The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-05-10
TALK OF THE WEEK.

Bradley Is said to have informed his friends
recently that he meant to retire before Con-
gress reassembles, as he feels the weight of
his years and wishes to spend the remainder
of his days in the leisure he has richly earned
by his active, useful, and distinguished career.
His recent Illness it is thought, may cause
him to retire even earlier than he had intended.
The prospect of vacancy on the Supreme
Bench has naturally caused discussion as to
who will be selected by the President to fiji it.
Many people believe that ex-senator Ed
munds is slated for the place, and IL is now
said his recent resignation from the Senate
was sent in only after he had assurances that
Justice Bradley was about to retire and that
he himself would be Bradley's successor.
OF course, this is speculation, but those whom
dulge in it assert its correctness Is made proba-
BILE by Mr. Edmunds's course. Although the
latter resigned from the Senate because his
health was bad and the climate of Washing
ton disagreed with him. still he refuses to- sell
his house here, although excellent offers have
been made to him for It. He gives as his
reasons for declining to sell that his law busi-
ness will keep him in Washington good deal
of the time, and the twinkle in his eye when
he says this causes the knowing ones to be-
lieve that the law business he refers to is that
of a Justice Of the Supreme Court.
Other well-informed people say that under
no circumstances would Mr. Edmunds accept
place On the Supreme Bench. 1t is asserted
that he has twice refused offers of this kind,
and that all he cares for now is leisure to
enjoy his old age, with a little work now and
then to keep him from rusting up altogether.
Ap0 in
the impending vacancy is Attorney General
Miller, who has been mentioned in the same
way each time that President Harrison has
had an appointment to make on the Supreme
Bench. There can be no doubt that the
President has desired to appoint Mr. Miller,
and had made up his mind to do so just be-
| fore Justice Brown was appointed, but for
various reasons finally settled on the latter
| gentleman. If Justice Bradley retires this
| summer however, it is believed Mr.. Miller
| will be certain to get the place this time.
| And if he does, it is likely he will be sue
| ceeded in the Attorney Generals Office by
| Solicitor General Taft. This gentleman is re-
| garded by those who have made his acquaint-
| ance since he came to Washington as admra-
| bly, equipped for the higher office. He is an
| able lawyer and strong man in every way,
| with clear head, genial manners and great
| executive ability. OF course, the fact that he
is from the same State as Secretary Foster
| would be urged against hrs appointment but
this objection would hardly be allowed to
| prevail when the advantage of having man
| entirely familiar with The affairs of the At
| torney Generals Office is taken into account.
| Moreover, Ohio is State in which the Presi-
| dent would like to have all the friends he can
| get.
Scarcity of other topics sent the writers of
political gossip back to discussing the Speaker
| ship contest the past week. There were no
| new developments, exactly, but the fact that
Messrs. McMillin, Springer, and Bynum were
| in the city made the discussion somewhat
pertinent. The friends of Crisp and Mills
show no falling off in the confidence they
have all along expressed that their men will be
| successful. Although the contest between
these gentlemen is growing quite animated,
they and their immediate friends maintain
cordial relations and on neither side is the use
of anything like unfair methods countenanced.
| But some of their adherents are not as
| scrupulous, and are injuring the cause
which they wish to serve by circulating un-
generous stories about the leader of the op-
position. OF this character is the story set
afoat that Mr.. Mills has already promised that
If he is chosen Speaker he will give the chair
mauships Of the more important committees
to Southern men. 1t is safe to say there is not
scintilla of truth in this report. 1t is well
known that Mr.. Mills has done less in his own
behalf than any other man in the contest, and
| IL ne is eleCUeQ speaker prODaDly he Will en-
ter on the discharge Of his duties almost un
pledged in any direction. But it is probable
that If elected he will give the chairmanships
of more committees of importance to South
| ern men than to Northern men, for the bes
reason in the world. Only few of the ole
and experienced Southern members hav,
dropped out of Congress, and heretofore tn,
South has always returned a majority of th
Democratic members. In the next Congress;
this will not be the case, but the new Demo
cratic members from the North and West viii
certainly not be entitled to chairmanships
Therefore Mr.. Mills wonld be very unwis
Speaker, forgetful of the best interests of tn
country as well as of his party, If he refuse
to make the men best qualified chairmen O
the important committees because they cam,
from the South.
This sectional issue is even more vicious an
unworthy of Democrats when raised in th
Speakership contest itself. There are fe'
| able and experienced Democrats from tn
North and West, but it will hardly be que
| toned that the ablest Democrats in the Hous
| are from the South. This being so, one
these men should be selected, not because
is Southerner, but because he is best fitte
for the position. Whether he comes from I'll
North or the South should not for momeI
be thought of by men who call themselv'
Democrats.
The chance that the contest between I'll
, friends of Mills and Crisp may become I
heated that the best interests of the party wi
require them to be dropped gives hope to IL
advocates of the other candidates, includiI
McMillin, Springer, Bynum, and Mr.. Wilso
l vi n De-, h