New-York tribune., 1891-12-20
WAS THERE A BARGAINf
MILLS WILL NOT SERVE ON WAYS AND
MEANS.
INVITATIONS THAT a DEAL WAS DEsIRED-sAp
OUTLOOK FOR HARMONY
rpr TELEGRAPH vo THE TBIBUSEl

Washington Dec. 1o.-Representatives In the Lild
Congress will await with such patience as they h',
be able to the distribution by Speaker Crisp OF
his Christmas gifts in the form of chaiTmnnshps ana
committee places. The Crisp Democrats VIII be sus-
taned and soothed in the meantime by checn"i
anticpations and rosy expectations; the Miis Demo
crats-most OF them-will prepare to grumbc over INC
meagre gifts which they expect TO find In thelr slo
ings and scckless Jerry and his followers VIII ho'
expect expensive or elaborate reminders OF the season.
the Republicans, they Will borrow no ouoie, ior
they will be satisfied with, II not grateful lor WHAT
ever they may receive.
To The Sage OF Corsicana has been granted the
privilege of private view. In advance OF the si's
designed for him, and has declared III advance 'nao
there is one among them which he cannot accept
second place on the Ways and Means committee
This will not surprise readers of these dispatches To
begin with Il is understood that he was offended by
the manncr In which the Speakers message was con
veycd 10 him. II appears to have been carried by
the Speakers messenger, who is man OF color. III
is said that this done after due reflection
and consideration of the sender, wh1, of course.
desired to refrain nom doing anything which might
give offence. 1t appears that Mr.. Mills did not an
swer the message until this morning. after cOnsua-
tion--a consultation during which the Speakers cars
must have burne ned-with a number Of his confidential
friends and advisers. tnsluding II Is presumed,
Messrs Carlisle, Morrison, Brecknrdgc and Others.
and the answer must. therefore be regarded as de-
liberate and llna Ii dlgnfed in tone, say
his friends as il deliberate in expression Coone.
Mills reminded the Speaker that. having served as
chairman of the Ways and Means Committee lie
could not now be expected to consent TO accept
subordinate place on that committee and added that
he would Of course accept any other place and per-
form any other duties TO which he might be assigned
His friends wcro extremely reticent but excessively
wroth to-day and II apparently required ail their
power of self restraint 10 make them refrain from ex
pressing and exhibiting their Indignation Perhaps
they thought that they might not improve their own
prospecs by doing.
The general II not universal belief that Mr..
Springer is to have the chairmanship which Colonel
Mills DESIRES and which his partsans believe shond
be given 10 him on whateve? conditions ne shoud
choose tend TO aggravate the situation. IL Is said
that there s strong objection TO Mr. Sprngers appoint
ment on the part OF some OF the most innuentai
party leaders both in and out of Congress who sup
ported Judge Crisp for the Speakershlp, and that they
have brought considerable pressure to bear upon him
to prevent the making Of the appointment, but thus
far without success. A few OF them have even gone
so far II Is said as TO argue that the craftsmanship
ought to be given TO the Sage OF Corscana' from
The same quarters is asserted have come objections
and pressure against the appointment Of Judge lol
man as chairman of the Appropriations Committee,
but thus far also without success.
As Speaker Crisp's friends all know, he not
only possesses a stiff backbone, but he Is
man who is thoroughly loyal to MS
convictions, and not easily moved when he has de-
termined TO do thing. Mr. Springer himself appears
10 feel no mlsgvngs in regard to his own prospects
IN fact il would be unnatural for him to do so, and
he expects to be appointed chairman Of Ways ana
Means next Wednesday, II both Speaker Crisp ana he
are alive that day. 1t would be Impossible for any
man. except the speaker to unsette his mind on tha
subject.
OF course most II not ALL Of Colonel MiIss friends
ho1io nd m0n nj
that The appointment Of Mr. Springer chairman OF
WAYS and Means will be the price paid by speaker
Crisp for the votes Of Springer and several OF MS
friends. A Tribune correspondent to-day showed 10
Mr. Springer an editorial paragraph clipped from The
ST. Louis Republic of Thursday, which reads, in part
ss follows;
II Mr. Springer is made chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee instead of Mr.. Mills it will not be
views Of his Democratic colleagues tariff reform
but because Mr. Springer was promises tle ci,ira M 1
speaker. That is the real reason ana Mr.. springer
was promised the place because he conld pc rcheo
upon to carry out the views Of te under tbe
leadership Of the Ways and Means Committee
After carefully reading this paragraph Mr.. Springer
with pleasant smile and in gentle but decided tone
said
"Thcre isn't word of truth in it, and nobody
knows that better than Editor Jones does He VIII
make no such direct charge, for he knows better At
least week before the held IL was known
10 the members Of the Illinois delegation that my
choice for Speaker il could not be elected would De
Judge Crisp. Colonel Jones knows some things about
bargains attempted bargains, no doubt: In fact,
feel certain that he does. Senator Palmer KNOWS
also Why doesn't Jones tell what he
actually knows and what General Palmer also
knows, about attempted bargains ]. oh, no.
II is not for to say any thing, at least not now"
Mr. Springer's tone and manner as well as his words
seemed to rich mine of hidden meanlng-a large
store of interesting information which he was not
ready or willing to disclose. The correspondent, there
FORE sought another friend Of Speaker Crisp Who air
reading the paragraph said:
Those people would better keep quiet about
bargains II they are not careful shall be com
PEELED to explode some dynamite which will make them
feel extremely uncomfortable. We know some OF the
secets of the Mills campaign which its managers
would be sorry to have revealed 10 the world, and
they would better be careful"
This man also spoke as though he could and would
make some damaging revelations, If such a course
should be provoked by Colonel Mlss friends. Other
friends Of the Speaker talked I'm similar strain and
hints and intimatlons dropped which JUSTIFIED
the inference that some Of the Mills men must
have approached the SangamOn statesman or
some OF his confidential friends with offers Of
substantial reward If he would throw his vote and the
votes OF such OF his friends he cOuld control into
the scale in behalf Of the Texas candidate OF
1t Is not necessary fair To infer that such offers were
authorized BY Colonel Mills, or even made with his
knowledge 1t has been asserted in bis behalf, how
ever by more than one of his friends and supporters,
that he would Do Speaker now II, so late Monday
evening and two hours before Judge Crisp was nomi-
mated he would have consented TO make certain
promises or d certain promise the nature of which has
not been specifically disclosed II that true. OF
course the result could have been accomplished only
by obtaining for him the support Of Mr.. Springer
Judge Holman, both Of them.
some direct and specific information on this point
has been confdentally impaired to The Tribunes
respondent by Of Colonel Millss friends. under
strict lnlunctiUns Of secrecy which have not
yet been removed IL Is Only fair t. aid
that he has also received other information under like
Injunction which, II trc indicates that Mr. Springer
app oaehed by friend Of the defeated candidate with
certain propOsitioiis Which, If accepted, might have
rrlduced If..uf In the The eeNerse OF thai