The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-01-06


n was the ranking member, did not de-
sire the craftsmanship and Mr.. Foss
was second on the list.
The other chairmen remained as
from Reed. So it was in the Fifty
seventh Congress. Speaker Henderson
n made few changes, but took care OF
the new members on the committees
S5 Speaker Cannon found most of these
i chairmen in their places when he or
ganized the House in the Fifty eighth
s Congress, and he made few changes.
The retirement of Mr.. Loud of Califor-
MIA from Congress made necessary the
selection of a new chairman Of the
Post Office committee, and Mr.. Over
street was taken from another COM
/ mittee for that place because Of the
post office scandals.
To succeed himself as chairman of
the Committee on Appropriations
Speaker Cannon appointed Mr.. Hem
enway, the third member on the list,
because Gen. Bingham, who held the
second place, did not feel himself ply
sically equal to the labors of the chair
man.
The most interesting feature of the
Republican victory at the polls in 1904
is found in the House of the Fifty
ninth Congress, where there are more
Republican members than have ever
before had seats in that body. The
political division of the House is: Re-
publicans, 249; Democrats, 1877, with
eight seats contested.
OF the twenty-four Republicans who
retired from the Fifty-eighth Congress!
only one surrendered his seat to a
Democrat, and that was Representa-
tive Jackson of the First Maryland
district, who has begun a contest
against the Democrat who holds the
certificate of election. All the other
Republicans who retired were either
elected to the Senate, or voluntarily
withdrew, or We're defeated for re-
nomination, or died, and all have Re-
publican successors.
In addition there were elected forty
who held seats in the Fifty eighth
Congress. To offset this Republican
gain the party lost one district in
West Virginia in the special election
last spring to fill the seat made va
cant by the resignation of Represent
tative Dayton, who was appointed to
the United States District Court
bench.
The Speaker had. therefore, to find
committee assignments for thirty-nine
more Republican members than in the
last House. He had siXty-siS new
Republican members to take care
with only Iifty-five committee places
made vacant by the retirement of Re-
publican members and most of these
are unimportant places on committee.
that have little or nothing to do witt
the preparation of legislation
lican and ninety-six Democratic va
cancies in the committee list of the
last House by reason of the transfer
death or defeat OF former members
OF the House. With sixty-six new Re.
publican members and only eighteen
new Democratic members ii was APP
xl,,4
the parties on committees was ncces-
sary to avoid ovcrworking the minor-
ity and TO give the majority places
to develop their legislative talents
The speaker had to enlarge the ma.
iority representation on committees to
find places for his followers.
There is one committee where prccc :
dence has never been recognized, 81
far as the selection of chairman Is
concerned. This is the Committee or
Appropriations where the greatest de
tail work is done. For this post the
Speaker has always sought to seec
man peculiarly fitted for the work
handling the great supply bills. Their,
were six vacancies, including tn
craftsmanship. in that committee, an,l
the Speaker had many applicants 70,
these places.
Before the civil war the appropria .
ton bills, as well as the revenue bills
came from the Committee on Ways
and Means. and that was by all odds
the greatest and most important COM
mittee in the House. But during the
civil war the House created the Com
mittee on Appropriations and Speaker
Colfax asked Thaddeus Stevens, who
had for several years been chairman
3 of the Committee on Ways and Means
which part Of the divided work he
would take.
Mr.. Stevens unhesitatingly chose the
craftsmanship of the Appropriations
Committee, and surrendered his ole
place as chairman of the COMMITTEES
on Ways and Means. That was in thi
. Thirty-eighth Congress, and Mr. Ste.
vens remained at the head of the com.
mittee until he died, in 1868, during
the session of the Fortieth Congress
Representative Elihu 8. Washburne O.
& Illinois, who was the second on the