The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-05-25
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, May az, 1900.

washington, May az, 1899.
If the scheme of tine Reed chair
men OF the most important committees
of the last House to keep their places
under the new organization of the
House is a success, the next Speaker
will find that he is merely at the head
OF the old Reed legislative machine.
The argument put forth by these
schemers is little short of ridiculous.
II accepted. it would mean that every
man at the head of an important com
mittee had right to stay there as
long as he could get elected and his
party could control the House. Sucn
a plan would be unjust to the Speaker,
who would be little more than a fig
ure-head, if he could not control the
make up of the committees, and
equally unjust to the members who
wish no better their committee posi-
tions. The Reed machine says that
all the old chairmen who were reject
ed should be given the same places,
and points to fourteen vacant char
manships, owing to retirement Of the
old chairmen, as the only ones that
the new Speaker should put new men
into; also that none of the members
Of important committees should be
displaced. That would give the
Speaker fourteen chairmanships,
only four of which are important
Accounts, Banking and Currency,
Coinage, and Printing-to distribute
among his supporters, and 81 vacan-
cies to fill on eighteen of the import
ant committees. 1t is said that these
heldovers intend to form a combine
to prevent the election Of any candi
date who will not agree to their plans.
~.
Representative De Vries, who will
have the honor of being the only
Democrat from California in the next
House, is in Washington. He says the
Gov. is going to appoint Burns to the
Senate, with the understanding that
he is to be seated at the same time
that Quay gets in, and that the ap.
pointment will give the state to the
Democrats.
General Joe Wheeler returned tc
Washington this week, but not upor
any order from the War Department
He has no immediate expectations o
being ordered to the Philippines, be
cause the administration is too bus,
hoping that the fighting is over to b'
thinking or ordering officers to g
there.
Representative Gaines, of Tenn.
is in Washington on business. Speak
ing Of the political outlook he said
"The Democrats have only to stan'
firm, renominate Bryan, make som
additions to the Chicago platform
and they will sweep the whole countr
in 1900. Bryan's denomination is as
sured, for he is just as much admire
in the strongholds of the party as h
was in 90. The next platform will dc
clare for tree silver, but will also de
clare against expansion, militarism
and the trusts, which threaten tn
destruction ofthe nation. What make
the prospect all the brighter for tn
Democracy is the torn and divide
state of the Republicans. When Cor
gress meets and the majority tries
enact iron-clad gold-standard legisl;
ton, it will find out the true senlimer
of the country on the financial ques
iOn."
Representative Henderson's cand
dacy for the Speakership may be hu
more than helped by the work that
being done in his behalf by the ol
soldier organizations, which are askir
votes for him on the ground that /
will organize the committees of tt
House so as to insure more liber
pension legislation. 1t would seem
an unprejudiced observer that II
country has already gone to the e.
treme limit in the matter of pensic
liberalty, and the election of SpeaI
er who would favor going further
that direction would be regarded
anything else than blessing outsic
of those who would receive the mon'
or be directly benefited by a furth
increase in the already enormous pc
sion payments annually made by tn
government.
Kentucky Republicans are perfect
willing to have the gold Democra
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