The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-09
CRISP TAKES THE CHAIR,
REED SMILES AS HIS CODE OF
RULES GO GaIMMERING.

Only Eight Out of the Forty Alliance
Members of the House Vote for
Watson for Speaker-New England
Democrats Withhold Their Votes
From Crisp on His Refusal to Promise
to Suppress Free Coinage Le9isla-
ton.
WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-The first day of
the most democratic House OF Representa-
tives ever assembled was the most interest,"
ing congressional opening in years. The
thirty-ballot contest with all its tenseness,
closeness and bitterness heightened the in-
terest usually attaching to a newly elected
speaker. The fact that Speaker Reed, shorn
of his great power, found it necessary to
ask that two blocks of seats out of their side
in the hall be reserved for the remnant of
his former majority, and that while he
smilingly voted no his code of rules was
swept out of sight in a motion by the
despised Springer, which simply ignored thei
existence and went back TO the last demo-
cratic House for the basis of the new rules,
made the contrast between the opening OF
two years ago and that of to-day more
marked.
INCIDENTS OF INTEREST.
The fact there were three candidates for
speaker and the fact that only eight al
liencemen voted for Mr.. Watson. the al.
lance candidate, the other forty alliance
men feeling it now perfectly safe to vote
for the democratic candidate, wers only ex-
celled in interest by the equally unusu Il fact
that Representative Sherman, Hoar,
George, Fred Williams and joseph II.
O'NeiI OF Massachusetts refused to
vote for their party candidate for speaker
because be had not said III advance that he
would suppress free coinage legislation.
Take 1t all IN all this was apparently 70
most minds the most interesting thing in a
day of interesting things. 1t was not
understood until late in the afternoon that
three Of the Massachusetts men had re-
Trained from voting. The clerk announced
In declaring the vote that Mr.. O'Neil of
Massachusetts, had voted for MIR. Crisp.
The Associated Press in the announoeme Mt
of those who did not vote conse~
quently omitted his NAME The idea
tnat Mr.. O'Neil, : who for thirty
ballots in caucus had voted for Mr..
Stevens and who had announced that he
would not vote for Mr.. Crisp or any other
free coinage candidate, had now voted for
Mr.. Crisp was the subject of much COM
ment
INTERESTING COMMENTS.
Anumber OF interesting comments made
by republicans on his alleged Inconsistency
are valueless now that it is disclosed by Mr..
UNeil himself and corrected ballot sheet
that he dId not vote for anybody. The case
Of Messrs. Hoar and Williams, for they
we're counted as acting together, attracted
universal attention, and it being
an unquestionable fact. has been
talked about all the forenoon
aud evening. They withheld their votes re-
luctantly. but felt that they would be un-
true to themselves If they did otherwise,
especially after MIR. Hoar had endeavored
in vain at the last moment this morning to
get promise from Speaker Crisp that he
would use his influence against the con-
sideration of bad financial legislation and
the extension of silver coinage.
Representative John f. Andrew went to
Speaker Crisp Just before the House met,
told him how Messrs. Hoar and Williams
felt about it and that Mr.. Hoar
would like to see him to secure the de-
sired promise in order that he might
freely aud consistently vote for him. Mr..
Crisp replied that he would be glad to see
Mr.. Hoar and glad to give him his views
oo the silver question, but that he would
not give him or any one else any promise to
secure his vote. When Mr.. Andrew re-
ported this reply to Messrs. Hoar and Will
Jams they made no further attempt to get
the desired promise, but quietly refrained
from voting.
THE DAY IN DETAIL.
BY the associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-Although there
was an absence of the rush which char
acterized the entrance of the public to the
House galleries yesterday there was this
morning no appreciable diminution in the
number of spectators. Every available
crook and Granny had It's occupant and the
bright dresses of the ladies, formed pleas
ing frame to the bustling picture below.
& At the hour of noon Clerk Mcpherson
q called the House to order and the journal
OF Yesterdays proceedings was read. The
clerk then announced that he was ready to
Il receive any motion.
Mr.. Holman of Indiana moved that the
II House proceed TO the election of a speaker.
his was agreed to.
Mr.. Holman placed in nomination Charles
+. Crisp of Georgia.
Mr.. Henderson Of Illinois placed in nom
inatlon Thomas B. Reed. [Applause on the
"a republican side.
MIR. Simpson of Kansas placed in NOM
lnetlon Thomas E. Watson Of Georgia.
Messrs. Cultivate of Ohio, Henderson of
Illinois, Oates of Alabama, and Simpson of
Aansas were appointed as teliers.
THE VOTE.
The roll was then called with the follow
ing result:
US