Year: 1874

The speakcrship or the Next Com


Some Of our contemporaries ore amusing
themselves and their readers with discussions
as to who shall be, or ought to be, or
ought not to be, Speaker Of the next
House of Representatives. The names Of Mr..
Fernando Wood, General Banks, Mr. Kerr
and others are brought forward by their
friends, and each in his turn finds himself Wig
orously opposed. II is certain that if the
newspapers had to choose the Speaker the
struggle would be as long and as bitter as
>when Mr.. Banks or MIR. Pennington was
chosen. But as the next Congress will prob
ably meet for the transaction of business in
December, 1875 the discussion ut this time is
! premature, and would have no importance did
it not show how generally throughout the
country the democratic party is believed to
have at least the possibility of a future. For,
were it thought probable that the republicans
would carry the next Presidential election, the
/ question of the Speakership in the next House
would sink into comparative insgnficance.
| Men are anxious to know whom the demo-
Gratis will select as Speaker, because they are
/ conscious that the character and political and
economical opinions of the Speaker define, in
IA very great and, indeed, overwhelming de-
gree, the policy of his party; and thus when
they ask 'Whom will you make Speaker in
1852 men only inquire "What is to be
| your platform in 1882" In our political
| system the Speaker of the House is the most
powerful man in the country. He has less
| patronage, of course, than the Presi-
| dent; his Office may even rank in
! dignity below that of Vice President;
! but if he is an able man, with positive
| opinions, if he has political principles and
believes in them, he can do more to shape the
| policy of the country than the President and
| all his Cabinet and the Senate to boot
/ Almost the whole business Of Congress is
/ prepared and matured by the House COM
mittees, and the Speaker appoints these COM
mittees. Thus his power to promote and his
| power to prevent any line of policy are equally
great and it is literally true, though too apt
| to be overlooked by the public, that the
| Speaker of the House-unless he is mere
|. fgurehead like the late Mr.. Colfax-does
more even than the President to shape the
!, policy of the country


1t does not invalidate this statement to say,
| as. Mr.. Blaine has sometimes said, that the
Speaker is bound in some measure to consult
the sentiment or opinions of the House; for it
lis but rarely that opinions, even on the most
|, vital questions, are clearly defined in new
House: and by his selection Of the commit
tees the Speaker can if he will, almost always
l-crystallize, 80 10 speak, the floating sentiment
i Of Congress. Does any one, for instance, be-
ylieve that if MIR. Blaine had had decided


opinions on the currency question he would


have formed the Currency Committee as he
tedid last December, with good representation
f.of sound sense and experience and slight
but fatal preponderance of obstinate ignor-


ance? He meant that the committee should


do nothing very bad, but he did not think the


time had come to do anything decidedly good,


and, being very able man, he formed the


committee accordingly and nothing was


DONE


Now the democratic party is in q some


what delicate position before the country. It


has won less by its own merits than because


the people were tired Of the republican leaders


Gratis came in with certain vague promises
reform, economy, purity, good times; glitter
ing generalities all of them. They are not
committed to any distinct policy; they have
yet to frnme one and the country is un-


doubtcdly curious to see what it will be like
Until the democratic leaders have made up


their minds what to do they will not select
their Speaker, and when they have deter
mined who shall be Speaker their policy
will at once declare itself


Hence, necessarily, who will be Speaker is
ffor the present an idle question. The time


has not yet come to decide it. Only we beg
the democratic leaders not to forget that the


country will judge them by their Speaker


If they have well defined policy the selection


of really able man will not only tell this but
it will at once reveal the party's intentions
r If they mean to drift and to let the country


drift they will naturally choose for Speaker


not statesman but mere adroit politician !;
\ but the people will none the less guess their


purpose and hold them responsible.


fOf OuE OWN PaIs "o oFe Aot III D uufry
1 to have the democrats decide. Their recent


victory surprised them as much it did their


opponents, and it is only fair to give them
l time to reflect But it would be a calamity


for them to forget that, though they got


great majority, they have yet to win the coun.


trys confidence. Probably half the men who


the other day voted the democratic ticket did


80 with q determination never to do SO again,


unless the democratic leaders proved very


competent and trustworthy men indeed. If


the country is to drift the majority of the


people will prefer to see it drift under repub-