Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-12-29
TUESDAY. DECEMBER 20. 1891
The speakership-Again.

The Speakership-Again.
Those are cruel charges which sPme
persons and papers have brought against
Speaker CRIsP because he appointed as
chairmen of various important committees
Of the House OF Representatives nen
whom he personally knew to be the best
qualified in that body to perform the
duties of the position. Never we're tpere
charges having less of truth in them
brought against public servant. II bver
asuccessful candidate for Speaker receI lived
the eavel from the House OF Representa-
tives without having previously pledged
himself to advance the fortunes OF any
man that candidate was Mir. CRISP. He
held himself so erect as he marched
I'D to the Speakers chair that he wqs III
danger of leaning the wrong way and mus
forsaking his friends. We in Virginia
know that though Mr.. O'FKRRALL was
made chairman of enc of the leading com
m;ttees he did not renounce bis detefmi-
nation to support the policy of tariff re-
form in order to get that high honor. Not
be. Mr.. Mills himself is not more de-
voted to the cause of tariff reform thai is
Mr.. O'FrRRALL. And Mr.. CRISP knew the
fact when he made him chairman OF the
Elections Committee. The distinguish
Vireinian had led that committee,
though not at its head, on many WELL
fought battlefield, and had earned the
craftsmanship of it. Yet the reckless par
tisans of the gentleman from Texas are
L.. 81 20 oh ha M
with having paid price for the vote4 he
received from the distinguished DEMOCRATS
of the House of Representatives; for II is
the most highly -honored and most distin-
guished Democrats who preside over the
new committees; and it is against stch
men that these unfounded charges are
preferred through the newspapers of the
land.
Well, what is to be the result? We
would fain hope that no bad results will
follow the unprovoked attempt Of The
Mills organs to create i'll feeling within
the ranks of tho Democratic party. Ger
tainly Mr.. SPRINGER resolved upon pnr-
suing the wisest possible course when he
determined to attempt to reform the tariff
not by seeking to revise the whole Nc
KNLEY bill, but by attacking that bill at
its weakest points. 1t would be as unwlse
as impolitic to play into the hands Of the
Republicans, who would not desire any
better fun than they could secure for
themselves and their party by wateh-
ing first the endeavors of Mr.. MI Ills
TO revise the entire MCKINLEY Ia
rin, and then bis disappointme nt
at finding that his labors had all ended in
smoke-had all had only the effect OF
placing the McKISLEY bill under the eff
fective protection of Republican Sen hte
and Republican President of the United
States. 1t would, on the other hand. be
q wise as polite for the Democrats in che
House Of Representatives to do nothing in
regard to the McKNLEY bill except to PIX
pose its deformities to the public, and
thus compel the Senate to recognize thfse
dsformities and remove them from the law
of the land. II the Republicans could
dictate the policy of the Democrats IL ley
would compel them to revise the whPle
McKINlxY bill or none OF it. They would
hide its defects in the multiplicity of FITS
details.
All that we know Of Mr.. CRISP leads us
TO believe that the House of Represents
tives selected him for the speakership be-
cause he was better qualified than ahy
other man In that body to perform the
srduous duties of that exalted statioIn.
If Mr.. MINIS had been the equal Of Atr.
CRrsP as o parliamentarian the infuendes
which were at work in his favor would
have borne him into the char with force
that could not have been resisted. The
gayel would have been placed in his han lie
on the first ballot III the Democratic can-
Gus. Pussy New England and the timid
Middle States were almost coerced into
the support of Mr.. MILLS.
Another good result will follow the elet-
ton of Mr.. Cgrsp TO the speakership. The
victory cannot be claimed as victory fbr
any aspirant to the presidency. MIR. SpRIS-
GKn. the new chairman of the Committee
on Ways and Means and leader of the
House of Representatives. Is for PALMtR
Of Illinois tor President of the United
States. Mr.. CRISP may favor whom lie
will for President aud no good Democrat
will undertake to censure him for his pro-
ference.
We ask only for Mr.. CRIsP that he shah
have an opportunity to show his mettl$.
Before the current session of Congress e3-
pires he will have won his way into Tie
hearts of all good Democrats. In the
mean time let us all forget personal pre-
fsrsnces and act as one man in behalf df
the cause which the new Speaker repr.I-
sensible cause of good Government.