Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-08
CHANGES WROUGHT BY YEARS
Comparison Of Present speakenhip Contest
with that Of Twenty Years Ago.
PRACTICALLY SETTLED YEAR IN ADVANCE
In the Good Old Days Liquor and
Cigars in CandidRtes' Head
quarters Cut n Most Con-
spicuOus Figure.
fFrom a star Correspondent


There has been marked change In the
manner Of conducting a speakershlp cam
paign in recent years. Twenty years ago
when the Forty-eighth congress was elected
the election was followed Immediately by
active operations on the part Of the speak
ership candidates. Samuel J. Randall OF
Pennsylvania, Sunset Cox Of New York,
william M. Springer of Illinois and John
@. Carlisle Of Kentucky were the candi-
dates and each opened Headquarters
These gathering places we're kept open for
nearly O year and thirsty or smoke hun
cry" adherents OF the fortunes OF one or
the other could always quench thirst or
satisfy the craving for nicotine in one room
or the other. In fact the Headquarters"
idea was carried out by the candidate for
all the minor Offices down to those who de-
sired to pray for the house in the guise OF
chaplains. One gentleman OF the cloth was
so lavish in his hospitality that he overdid
things, created a scandal and defeated him
self.
II was not until the very night Of the
caucus that the contest for speaker was de-
cided So hot was the race between Ran
dali and Carlisle that wagers we're made
right up to the moment when the balloting
began and thousands of dollars changed
hands on the result
That fight over the speakership Of the
Forty eighth congress was about the last
under the old method OF procedure. But 1t
must not be assumed that It was the last
fight for the speakershp. Mckinley gave
Reed a close race in the Fiftleth congress
and Crisp was only chosen to preside over
the house in the Fifty-hrst congress after
a bitter controversy and hot night.
When the Fifty-fourth congress was pre-
pairing to organize every candidate who at
one time or another thought of opposing
Reed dropped out and the "ex-czar" from
Maine had a walkover. And so 1t was when
Mr.. Reed resigned his gSvel and his seat
two years ago Candidates from the east
and candidates from the west sprang up
until there were a dozen in the field and
every one looked for an old time scrap,
with numerous ballots and lots of button
holing before a choice would be made. But
one after another withdrew until Hender-
son had the field to himself. Nor did no
have any contest last December when he
came up for reelection. 1t was simply
walkover.
Talk of n Revolt.
Last spring Mr.. Henderson succeeded in
causing a great deal of dissatisfaction
among his colleagues by his rulings. The
oloakrooms were filled daily with knots
Of men who growlingly swore that they
would lead revolt for new deal and
radical change in the rules after the fall
elections. Littleheld (Me.) who had antag-
onized the leaders upon several occasions
was seized upon as Moses to lead the dis
satisfied out of the bondage Of one-man
power" Hepburn Qa.) was chosen by an
other contingent, while Tawney, because Of
his fight against Cuban concessions in the
matter Of tariff rates, was picked out as
the candidate for the beet sugar men and
for a time he enjoyed a beautiful little
boom.
Sherman IN. ", once a supposed
candidate against Henderson, was the idol
Of very large contingent. But sherman
put a quietus upon the movement in his
own behalf by declaring with his colleagues
for Payne. Babcock (Wis.) made
himself very popular last winter by intro
ducing bills for the reduction of duties
on some trust made products. AS a con-
sequence he was pushed forward by a
large number OF western men who may
be designed as the low tariff wing of the
party. Burton (0) telegraphed his
frlends--he is chairman OF the committee
on rivers and harbors and can do favors-
to refrain from committing themselves
until he could buckle on his armor. And
there were others, including Mr.. Dalzell
(Penn.), the exponent Of extreme high
protection.
That was three weeks ago. Today uncle
Joe" Cannon Hl) has the field en-
tlrely to himself. He has not and will not
have to open headquarters" He has not
bought a box Of cigars or a single deml
John. II he has spent any money at all
he has expended 1t only in telegraph tolls
eff fun fNua
month before the date of the caucus he is
as assured Of the speakership in the Fifty
eighth congress as though he had already
taken the oath. Never before in the an
nails OF congress has such a remarkab &
contest for the high Office OF speaker been
carried on and won so easily. after such
q short campaign and so far IN advance
Of the opening OF new congress. Speak.
ers have been reelected without a hght
but never has one been chosen for his
hrst term with so little trouble to him.
self.
Statehood Fight Is On.
The senate will be engaged for severa
weeks from this time forward in discussing
the question whether or not three new
states shall be admitted to the union. Las
winter the house passed what is known a
the omnibus statehood bill, which provide
Tor the admission OF Oklahoma, Arizona ant
New Mexico. Before the summer adjourn
ment the senate agreed that this bill shoul
be reported upon by the senate eommitte
on territories on December and that
should be taken up for consideration o.
the 10th, and further. that 1t should b
the continuing order until finally dispose
Of Under this agreement a report wa
made on Wednesday last. The majority Of tn
committee favors the admission OF Okla
homa, but not Arizona and New Mexico.
II has been the policy of the democrati
party In the past to favor all bills designe
20 give state government to the territories
With one or two exceptions all the state
admitted since the war owe their statehoo
largely to the votes OF democrats in con
gress. knowing this TO be the fact, IN
delegates from the three territories couI
upon the solid support of the denooratl
senators for the omnibus bill. They al:
claim that eighteen republican senators al
unRlterably committed TO their cause an
IN consequence they count upon a safe ma
iority in support OF the measure.
But Il is at present an open question
to what the outcome will be. Each Of Il
territories has 5 greater population todi