Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-11
On Which the Speaker Should
Be Elected.
TARIFF REFORM THE ISSUE.
How Can Anyone Be Said to Represent This
Idea Better Than Mills of Texas?
Republicans Would Rejoice to See Some
One Else at the Head of the Demo
cratic Phalanx-SiIver Cuts
Little Figure.
A Democratic Leader Talks.


WASHINGTON, Aug. 10-Immediately
after the fail elections, and probably by the
second week in November, the speakershlp
contest will have begun in this city. Mills
has already given notice of his intention to
open headquarters about that time, and It
if 10 be assumed that the other aSplrantS
for the honor of presiding over the FIFTY
second congress will be here as early as the
member from Texas. Your correspondent
cOnversed with a prominent Democrat, not
il the house of representatives. on the out
look for the SpeakerShip. and bearing III
mind That this gentleman has been lnttuen-
tial for many years in his effort to make
people understand they are paving taxes in
excess of needed government OF OF the
maintenance of American industries, and
that he is the friend of each one of the
prominent candidates, his opinion as to
what the Democrats ought to do in the
speakerShip fight is interesting. "Wnat
the Democrats should DO in electing d
speaker" said he, lis to elect the idea. The
issue upon which the Democrats must eX-
pect to succeed in the next congress and Ill
the next election is tariff reform All
other questions are to that one entirely
subordinate.
COMPARATIVELY INEssENTIAL.
"There should be less worry about wheth-
er there shall be more silver money 70 pay
debts with. and more concern as to whether
4 stop cannot be put to taking money that
its Garner ought TO be allowed to keep in
his pocket. If the matter was put to 4 vote
no Democrat would hesitate to say, if he
was asked 10 Indicate what leading issue
the speaker should represent, that the tariff
should rank before all others. If the idea
OF tariff reform is 10 be put in the chair. no
man who Is At all acquainted with the his
tory of the tariff reform efforts OF the last
ten years would presume to name any man
in the list Of candidates as more fully euti-
tied to distinction than Mills
But do not Springer, Crisp, Bynum,
Hatch and others just as truly represent
the REFORM
Granted that they are equally in earnest
to have the burden OF taxation reduced,
there can be no doubt that if any prefer
ence is to be shown for long service, for hon
orable battle, for minute attention TO de-
tails the mastery of which means many
hours of patient reading and study, it
should for those considerations
BE EXTENDED TO MILLS.
1.-The fear that Mills, owing to some sup
posed and possibly existing nfirmity of
temper, might throw his party III confusion,
is rather fear Of the enemy who hope to
see him fall than the opinion of the friend
VINO has known him since the beginning of
his career in the house. Springer, Bynum
ami the others YOU have mentioned, would
represent tariff reform ideas, but not SO
conspicuOusly as Mills. Not one that will
go into the fight next November is pretend
ing that he better represents tariff reform
than the member from Texas. The re-
lection of Mills, procured by an attempt to
bellttle his ability as u parliamentarlan.
would delight every high protectionist who
saw i'll the election less pronounced man,
trucking to the opposition, and a supposed
falling away from the only position that the
Democrats must occupy
IF THEY HOPE TO SUCCEED
in the next election. To elect any ether
man speaker on the tariff reform platform
which we must occupy would entitle the
party to all the censure for weakness 10
which it would be promptly exposed
To this gentleman the candidacy of Nc
MILAN and Crisp seemed to be the only
menace to the election of Mills. Still. he
said. "before the time comes for the open
ing of the headquarters the Importance OF
the election of Mr. Mills Will be apparent TO
each one Of his rivals. If Mills were a
politician skillful in the grouping Of men.
he would have no trouble in coming before
the Democratic house with support as
strong as that marshalled in 1883 by Car
Isle. Mills as a Democrat stands as pre-
emiuently the representative OF the
LEADING DEMOCRATIC IDEA
as Reed does the embodiment of all the Re-
publican tendencies OF the times. Mills
will not ask any man to vote for him and
that is mistake, yet a majority Of the
Democratic members of the fifty-SeCOnd
congress will. in my opinion. support him
for the spealersAip. II is more than prob
able that Crisp will be more valuable man
on the floor as the leader of the majority
than Mills would be in the same capacity,
for the reason that as spokesman III debate
Mills might be less ludiclous than Crisp
under provoking circumstances.