's
more nearly than those of any previous
head of the House.
Like Blaine in Many ways.
This prediction has been made by many
close students OF men and affairs here
within the past few days; not because
they think Col Henderson will conscious
" Initiate Blaine, but because they con-
slider the Colonels character and makeup
much like the character and makeup of
the earlier man from Maine.
Like Reed, say these experts, Col. Hen
derson has the power of making quick
decisions in a remarkable degree, and is
quite as capable of backing them up as
was Reed But, like Blaine, Col Hender
son is magnetic, impulslve and sympa-
thetic; at the same time he is thor
ough politician in the broad sense; a YER
liable past master in diplomacy. There
fore, while he is likely to carry his points
quite as uniformly as Reed. practically
speaking, he will do so in ways that win
seem far less aggressive; his methods will
be effective, but they viii seldom wound,
as Reeds often did, and those whose pet
measures are defeated win not be nearly
30 likely to cherish personal animosity 90
the Speaker.
Reeds methods" said a public man of
national repute to-day, were those of dis
gulsed force. He was always ready to OPP
pose his vast bulk of viii power to
veritable Niagara of adverse sentiment
and ne was almost always strong enough
to STOP the rushing current, but only after
there had been tremendous buffetings
which produced bruises, wounds and much
III feeling. On more than one occasion
that l can recall, Blaine controlled the
House in a situation of unexampled and
unexpected difficulty by expedients that
Mr. Reed never dreamed of adopting vet
they did the business quite as conclusive
~ as his harsher ways. Possibly Mr. Reed
avoided Blaine's methods In such case
from choice but have always suspected
that Il was because he was less quick of
perception than Blaine. He had the rare
faculty of keeping ahead of the House ,
This faculty Is less than intuitional and
Is of great value 80 any presiding officer
who may possess 1t. BY its exercise Mr.
Blaine was often able to foresee the tao
tics of the opposition in time to defeat
them Several times while ne was Speak
er every member of his party on the floor
was utterly non-plussed by a suddenly de-
veloped move of the opposition, and I'M
able to make even a pretense at a coun-
ter notion yet in each case to which I
refer, Blaine managed TO turn the tables
neatly by reason of his quickpess. Fix
Ing his eyes upon some particular mem
bers he would announce In ringing tones:
'On motion OF Mr.. Cannon or Mr. Ding
ley or Mr.. Somebody Else, the chair
rules so and 80.
''As matter Of fact, perhaps. not a man
on the Republican side of the house had
opened his mouth, hut the Speakers f1lI 'ng
would go, the opposition would be foiled.
Tor the time being az least and the bust
ness in hand would be expedited as surrey
as ever Reed exDed ited matters. 1 do not
say that Henderson win ever adopt this
particular mode Of procedure but he viii
be more likely to do something Of this
sort at critical points than to adopt tactics
similar TO Reeds. Everyone who has
watched the Colonel in debate here in
Washington, and everyone who is familiar
with his work as a presiding officer and
Otherwise IN Iowa conventions are aware
OF his intutional power of keeping ahead
OF the House almost as pronouucedly as
Blaine possessed it,"
Il may be added that the new speaker
Is credited generally with a profound
knowledge of parliamentary procedure and
with except onal ability TO Keep the run
Of the proceedings. In these particulars Il
Is predicted that he viii n no wise be less
efficient than was Mr.. Red
VIII BE Loyal 10 Party.
The impression seems TO be very gen
eral that while Henderson will carry his
point as Invariably as Reed ever carried
his. though by other methods it will b.
with a radical difference. Reeds view point
was usually a Personal one, and on many
occasions i differed materially from tho