The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-09
Conducted to the Chair by the Late Scar"
and Mr.. Mills, Amid Exultant TELLS from
the Throats of Southern Members.
Two Anti-Free-Coinage Bay State Demo-
Gratis Refuse to Vote for Him.
How Well.Known Representatives Fared in
the Seat-Drawing Lottery-Rules Violated
by Allowing Tammanyites on the Floor.
SCENES IN THE EOUSE.

WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-1hat greater puD-
lie interest was taken in the Democratic
caucus than in the mere spectacle of the
organization of the House was shown to-
day by the absence of the excited crowds
that jammed the corridors of the Capitol
until midnight yesterday. The proceed
ings lacked the element of the unexpected.
Precisely at noon Clerk Mcpherson, who IS
a great stickler for exact formalities, called
the House together, and, after the journal
of yesterdays futile meeting had been
read. he announced that nominations for
Speaker were in order. The bearing and
the conduct Of the men whose cohorts had
been clashing for so many hours in the
caucus was closely watched. Mr.. Crisp.
victorious and smiling, remained in the
appropriations committee room, and did
not enter the hall of the House until his
election as Speaker had been accomplished.
Mr.. Mills secluded himself in the ways and
means committee-room, evidently wiehing
to escape the embarrassment of ndolence.
When he did come upon the floor, exactly
at noon. he bore himself with unruffled dig
nifty, although his open countenance be-
trayed traces of sleepless night. Springer
was as clipper as usual, and the red carna-
tion IN his button-hole was vivid as ever.
McMlllin looked as il he was supremely
confident of good chairmanship of COM
mittee.
The only incidents OF the roll-call for
election of officers were the vigorous tone
in which Mr. Mills. when his name was
called. announced the name of Crisp. and
the noticeable fact that Hoar and Will
| iams of Massachusetts,, both of whom were
present, declined to vote at all. MIR. Hoar,
when asked why he did not vote, said:
| Last fall. in an interview which had
during our campaign in Massachusetts,. /
| stated that, in the coming contest for the
| speakership, / would vote for no candi-
date who would not promise to use his in
| fluence. if elected Speaker, against consid-
Grafton of bad financial legislation and the
| extension of silver coinage When Mr..
| Crisp became the candidate of the party |
| promise. which he declined to do. There
| was nothing left for me to do but to refrain
| from voting for him. Having gone into
| the caucus, did not care to vote for any
one else but its Derlinee. but could not
| vote for him a3a seep my word. In my
| Judgment, however. he will do exactly
| what he refused to promise to do, namely.
| use his influence as Speaker against con-
|
tension of the coinage of silver. feel
| fairly sure that such will be his action, but
as could not get his promise ne could not
| get my vote"
Representative Williams said: II did
| not vote on the roll-call for Speaker for the
| sole reason that could not do so and keep
| faith with the people of Massachusetts,. In
the last campaign i took the position dis
| tinctly that | would not support any man
| for the speakership who did not express
himself in favor OF the suppression of free
| coinage legislation in this Congress. Mr.
| Crisp has not so expressed himself, though
opportunity has been given him to do so he
| remains silent on the question, as he has
| right to do. 1t is plain that promises to
| the people on which votes are sought are a
primary obligation. The caucus can find
no fault that refused to, cast my vote; if
| there is any such cancus law as that shall
| keep out of caucuses hereafter"
Curiously enough, Mr.. O'NeiIl, the Bos-
ton Democrat who persistently voted In
| caucus for stevens on the same ground
| that HOar and Williams refused to vote for
| Crisp to- day. acknowledged tho victory of
| the Hill combination by
Obediently voting for Crisp. There was an
| outburst of applause at this on the Demo-
| cratic side.
PROUD MOMENT FOR CRISP.
It might well have been the proudest
moment in the life of this son of the English
actor when, with the elephantine Reed on
one side and the haggard Mills on the
| other, he walked down the main aisle of
the House amid q perfect salyo of hand
| clapping punctured with the familiar
rebel yell" The Southerners seemed to
feel that for the two long years this yell
| had been one of despair instead of triumph,
and so they improved the opportunity. Mr..
| Crisp raised his right hand as the oath was
read to him, and there was mother ont
nf x-rlf fri N w hRn hn
cended the desk and gave the first official
rap with the gavel. Mr. Crisp's speech was
| agreeably brief. Its most significant SEN
tence Was his declaration shat his election
| would not impede the progress of tariff
| reform"
The most interesting feature of the day
| was the drawing of seats. 1t Is done in this
way: The members all retire in dense
| mass behind the screens at the rear of the
seats. leaving the floor of the House vacant.
| A blindfolded page draws a marble bearing
| number from n box and the Clerk calls
off the name of the member wh0 bears that
member thus called advances and occupies
the desk which he may select.
1t has been the custom for years to allow
the eX-Speaker and the oldest member on
each sido in point of service to select their
seats in advance of the drawing. To-day
| Mr.. Blount of Georgia asked for unanimous
consent that this be done, as usual. In
stantly Colonel Oates. of Alabama. bound
| ed into the aisle and, raising his only arm
shouted vindictively. "Iobject" His ami
| mostly toward ex-Speaker Reed was evil
| dent. There were protests from other DEM
ocrats, and evidently the Democratic ma
jority felt itself too big to do so small a
thing. Mr.. Blount then made a formal mo-
ton that the old custom be followed.
which was carried. despite n small but ugly
chorus of mays" from some of the Demo-
Gratis who had run counter to Speaker
Reeds rulings.
BY mutual agreement it was arranged
that the Democrats should occupy all the
seats To the left of the main aisle and the
first block OF seats to the right. The next
two blocks of seats were assigned TO the
eighty EIGHT Republicans. while the sur
plus of Democrats and the group of Farm
ers' Alliance members were given the rest
of rhe seats on the Republican side. This
arrangement sandwiches the Repu blican
minority in the form of triangle between
the Democrats. ho occupy all the rest of
the semi-circle.
WHERE THEY WILL SIT.
Mr.. Reed selected as his scat tho one
formerly occupied by Garfield. It is next
the aisle half way back. The father of the
House. Mr.. O'Neil. of Pennsylvania Sc
lected Judge Kelly's seat. immediately in
front Of Mr.. Reed. Judge Holman resumed