The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-11-13
WASHINGTON E.cEser.
tErom our regular correspondent.)
Washington, Nov. 0, 1891

h1SbihStpAB y " $500
The battle royal for the Speakership to
the House of Representatives has begun
and will continue to rage with windy
violence until the caucus decree has set
tied upon the victor. The general opinion
here, averaging into a composite view the
opinions of those interested and those dis
interested, puts the present situation
about as follows: Mills in the lead. With
good prospects of success, Ii his recent
declaration on the free coinage Of silver,
which has unquestionably strengthened
him in the East, does not alienate those
members from the West who have been
disposed to vote for him; Crisp second,
with prospects very much mixed, his great
est certain strength beng in the Soulful
he can get the votes in the East that his
friends are claiming for hin he will be d
winner; McMillin third, with excellent
prospects of eventually being first, should
the contest between Mills ard Crisp
develop into the dead lock which some
shrewd observers are predicting; Hatch,
Bynum and Springer may be punched as
dark horses" with only accidental
chances to win, and the action of Mr..
~Springer's friends in sending a circular to
all of the Representatives, from other sec
tons than the South, saying in effect that
under no circumstances should a Southern
man be elected Speaker, has about
destroyed even his "accidental chance" TO
win, as already there is a quiet movement
going ON To seer re pledges from all of the
Southern Representatives not to vote for
him under any circumstances. A Repub-
lican who is a close observer, sums up the
situation thusly: There are at pres ent
two wings of the democratic party. one
believing in an aggressive attack upon the
tariff at the coming session of Congress and
the ether in letting things drift until after
the Presidential election. If the first be
the strongest in the House, Mills will be
Speaker; if the last, then Crisp or some Of
the other candidates will win"
The question Of electing |. S. Senators
by direct vote of the people is one that has
come to stay until it shall have received
the favorable action it deserves from Con
gress and tie people. Senator Mitchell,
who introduced i'll the last Congress a con-
stitutional amendment providing for the
change, and who made a speech thereon
bristling with arguments in favor of the
change, which have never been answered,
is in Washington, and he says on the first
day of the session, or as soon thereafter as
possible, he will again introduce his
amendment and have it referred to the
committee on privileges ard elections,
which shall, if he has any influence, report
it back sometime during the session, 10
order that a test vote may be taken upon
adoption of such a constitutional amend
ment-it would put an end to the talk,
which often causes honest men to blush,
about the open sale in the [. S. Senate
under present methods.
1t is feared that the Selling ofdictatorial
power by the president of Brazil may
result in a change Of Government in that
country and that European interests may
be strong enough with the new 0 sern-
ment to bring about an a|brogation of the
reciprocity agreement so recently entered
into with this country, although the
Brazilian Minister here asserts that there
is no danger of either. 1t is of course, only
natural that he should say SO. N,verthe-
less there is anxiety on the subject.
The return of President Harrison's
venerable father-in-law, DR.. Scott, to the
White House from his visit to his SOD, in
the State of Washington, gives the lie to
the gossip which was prevalent at the
time the old gentleman left Washington,
which was that he was being sent away
because of his worrying the heads of de-
partments by insisting upon having GER
tain appointments and promotions made.
The old gentleman will be 90 years old in
January.
There is" said an official Of the
National Farmers Alliance, "a disposition.
either intentional or from ignorance, on the
part Of the newspapers to coufound the
Peoples party with the Alliance, which is
misleading many people. Nearly all Of
those who are acting with the Peoples
party are members of the Alliance, but
they are simply acting as individuals and
are but a fraction of the membership of
the Alliance, which has not vet entered the
political arena. II it should decide to do
so next year ONE people are destined to be
greatly surprised at the result and they
are not the Alliance people either"
WESTON.