New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-08
THE SPEAKERSHIP.

The result of the great Democratic contest
over the Speakership-Mr. Crisp, OF Georgia,
being nominated on the thirtieth bal
lot-cas for less attention than its extraOr-
binary methods and tone. Personally the op-
posing candidates have treated each other with
reasonable courtesy. The feeling which has
been aroused has not been that Of personal hos
tility. Yet it has rarely happened that in any
political struggle more intense and savage Bit
terness has been manifested than in this contest
for the organization of the House. The two
wings of the Democratic party have been hight
ing each other with all the intensity OF men who
have rooted convictions, and whose CONVICTIONS
are, moreover, supplemented by personal inter-
ests of the gravest nature.
To Judge by their utterances, many OF the
friends Of Mr. Mills had become profoundly con-
WINGED that his defeat would destroy the last
chance of Democratic success next year in the
National contest and would also destroy their
personal chances of success in many Northern
States and districts They have asserted this
constantly and without restraint. Repeatedly
they have said that great army OF former Re-
publicans who want tariff reform, and who nave
acted with the Democratic party for that reason
only, would depart from all connection with that
marty at once and forever if it should now prove
false to an issue OH which, they consider, 1t
achieved its victory last year. If the newspapers
Of this persuasion are to be credited substan-
tally the whole of this "tariff reform" contin-
gent drawn from the Republican party In tunes
past would inevitably be driven in disgust out
of the Democratic party if that party should
fail to make its fight in the next campaign on
the tariff question, unreervedly and exclusively.
The young men of New England and New York.
the wealthy importers and the agents OF foreign
houses. and the advocates of Frec-Trade ideas
throughout the West, making in all an army
represented as numbering several hundred thou
sand voters. must become altogether Indifferent
to Democratic success, if not actively enlisted to
punish that party for its bad faith, if it thus
abandons them in the position they have taken.
But on the other side there is just as much
definite conviction and just as much intensity
of personal interest. For it has become mat
ter of life or death, in every political sense, TO
Democratic representatives and managers in
some States, to win over the "m0re-money"
fanatics Of the West and South. II this cannot
be done, they plead, the Democratic party will
be smashed beyond all hope of recovery by the
HfOWln Oh tH6 IcOpco PhtJ III DN"N'"O
States. 1t was pointed out by these opponents
of Mr. Mills that he had publicly proposed deib-
erately to insult this vast body OF Democratic
voters by denying it any hearing whatever at
the next session of Congress in respect to the
measures about which these voters feel most
deeply 1t was certain, these people declared,
that the South and West could not be thus sup
pressed and muzzled at the dictation OF Wall
Street interests, without a far-reaching and
irrevocable disaster to the party.
So the Democrats, according to their own testi-
mony, were between the devil and the deep sea.
The party was doomed if it did, and equally
doomed if it did not. 1t had further cause for
passionate feeling, on account OF the belief that
the nomination for the Presidency would prob
ably depend upon the choice Of its National pol
icy. With the Presidency would 90 the selec-
ton of officers in all parts of the country, the
distribution of patronage and of fat contracts, and
all the rewards of victory. If the Western and
Southern policy should be adopted Mr.. Cleve-
land would have to stand aside for somebody
else No wonder there was intense feeling, and
the result of the decision which the caucus finally
reached cannot yet be definitely anticipated