The age-herald., 1901-12-01

sentatives met in caucus in the hall of the House at Il o'clock today.
 There are 151 Democrats and eight Flu sionists, Silverites and Populists in the House. Of these members of the minor ity 126 were present, including Mir. Shaf- roth, of Colorado. and MT. Newlands, silverites MT Neville and MT. Stark. Populists of Nebraska, declined to en- ter the caucus. MT. Hay of Virginia, chairman of the Democratic caucus, pre- side.
 Without opposition the following selec- tions were made for officers of the House to be presented at the meeting of the House next Monday:
 Speaker, MT. Richardson of Tennesse, clerk, Representative James Kerr of Pennsylvania, sergeant-at-arms, ex- Representative E. V. Brookshire, of In diana; Doorkeeper, Charles Edwards, of Texas, and Postmaster James K Jack son, of Alabama.
 Richardson Expresses Thanks. MT. Richardson briefly thanked the caucus for the honor done him, and said:
 Two years ago our party friends in the House of Representatives of the Fifty-sixth Congress nominated me in caucus to receive their votes for Speaker of the House. I accepted and entered upon the duties i'm posed upon me by their action with what I then felt was the fullest appreciation of the responsibilities thereby imposed. Now, after two years of experience with me, the same distinc- tion is again bestowed upon me by this caucus, assure you l appreciate the honor done me at this time more keenly and profoundly if possible than before,
 because I can look at it as something of an endorsement of my efforts, though they may have been feeble to serve the party in the position in which the party placed me, and I know I realize more earnestly than did then the responsibili- ties you have committed to me.
 My best efforts shall be put forth to
 have the minority on the floor of the House acquit itself in such manner as to com mand the respect and confidence not only of our own party but of the country at large. I ask and have the right to ask of each of you the heartiest cooperation and support at all times. am sure will have it. for in no other
 way can I have hope of success.
 Must Attend Sessions.
 T shall not attempt here and now to discuss or lay down any principles by which we are to he governed as a par ty. It would not be appropriate for me to do so. There Is one thing. however, f I will say now at the very beginning of our service. because I believe 1t is proper that it should be said. It is this. I urge on you and each of you the sur passing importance of attending the ses- sions of the House. We have a minority consisting of about 16O members If ev- cry member of this opposition will at tend our sessions and answer when his name is called, we will make our oppo- sition effective and often times will be able to defeat our opponents In their efforts to pass unfit and improper meas ! ufes. II feel that I have the right to ask | you, and do ask you now. that during l the time you fill a seat in the house, you | will be as anxious to occupy that seat | as you assured your constituents that | you were desirious of occupying 1t before 1 the election. If we are punctual in our
 attendance, though in the minority, we
 will be able to doemuch in the way
 of enacting wholesome legislation and
 more and above that, will be able to
 prevent the enactment of many bad laws | The country will, when the session closes
 pass judgment, not only upon the action | and conduct of the majority side of the | House, but also of the minority side | | ically, we will place our party in the | position to deserve and to command 8
 decisive victory in the congressional cleo | tions of next year and a still greater l triumph in the national contest of 1904 ' | The selection of MT. Richardson as l candidate for speaker, clothes him of
 ficially with the minority leadership! The l four places on the House roll allowed
 the minority will be filled by Isaac
 
 and James F. English of California; i;
 Felton B. Knight of Georgia, and Ewing
 Bland. sen of Silver Dicx' Bland, spe- | cial employees
 | Tariff Reduction Necessary.
 The interesting portion of the caucus l followed. Representative Mcclellan, of l New York, at the direction of the Demo-
 cratic members of the New York delega-
 tion who had met just prior to the as-
 sembling of the caucus. offered the fol- l lowing resolution as an expression of | sentiments of the caucus:
 l Resolved That we shall promote to l the utmost of our power the removal of | the oppressive restrictive and often pro- | hititive features of the existing tariff. It l has been truly declared to be the mother | of trusts The tendency to create com
 binations of wealth, establishing practical monopolies in the manufacturing and l comm ercial industries of the United | States threatens the future existence of
 individual manufacturers and merchants | and tradesmen of moderate or small 1 means
 That the tendency must undermine | the sturdy independence of large bodies | of American citizens, and may be we'll | deemed the most serious menace to the l moral and political welfare of the coun- | try The time has come when our indus | tries manufacturing well as agricul- | tural which practically enjoy no protec- | tion for the reason that their products | are exported, and because whether or | not duties be levied in their favor no 1 com peting products can be profitably im- | ported, should be permitted to avail themselves of foreign markets to the full-
 est extent as they cannot do under exist
 ing restrictions Highly protected indus | tries should no longer be permitted to sell more cheap1y to foreigners than to their
 own countrymen. Fit and thorough re-
 lief can be had only by amendment of
 the present tariff act. But we shall favor
 such reciprocity treaties as will reduce.
 even if they do not altogether remove the
 unfair and oppressive burden of the
 present system.
 Freedom for Cuba.
 ''second-we shall favor just and gen.
 erous treatment of the inhabitants of Porto Rico and Cuba American obliga- | ti0ns to Cuba should be sacredly per | formed. Having freed her from Spanish dpmination and assumed over her a pro-
 t4ftorate and even some of the preroga-
 tiNtss of her sovereignty. we are bound IN --as-