The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-29
The Contest for Speaker.

Although the time for the election Of a
speaker of the House is more than six
months off, each of the candidates is carry
ing on almost as lively a canvass as if the
! election were close at hand. Crisp. Mills
/ and McMillln are the leading candidates,
\ ard Springer, Bynum, Wilson AID others
/ have supporters.
| The prospects Of Crisp are much better
than those Of any other candidate. He is
conducting his canvass quietly aud
with excellent Judgement The attacks
which the friends Of other candidates make
from time t. time on his record he meets
fairly and squarely, and thus far they have
done him no harm. Indeed. there are rea-
sons for thinking that they have done him
good, because they have given him a chance
to explain some things which, if unex-
planned until the last moment, might be
used to his disadvantage.
A few weeks ago the statement was in
dustriously circulated that he was not quite
as good tariff reformsr as he ought to be.
About every body is now satisfied that he is,
and has always been, all right on the tariff
issue.
And his war record is satisfactory. Al
though a mere lad when the civil war be
gan, he participated in it aud acquitted
himself creditsbly. As for his ability, there
has never been any doubt about that. OF
al the candidates he is perhaps the best
pariamentaran. And he has the qualities
necessary to make successful and popular
speaker. That this is true has been demon
strated often when he has been called to
preside over sSe House.
But Crisp's friends would make a mistake
if they assumed that their candidate would
get the speakership. Mills has a strong
following and he believes that he is entitled
to the honor. He will not admit that he is
beaten until the caucus has made choice.
A story is going the rounds of the press
that if it becomes evident at any time be-
fore congress meets that Crisp has the
greater number of followers, Mills will
withdraw in Crisp's favor, provided as
surancas are given him that ne will
be given the chairma nship of the ways
and means committee. There is not, in all
probability any foundation for the story,
for the reas On that an understanding of
that sort world be confession of weakness,
him. ~
1t is asserted that neither Crisp nor Mills
can get the support of the entire delegation
of his state, and that therefore neither can
get the speakership. AS far as known there
is only one man in the Georgia delegation
who talks as ii be would not vote for Crisp
There are thought to be several in the Texas
delegation who will not vote for Mills. But
the failure of either Crisp or Mills to get the
entire delegation of his state will not nec-
essarily be fatal TO the chances of either.
As long as the election Of either Crisp or
Mills is regarded as probable there is no use
discussing the prospects of the other candi-
dates. Any one of the others would fill the
speakers chair creditably. but no one of
them, probably, would fill it so satisfactorily
as Wilson of West Virginia. In some re-
spects he would make better speaker than
any one of the other candidates. At
present, however, he is not looked upon as
being candidate of much prominence.