Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-07-06
CHAMP GAKS LETTER
Prominence of Western
Men In Politics.
HEEDERsOEs ELEVATION.
Wen Received on Both Sides Of
the House.
H%EEDERSOE'S ELEVATION
LGvLEssEEss N NEW ENGLAND.

the Rouse.
LEvLEssEEss IN NEW ENGLAND.
brutal outraEez PeFPetratea ~ Ku-
kluz In Maine and Mohs In Com
neetteut-sataa freaks Lees Ia tie
Lana Of the PuritaA-Reriah WI
kins' InaIetmsns OF ~Righsseua"
Law Breakers.
Especial washington Ls;ierl
Westward the star Of empire takes
its way" is q poetic prediction which
appears to be in process Of being full
filed in the spsakership fight.
Hopkins and the rest are ont Of the
contest. which leaves General David B.
Henderson Of Iowa. as the sole survivor
Of all those halcyon spirits who aspired
to be custodian Of the gavel and Hen
derson is the most western Of them all
from the Louisiana Purchase. from
the sunset side Of the great river. II
may not be settled yet, but to mere
locker on in Vienna Il appears 10 be 50.
With Henderson Of Iowa for speaker in
the Fifty-sixth congress and Bryan Of
Nebraska in the White House in March.
1901. the west is showing up first rate,
thank you'll
General Henderson's elevation viii
probably leave less ranking Of the heart
among Republicans than the selection
Of any other man would have done, for
be is persona grata to most Of the
members on both sides and Democrats
viii be as nearly satisfied with him as
they could be with any Republican
speaker.
In a former letter. at a time when l
had RIO idea that General Henderson
would be a candidate for the speaker
ship I said some kind things about him
among others that be went into de-
bate as into a cavalry charge, and that
Is the manner in which he proceeded in
this speakership contest His early and
complete success demonstrates the won
drous effect Of the right sort Of a dash
made upon ones opponents before they
have time TO organize. Henderson's
personal popularity, his excellent mill
tary record. his bonhomme and his
geographical location were the causes
Of his victory. While others were pull
ing wires. consulting with the bosses
and doing other things usually approved
by practical politicians. General Hen
derson. metaphorically speaking. took
his claymoTe in his hands, rallied the
western congressional rough riders to
bis standard. rode down upon his op.
ponents and scattered them to the
windA
Henderson, ss Speaker.
Henderson win have one excellent
qualification for the speakership which
none Of his predecessors ever had and
that is that he Is ineligible to the pres
idency by reason OF his foreign birth.
This may be a source Of great regret to
General Henderson, but 1t Is a matter
Of congratulation TO the republic, not
that Henderson would not make a fair
ly good president IL he could be elected
that Is. rs good as Republicans are
liable to be-what / mean 10 say Is that
because be Is ineligible 10 the presi.
dency be win put in all his time trying
to make a great speaker and thereby
securing great fame instead Of wasting
his days and lying awake at night In
ducing insomnia. Fostering his head Ia
devising means Of getting TO the White
House. 1t Is a strange fact Of history
that only q ex-speaker. James X.
Polk Of Tennessee, eyer rose to the
presidency. Nevertheless the chances
are a thousand to one that no man ever
held the great Office Of speaker who did
o put in a good deal Of his time
studying as to how well be would ct
the chair Of Washington and as to
what sort Of q figure be would cut
wearing the mantle of Jefferson.
Henderson is one Of the most distin-
gnished looking men that ever presided
over the house. With him in the chair
that tumultuous assembly can well
afford to have its picture taken to per-
petuate its physical appearance TO pos
terity.
1.-THE om~nivorous west, " as Mr.. Reed
was once pleased to describe the vast
country between the Mississippi and
the Pacific, will chuckle over Hender-
sons triumph without regard to politics
CT religion, and everybody that knows
him well will wish for him a successful
career.
The Course of Empire.
Under Henderson's speakerzhip not
only that great Office passes to the west,
but also the leadership upon the floor Of
the house, for it is an acknowledged
fact that the Iowa delegation-all Re
publican-is n Of the three strongest,
Missouri and Texas having the other
two. II will be only natural, indeed II
will be inevitable, that Henderson will
most of all lean upon Hepburn, Dolli-
yer, Hull, Cousins. Lacy and other
Iowans- When this census Is taken, the
west will make a big gain on the east
in both Representatives and electoral
votes. So. while Henderson will be the
pioneer transmississippi speaker, be
will either succeed himself, in case the
house is again Republican, or, what is
far more probable, be succeeded by a
western Democrat.
just here 3 problem Of both great in
terest and extreme difficulty presents
itself-namely, under the new order of
things. with bis Iowa colleague and per-
sonal friend IA the chair. viii Colonel
". P. Hepburn. the staiwart states