Year: 1872

Qo9,Q00 Of greenbacks.


SPEAKER BLAINE AND HIS PENNSYLVANIA


FRIENDS.


It is eaid that Speaker Blaine has written q
letter suggesting that The next, or Forty-thira,
Congress meet on the 4th of March, organize
BY the election OF Speaker and other officers
have the Committees appointed, and then ad-
journ until December. Senator Brown1ow has
written letter to the New York Times urging
the election OF Mr. Maynard, OF Tennessee, for
Speaker; and, possibly, between nov and March
there may be half dozen candidates for that
Office. That there will be strong opposition to
1r. Blaine's reelection is certain; such an op-
position was declared last winter, and owes its
origin to striking fact in Congressional history


The House, at the first or special session in
March, 1871, by several direct and overwhelming
votes, expressed its Judgment not only in favor
Of the repeal of many Of the more glaring
abuses under the tariff, but in favor Of q gen.
eral reduction of tariff taxation. The bills then
passed by the House on this subject we're not
acted On by the Senate. At the meeting Of Con-
gress in December following, Speaker Blaine
appointed the Committees, and upon the Com
mittee of Ways and Means he appointed mn-
jority Of those who, while in no sense free
traders, we're opposed to the Chinese-wall policy.
The advocates of strictly revenue tariff were
in minority Of the Committee, but majority
VAS understood to be in favor OF q general
reduction Of the oppressive and destructive
rates Of tariff taxation. In this proceeding Mr.
Blaine performed his duty. The Speaker is an
officer Of the House, and not an independent
officer Of the Government. He is the organ Of
the House, bound by its orders, and through
whom the will and wishes of tile House find Off
cial expression. He is responsible tothe House, by
whom all his acts are to be judged. In appoint
ing this Committee, he did not so as far in the
way Of tariff reform az the previous votes OF the
House would have warranted, but he did sub
stantial1y make the Committee in accordance to
the repeated votes Of the House on that ques-
ton. He could hare done nothing else without
dsrespect to the body whose organ he Was.
But the members from Pennsylvania at once
got offended. They insisted that no
matter what the action Of the House had been,
protection Was right, and that protection meant
the highest rate of duties that anybody desired,
and that the Speaker should have appointed On
that Committee majority Of men who would
would maintain forever the Chinese system Of
non-intercourse and prohibition Of foreign trade.
They at once proclaimed their purpose to punish
Speaker Blaine. Part of this punishment was to
oppose and defeat his reelection as Speaker. In
this declaration Of war, the Pennsylvanians were
Joined by Mr. Maynard, Of Tennessee, and by
other jealous gentlemen from various parts of
the country, who think that the welfare OF the
people is best promoted by producing the great
est possible scarcity of iron, and by stopping for
eign trade as much as possible.


Mr. Blaine is in his second term as Speaker.
Tho next House of Representatives will have
majority of new members. Perhaps there is not
in the party to which he belongs there
will not be in the next House, man SO we'll
qualified as he for the Office Of Speaker. In the
T0uG1-aQQ-LunDl8 Oh La8 laL0 GAIupalbu uo HA5
probably the most efficient captain Of the party
which won the victory. It is doubtful, however,
whether these facts will disarm the opposition
Of those whose advocacy Of protection reaches
fanaticism. They seek to infict punishment for
the past, and to secure the election of one of
their own number as security for the future.
In Mr.. Maynard these Chinese economists
have fit representative. He believes that
be wears the mantle OF Henry Clay, and
that it is his mission to uphold the "American
SYSTEM He believes in protection in its most
whitening and bIghting forms. Should the
choice Of Speaker be made to turn upon Mr.
Maynard's high-tariR notions, and b1r. Blaine's
action year ago, it may be that majority Of
the Republican caucus will venture to set aside
Mr. Blaine's ability and experience and take an
inferior man, but such proceeding will at once
create new issue, and prepare tho way for that
struggle upon tariff reform SO long averted, but
which must come sooner or later.