New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-03
CRISP STILL IN THE LEAD.
A MILLS SCHEME SET AFLoAr TOO SOON.
STORIES OF DEsERTIoy FROM SPRINGER DIS
COUNTED AND DIscREDITED.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TkIBUsE.-

tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TkIBUSE1
| Washington, Dec. cit is still Crisp against the
| field. and whether the Georgian will win will de-
pend upon his ability to defeat any combination which
| may be formed against him between this time and
| saturday morning. lie undoubtedly leads all the
other candidates this time, he did twenty-four
hours The parisans Of Colonel Mills still pro
claim in public that he Is in the lead but their pr
| vate admissions and inside figures do not support
the public claim. while the efforts in which some OF
| them have been actively engaged since Monday, to
effect diversion in their favor among the Springer
men IN the Northwest arc sufficient evidence that II
| cannot be maintained. 1t has been plain to every
careful and impartial observer, especially during tho
last thirty six hours, that Colonel Mlllss hope OF sue
cess depends upon the breaking of the springer lines,
the cooperation of McMn and his little band of fol-
| lowers and probably, also upon the withdrawal OF
! Mr.. Hatch. The illadvised withdrawal of Mr.. BY
has helped Springer as much ii did Mills, and
the results OF the efforts Of Mr. Johnson, in Ohio;
| Mr. Mutehler. in Pennsylvania; Messrs shearman,
Warner and others In New York. ard of Senator Nc
Phers0n in NewJersey have been less successful than
| II was hoped and expected that they would be.
| Early this morning whispers emanated from the
Mills camp which, II truthful BODIED Ill to the candidacy
| of the Sangamon statesman. The attack upon Cnsp
the ground that he is friendly to the interests OF
the Pacific Railroad companies, which was expected TO
stampede in his camp, seemed to produce little
or effect except to excite the resentment Of his
4
udicious friends to make it appear that the Louisiana
Lottery Company is taking hand in the Speakership
contest against the Texan also turnei out to be lam
entsbe failure. 1t seemed necessary 10 some Of his
partsans, therefore, to broach the scheme which has
been rpenng for some days in the secret councils Of the
Mills it had become apparent 10 them that some
thing must be done at once to revive the dropping
spirits OF his weaker supporters and also to couneract
the obvious gains Of Springer, whose growing strength
was serious blow 10 the prospects Of the sage OF
| Corsicana.
Accordingly, story started on its travels TO
| the effect that five of the Illinois men and all, or
| nearly ALL OF the Iowa would declare for Mills
| and vote for him on the first ballot. From this
| break two results were hoped for in favor Of the
Texas candidate first, to impair the cnfdence OF the
Springer men in Wisconsin, Michigan and other States
In the prospects Of their canddne second, 10 succeed
| in persuadng the Springer men, whose second choice
is Crisp, stand by the Illinois at least for ono
| or two ballots. The Illinois Democrats who il was
whispered, would desert Springer and enroll themselves
under the Mills banner 10 day, were Messrs. Forman,
FIthian Lane, Wike and Newberry the first four Of
these said TO Dc under the Influence Of Colonel
Morrison who will neglect no opportunity 10 serve
his friend Colonel Mills. Mr. Newberry is understood
| 10 be an original Mills man, whose support Of Mr.
Springer has been generally regarded as merely per
| functory and temporary. The support OF the Iowa
men, II was said had been obtained through Governor
BOies other Democratic leaders In that State who
have urged that tariff REFORM is the great, over
| shadowng, paramount Democratic issue, and that
Colonel Mills is It's abest and most faithful exponent
/ ard advocate. Some OF Colonel Mllss partisans as
serted that the IDEAL" would he closed and the votes
delivered before sunset to-day, and that the Immediate
| result would be 10 Increase his strength by az
least thirty votes, and great an accession, they
argued would attract enough Of the wavering, non
commttal7 men to his support to carry him out OF
danger. As nearly could be ascertalned. 1t was
| Nv Of charge
matter fiat the deal" would include the delivery to
| Mills OF sic Springer votes from Iowa, fve from
Illinois, seven from Wisconsin, four from Michigan
| five from Indiana, two from Minnesota, one rom
| Montana and possibly two from Ohio. This would
leave Springer with not more than dozen votes all
OF which, it believed, would soon desert MS CUNTS
| and go over to Minis.
| Al Mr.. Springer's headquarters the possiDinW OF
such desertlon the Mills partsans asserted, or any
| desertion whatever dismissed as absurd. To
Tribune correspondent Adai E. Stevenson said: "Thls
the first intimaton that have received which would
indicate That any OF Mr.. sprinsers friends In Illinois
or elsewhere are, will be, disloyal to him, or that
they Will not heartily and loyalty support him and OF
| course do not believe that 1t is true"
| Mr. Springer himself denied the story with great
emphasis and apparent sincerity, and declared that
his supporters are as loyal TO him Mis's are to
| the Texan. Another friend of Mr. Springer said ::
The story is new but the game is As old as politics
| II will not succeed, and l am surprised that Mills
should have permitted the desperate condition OF his
canvass TO become known three days before the caucus
1t will hurt his prospects good deal more TO fail to
get ten votes away from Springer today now that the
scheme has been bruted, than it would lave done to
have failed to get one vote away from him before this
report was set ahoat; il has not only raised the eN
pectations Of his followers and disclosed his own sense
| of weakness and desperation, but 10 has put Mr.
Springer and all the other candidates on their
| guard The scheme should have been kept secret
until saturday morning when it might possibly have
succeeded But this is by no means the first blunder
| OF the Mills canvass"
At the Crisp headquarters it discovered late last
| night that an attempt would probably be made TO
| carry out the proposed scheme to-day, and prepa
rations were at once made TO thwart it. friend Of
Judge Crisp this afternoon said TO Tribune correspond
ert Our measures to checlmate the projected move
OF the Mills men have been perfectly successful, and
| we are prepared to do whenever it is made. No.
mas not been surprise to u.s. for we have had GOOD
reason 10 believe for several days past that the Mills
campaign was in a critical condition, and while such
! a move at this stage would seem premature ana Jan
gerous 10 him. all realized that desperate diseases re-
aure resort 10 desperate remedies, and We eit thst
| q might he made at any time. All We asked was ali
hours notice and received more tlllo than tiat'
There has been no sign Of wavering at any point In
our lines and since last night have been gratiied
bv direct assurances OF support from men for whose
votes we had before only hoped. Judge Cnsps
prospects ut this hour are more satisfactory ana
| promising than at any previous time believe tha'
Mlss friends have discovered that it is for his interest
! TO have Mr.. McMillin remain in the field, and That
they are now urging him to do so. II he should re-
Ore more than one-half OF his friends would at once
support Judge Crisp, and think Colonel Mills knows
| it,"
Mr. McMiIIn and his friends were apparently I'M
disturbed by the report Of combination between the
Mills forces and part of sprngcrs and they stouty
denied that Mr.. McMln entertans the idea Of With
| drawing from the Mr.. Hatch and his friends
sturuiy refuse to listen TO any suggestion which means
his withdrawal from the race On this subject Mr.
Hatch to-day remarked. In calm and ousnesS-nke'
| .. a.o,dodiy ar,ubatfC tone. | absolutely