Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-19

STAR REPORTER GATHERED At THE VARIOUS
HEADQUARTERS TODAY.
There are probably not more than thirty
republican Representatives in Washing
ton. These are largely personal friends Of
this or that candidate for the speakership, so
that at this moment there is little more than
talk in the canvass here. But it would be
absurd to suppose that there is
candidate in the field who has
not made pretty close study of the situation.
Each candidate has his headquarters open and
may be easily found if any member wants to
make pledge of his support. 1t is generally
agreed that Reed is going to show up with more
votes than any one else at the start. All the
candidates and their friends will agree to that.
HOW MUCH OF A LEAD WILL REED HAVE.
Then the disagreement comes between Mr..
Reeds friends and those of the other four
candidates as to how much of q lead the Maine
man will have. Mr.. Reeds friends claim that
he has so many votes sure already that there
is practically to be no contest. His antag.
onists, on the other hand, say that he has
just enough of lead to make him
target and that he cannot possibly be elected
The assumption Of the friends of the other can.
didates is that Mr.. Reed will, at most, have no
more that sixty votes (they won't concede him
nearly as many. and that the other candidates
having among them more than a majority OF
the votes, will hold their forces firmly until
Reed is out of the fold. Then they agree that
it will be something of a scramble among the
rest of them.
MR. BINGHAM SAYS IT WILL BE REED ON THE FIRST
BALLOT.
Representative Cabot Lodge, representing
New England, and Representative Bingham OF
Pennsylvania are both here working hard in
the interest Of Mr.. Reed and it is understood
that the two Pennsylvania Senators are taking
an active part in his interest.
Mr.. Bingham said to a STAR reporter today
''Why, Reed will be nominated on the first bal
lot"
Mr.. Reed himself, Of course, has nothing to
say on the subject but he assumes an attitude
of as complete confidence as that held by his
supporters:
are that he will have 90 votes from New
England, 2 from New jersey, 10 from York
II from Pennsylvania bingham goes further
and counts the whole delegation of Pennsyl.
vania for him), from Kansas, from Cali
fornia, from Oregon, and 2 from Minnesota
with the four new states and Wisconsin most
likely for him. They say that there is no per-
sonal feeling against Reed; that his record on
all the party questions is good, and that with
such lead he is sure of the speakership.
These are their claims.
ON THE OTHER HAND,
the friends Of all the other candidates laugh al
these claims. They say that they know there
will be at least ninety votes distributed among
the other candidates and that they can hold
that many for long fight. They laugh at the
claims of Mr.. Reeds friends as to his strength
in New York and Pennsylvania. The
New York delegation agreed that if two-thirds
of their number agreed upon any candidate
they would all vote for him. 1t would take an
agreement of IS votes to bring this about 1t
is said by those who are disputing the claims
for MIR. Reed that he has at the very most but
seven of the New York votes. As to the Penn
sylvania delegation it is asserted positively that
Mckinley has majority of them.
ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES
appear to be as confident as candidates can well
be. They expect that the fight will be long
one and think that the victory will go to him
whose friends have the best staying qualities.
Every one of them is in the field to stay and
none is anxious at this time to claim more
votes than some other man has. They profess
to feel no alarm at the claims of Mr.. Reeds
friends. They simply dispute the claims and
add that he cannot hold all the votes he will
have on the first ballot.