Evening journal., 1914-07-22
New News Of Yesterday
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How Don Cameron Mys-
titled the Politicians

By HOIIans.

I Col William R. Morrison. who
served many years as a Representa-
tive of Congress for one Of the Illi-
nois districts and was chairman Of
the Ways and Means Committee. un-
der the Speakership Of John G. Car
isle, was esteemed as adroit a tech
nical politician -adroit in the tech
nique Of politics as any man of his
time, at least any who sat upon the
Democratic side Of the House OF
Representatives He directed the
canvass which resulted IN the elec-
tion Of Mr. Carlisle as Speaker. in
the fall Of 1888. with extraordinary
ability, the actual vote differing ~
only two from the personal canvass
| Col. Morrison had made.
Col. Morrison was or SUFFICIENT
| breadth Of mind to be willing ia ac-
4 cord due praise to any Republican
( leader who had been successful in
managing a difficult canvass. doubt
if he ever gave higher praise to any
/ Republican speaker for political
| ability than was contained in a few
words with which he described the
canvass for the Republican nomina-
ton for Speaker Of the House of
Representatives in the last week OF
November, 1881.
he was chatting with me at the old
Riggs House. in Washington. few
days after the Republican caucus of
me House had nominated Gen Joseph
Warren keifer for Speaker.
70 n 80
He was a brave soldier and he nm
/ aerstands parliamentary procedure
| Ialrly well. But / should think that
some weeks must pass before he gets
over the beWilderment Occasioned nv
the sudden and brilliant stroke which
made it possible for him 10 defeat
FRANK Hiscock in the Republican
caucus
Il have not yet been able 10 learn
exactly how i was done. But my
friends on the other side tell me that
i was accomplished single-handed BY
Don Cameron.
For a week before the Republican
caucus Frank HiscOck's nomination
for Speaker seemed to be inevitable
| was certain that he would be
nominated. aud J even vent so far az
70 congratulate him on his probable
success.
"Of course. you know that Gen.
keifer was occasionally spoken or
as candidate for the SpealIership. and
had some following, but it was pre-
sumed to be purely complimentary
and to have been created for the pur-
pose Of securing for Keifer either the
chairmanship Of the Ways and Means
or Of the Appropriations Committee
Don Cameron had been piowins
very deeply and very silently You
know he fishes with very deep line.
as the politicians say. aud has never
failed TO fish successfully.
In some way he was able to swing
the Pennsylvania delegation over ia
keifer He made combinations or
which the Pennsylvania delegation
was the keynote. and did II so quietly
and so swiftly that nobody suspected
what was going on until the vote
showed that Keifer was elected.
Il wish | could find out exactly
how he did it. Nobody seems fo
know. Certainly those who do know
IF there are any such-are not will
ing to tell
i have an idea that this nomina-
ton OF Ten. heiter as Speaker was
the first step in the direction Of the
Presidential nomination OF 1884.
suspect that it may mean the nomina-
tion of Sherman. Don Cameron and
Sherman are good friends also
suspect that if Garfield had lived the
administration would have taken 4
part in the Speakership contest and
the Speaker would have been man
who had Garheld's complete conf
dence
so you see. there are two features
Of this nomination of Keifer which
are OF great interest to me. One Is
that associated with the very skillful
politics which made it possible. and
the other is the relation under Don
Cameron's leadership Of Keifer's
nomination for Speaker to the Re-
publican Presidential nomination in
1884"
Copyright. 1914. by e. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will Toll