The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-12-12
The Speakership.

In an article on the Speakership, in the
issue of November 18th, the ADVOCATE
said-"Some months ago the ADVOCATE
expressed preference for Mr. Crisp, and,
all things considered, he is, in our Judg-
ment, the best equipped of all the aspirants.
The ADVOCATE then went on to advocate
the selection of Mr.. Springer, of Illinois,
He is a good parlamentarian, has had long
experience in the House, is tariff reformer,
sound on finance, and comes from state
that has recently sent Democrat to the
United States Senate and increased its
Democratic representation in the House
from seven to fourteen. Illinois, 1t must
be remembered, was once reliably Repub-
lican by from forty to fifty thousand, and
it is the centre of belt of states, from the
Ohio River to the Dakotas, where the great
fight in 1892 is to be waged To have
given Illinois the Speakership would have
been recognition, we thought, Of the
sturdy Democracy of that commonwealth,
and also an encouragement to the Democ-
racy of the northern half Of the Union
which has, for the first time since the war,
elected majority of Democrats to Con-
gress. Further, Mr.. Springers election,
we believed, would have avoided the Sec
tional issue raised against the Democrats
in 1888, when it was truthfully charged
that the Speaker and all the important
committee chairmen were from the South.
We yield to the party's selection, how
ever, and it may be better that Mr.. Crisp
has been chosen. Mr.. Springer himself
withdrew and voted for him. Had the
Speakership gone North, the other POSITIONS
would probably have been distributed in
the South As it is, the South secured
the Speaker and the other positions are all
given TO the North. James Kerr, OF
Pennsylvania, was made Clerk; Samue
S. Yoder, of Ohio, SergeaDt-atArms
Charles II. Turner, of New \ ork, Door
keeper; and Lycurgus Dalton, Of Indiana
Postmaster. By this distribution the
Democracy of New York, Pennsylvania
Ohio and Indiana are complimented, anC
Illinois will doubtless get prominen
committee craftsmanship by the appoint
ment of Mr.. Springer.
Mr. Crisp is the best equipped man fol
Chairman, by reason Of his thorough
knowledge of the rules and his equitable
temperament. MIR. Mills is too irasciblt
for the position, and Mr.. Springer CHIEF
claim to the place. although very competent
was his geographical location from party
standpoint.
There was no party policy involved in
the contest nor were there any presiden-
tial aspirations bound up in it. Republican
papers affected to believe that the failure
to elect Mr.. Mills would be virtual aban-
donment of the tariff issue, but this was
only part in politics they were playing.
They sought thus to drive Democrats into
selecting him, and counted upon his excit-
able disposition to lead him into errors that
would offset Reeds rude and autocratic
conduct
Tariff reform is still the leading issue,
with sound finance next, and Cleveland is
still the leading candidate for the Demo
cratic presidential nomination. This would
have been the situation had any of the
aspirants been chosen, for party policy on
the tariff and finance was not involved in
the result, neither were the fortunes of Mr..
CLEVELAND