Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-09-24
Who will be Speaker?
BRIEF SKETCHES OF LEADING CAN
DIDATEs.
Special Correspondent

MILAN or BYnum, or to some dark
horse, as yet unnamed?
For months past the various candi-
dates have been engaged in projecting
their respective blooms" Where it
has been impossible TO see mem bers per-
sonally, they have been reached by
letter or through the medium of COM
mon friends. All of the contestants are
seriously in earnest in their efforts to
capture the prize, and it will be with
four. if not with five. of the number a
fight to a finish.
The real work Of the contest will
begin alter the autumn elections have
passed. The candidates will then open
their several headquarters at Washing
ton. and from that time until the caucus
is held, the partisaps of each will fill
the air with their noisy declamatious
As the fight proceeds. the excitement
will increase until even the street gamins
will become familiar with It's merits and
T
some one of the different leaders.
1t is always so in Washington where
national events of this character take
on so much of local color as 10 dlvest
! them, for the time, of their broader sig
nlfcance. Two years ago, when Reed
and Mckinley were the principal rivals
for the speakership, two street arabs
stood III front of the arstocratic Shore
ham flats, discussing their chances
One of the boys was loyal supporter of
Reed, while the other was equally de-
voted to McKinley's fortunes From
words they came to blows and finally
they were taken TO the station house.
Reed was so delighted with the spirit of
the boys when the facts were related to
him, that be paid both their fines and
gave his boy suit of new clothes into
the bargain.
There is no doubt, at this writing,
that Roger Q Mills will open the cam
paign with u larger single following,
than any of his rivals. While this is
obviously the case, it does not mean
necessarily that he will be elected. The
uncertainty of races, whether they be of
the Speakership or equine variety. is
proyerbial, and he is foolish man who
would attempt at this time to predict
the possible winner. Mr. Mills has
served long pprenticeship in the
House. He has been member ot the
Ways and Means Committee for a
number of years. and was chairman of
the committee in the 50th Congress. It
was during that period that the COM
mittee formulated and brought into the
House, the famous Mills tariff bill
which finally passed that body, despite
the opposition of the Republicans and
little coterie of protection Democrats.
| The bill. 1t viii be remembered, failed
/ of passage in the Senate But Mills
/ had gained all that he hoped to gain by
passing it through the House, and the
prestige of this victory, it is believed,
will increase his chances for reaching
the Speakers chair
Mr.. Mills is fifty-four years of age. A
heavy gray moustache lends dignity
/ to his face which. but for this append
age. would be almost boyish in its
/ rounded outlines. He is a strong, but
/ by no means graceful speaker He
! SIS none of the persuasive eloquence of
Willie Breckenridge, of Kentucky, and
\ his speech lacks, too, that quality of
4 fierce invective and singing satire that
has made Tom Reeds public efforts
so famous. But he knows how to ex-
/ press himself in language that every
body can understand and his tariff de-
bates, If late years, have been models
of clear-cut and vigorous English. The
argument most frequently urged against
him is that his temper is faulty and
that his utterances at such times are in
discreet. | have known Mr.. Mills for
number Of years and | don't regard
this argument as having much weight.
If this is all that can be said against the
doughty Texan the outlook for his sue
cess is very promising one.
Some of Mr.. Springer's friends urge
his election 10 the Speakership on the
ground that the South had it in the
forty-eighth, forty ninth, and tiftieth
Congresses and that it ought now to be
given to the North. This point. at first
glance, seems we'll taken; but the
Southerners retort that their section, as
rule, furnishes the vast majority of
the democratic representatives and that
the place belongs to them by reason of
that fact. Another argument, equally
patent. is that the South cannot for a