OCR Text |
Show H ASUINGTON. rhe St ruegle tor the Speakership Speaker-ship aud Other 1 luces. 4, DlHgrAcefnt Trlcli to Wlilcb l lie I'restdent Must Lent Hiiuseil. V Short Session ot lou;res Aclicipttletl. Washington, 5. Before the excitement excite-ment aud tumult atteudmg the Jasi Jays ot me Forty-fiitu coDgrea bavt antirely subsided, the national capital cap-ital has become the scene ol a very exciting canvas for the speakership of the dcxI boute, and of the con tea tb which permeate political circles in avery direction, Jor all the other office of both brahebea ot congress. Speaker Randall, ia, of course, a candidate can-didate for reelection, and enters the race with many noticeable advantages, advan-tages, derived from bia possession ot the office during three sessiona o! , congrea, aud the good use he bae made of it. His friends eav he has I ninety votes in the next house pledged i to him and, it this statement ia true, his election would appear to be a foregone fore-gone conclusion. It ia generally supposed, sup-posed, however, to be an over-sanguine estimate, and, besides, there is no absolute certainty that a majority ol the democratic caucus will control the organization ot the houses, the democratic majority over the republicans repub-licans and greeubackere combined being be-ing only five votes, so that the absence ab-sence or illness ol a lew democrats or the defection of a lew of them might possibly result in the election as speaker of some such greenback republican as Kelly, ol Pennsylvania, Aseumiog, however, that the democratic caucus nominee will ha elected, which is almost certain, the contest is likely lo narrow down ultimately to Randall and Blackburn, of Kentucky. Blackburn's Black-burn's pereonal friends are reinforced in their opposition to Randall by large number of members who think toey have been unfairly treated in the make up of the committees, by IrieDde of the Texas Pacific railrcad bill, aud similar measures, and by many who are opposed to Tilden'a nomination, for the presidency, it being quite the general impression that Randall ia a lilden man. Randall's strength is based upon his acknowledged ability as an organizer, and the clean record be has made during his term as speaker. Hia name is free from the taint of corruption. He is a sagacious politician, an accomplished par ha mentarian, is firm, temperate, obliging oblig-ing and very discreet. Blackburn, his leadiog competitor, is also an able parliamentarian and a man of unquestioned un-questioned integrity; has many attractive attrac-tive traits of character which make him deservedly popular with his associates; asso-ciates; he baa yeuth, dash, pluck, eloquence, a fine presence, capability and fair judgment. At times he gives way to temper, but generally has wonderful control of .a high strung and impetuous nature. He has more imagination than Randall and possesses fine social qualifications. In the background ready to be brought to the front in case of any opening for the prize aro Representatives Morrison, ot Illinois; House, of Tennessee; Ten-nessee; McMahon, of Ohio; Goode, of Virginia; and Cos, of New York; but none of them as yet haa developed any considerable degree ol strength, excrpt as compromise candidates. Tue contest tor the clerkship ol the house will be between Adams, present pres-ent incumbent, and ex-Congressman C.tld well, of Alabima. Tboir chances are thought to be about square. Sergeaot-at-Arms Thompson can probably he reelected with no serious opposition, but there are eome indications indica-tions that ho intends to oiler himself as a candidate lor sergeant-at-arms of the eeuate. The most prominent candidates now io the field tor this desirable de-sirable office under the senate, are L. Q. Washington, formerly of San Francisco, aud now a correspondent of the Louisville Courier-Journal; General Duncan 8. Walker, of thia city, and Liaac Eaton, ol Kansas; ex-Congresaman ex-Congresaman Clover, of Missouri, is also a candidate, but ba3 no chances. Candidates to succeed Mr. Gorham as secretary ot the eeuate are thick aa blackberries. Among those ac-j lively eueagtd in the canvass are ex- j Senator Dennis, of Maryland; Col. Haivey Watterion, fathor ol Henry; Col. John C. Birch, editor of thu Nashville American; A. C. Buello, lote editor of tho Washington 1'osi; Professor MacMahon, West Virginia; ex-Representative Stenger, of Pennsylvania; Penn-sylvania; ex-Coiigreesmau Waddell, of New York, and many others who have not yet formally announced themselves, but who are making "a still hunt." The length of the exlra session is a matter ol ijreal diversity of opinion. If the greenh.ickera can inJuce eight or ten republicans and democrats to act with tiiem independently, the orgau;zition ol the house may not be ellectcd for weeks, but as above indicated, indi-cated, thia is not probable, and both houses may be expected to commence work within a lew days after they assemble. Tne democrats having control ol botn branches of conre niil then promptly p.ia a bill to repeal the leder.il election laws anJ o'.aer obnoxious statutes aimed at by the rcceut tfiorla of the houe of representatives. The president will undoubtedly veto this measure, and an efJort will then be made to attach its provisions to one or both ol the appropriation bills for the passage ot which the extra session is called. The consequences of raising the issue in thia manner cannot now be accurately predicted, but there io scarcely any reason to believe that the effort will prove successful in the next bouse with 60 narrow a democratic majority, and although the session mfy be needlessly prolonged by political discussions dis-cussions on this and other subjects, it is not likely Iroru present appearances appear-ances to extend later than the commencement com-mencement of hoi weather in Washington, Wash-ington, about the middle of May. SHAT.r PDACTiCE. New York, 6. A Washington correspondent cor-respondent haa the following, and he ia not alone in his opinions: The motivee ol the administration in calling call-ing the tension at so early a period as March ISth, are interesting enough to mike it worth while that ihey Biiouid be p'ainly uxderstouJ. Ihey concern an lngrniOQs combination, fathered by Garfleld, for giving lh? speakership ekr-e-rto Garfield himself or to Kelly, according a? the Write house my or may not eucceed in commanding the occfideoce of the greenback people in the new con crew. Tae basis upon which tbee calculation? reit ia very simple. 15? the death of Schleicher a vacancy cx:?ts in the IVxisdflcgition which is to to fi lfd by an e.ection ordered for April 15:11. Sinpieton, of ( I.iincia, dimocratic member elect, now lies seriously ill at the Hc Springs, and according to Garfield 's ii.-formalion ii.-formalion wnl hardly be able to reach Washington by March lS:h, Lay, oi Missouri, another democrat, hag beer very ill tnr many montha past, ane jarfieid firmly belitvei will rut bt illowed by bis physicians to travel at :bia season of the year. Blm.d, o Missouri, ia also confined al hia res i dence, and reported, according U Gaifieid, to be dangerously ill. Ack len is also lying ill just sow at bit quarters in this city, aud, Garfield hai atiohed himself, will not be able u leave the house certainly for a month Garfield further relies upon the p-aible p-aible arrest of five other democrats i members, against whom Aitjrne General Deveua is working up indictments. indict-ments. The president has been induced in-duced by Garfield to believe that by calling corgresa tcgetcer on March ISth, tne auministration will be enabled en-abled to prevent tne demacraU Irom organizing their own house. Vvashinaton, 6. There is reason to believe the presidents message to congress will be brief and contiiied to the sutjecta for which it will be convened, con-vened, and that he will, at the in stance of the secretary of the treasury, treas-ury, ar-k that measures be adopted for an increase of the revenue, it uaving been decreased to the extent of $10,000,000 by the passage ol the tobacco bill. The secretary says, today, to-day, but for this be would have $28,-0OU.000 $28,-0OU.000 surplus revenue with which to pay the arrears ol pensionsrecently authorized by congress. |