The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-12-07
Counts on Getting Back the Votes He Lost Sat.
urday and Many More from Crisp and Mills,
Neither of Whom, lie Says, Can Win.
An Interesting Fight in Which National
Politics Is Playing Leading Part.
Few Measures of Importance Likely to BE En-.
acted Into Laws by the Congress Which
Meets To-DayAThe Senates Work.
SPRINGER CONFIDENT.


WAsHINGToN, Dec. Al absolutely hold
the key to the situation" said Mr. Springer
tonight. Il am confident of victory. The
vote closed last night with Mills 81 and
Crisp "a; McMillin had IS votes Hatch
s. Now. it is a curious fact that if both
McMiilin and Hatch should drop out the
situation would not be altered at all for
then Mills and Crisp would be tied and
would still hold the key. for when the Nc
Millin forces break ten of them will 60 to
Mills and eight will 60 to Crisp. When the
Hatch forces break three will 60 to Mills
and TWO to Crisp. Then each of the two
gentlemen will have 1o4 votes; that is still
lacking ten votes of election"
The Springer headquarters seem to be the
only ones showing any life or any anima-
ton. All the others were deserted. the
candidates either resting themselves after
yesterdays hard work. or holding confer.
ences in secret chambers.
Mr.. SprInger's fertile brain has evolved q
beautiful proposition. 1t is manifest to
him that unless his own men break, neither
Mills nor Crisp will ever rise above the 1O4
votes alluded TO above. Mr.. Bryan, of Ne
braska. assured Mr.. Springer to-day that
the latter's men would not desert the
Springer boom, even il he himself left it.
The Illinois candidate is, therefore, work
ing out tonight plan. He hopes first to
recall to himself the six Illinois votes
that deserted him for Mills, with the
understanding that he will also OBJ
tain six Pennsylvania votes from
Crisp. The relative strength of Mills
and Crisp will thus remain the
same, each losing the same number.
He then hopes to persuade the six Iowa
men. who. while originally for Springer
also deserted him for Mills. to come back
to him, with the understanding that the
six Crisp men from Michigan are to come
back to him at the same time. By this
time Mr.. Springer will have 40 votes. Mr..
Mills will have been pulled down to 70 and
Crisp to 50. Then Mr.. Springer counts on
the next ballot upon a number Of stragglers
DESERVING everybody and coming to him,
SO that he will have more votes than Mr..
Mills. after W hich he expects stampede
to himself.
WHAT ILLS SAYS.
But Mr.. Springers hopes are destined to
meet the impenetrable phalanx of the
Mills legion. just before the caucus ad-
jOurned last night Mr.. Mills laid his head
weariIy upon the cushion of a sofa in the
ways and means committee.room and said:
IAN adjournment is what we most DESIRE
Only few hours are needed now to show
a score OF two of people that they must
come TO me. They wanted to come to me
now, and they are only withheld by local
faa <Iax
and am not speaking for myself-must
win in the end" Doubtless Mr.. Mills had
at the time in mind the fact that number
of Michi gan men were supporting Crisp be-
cause Blanchard, of Louis lana. who was
chairman OF the committee on rivers and
harbors in the Fiftieth Congress and ex-
poets the same place in this Congress. is
one of Mr.. Crisp's active lieutenants. The
Michigan men will demand liberal appro-
priations for rivers and harbors this year,
and they naturally are unwilling to antag-
onize the man who they believe will be
chairman of that committee.
The question of who shall be the next
presidential candidate of the Democratic
party has come steadily to the front
during these Sunday consultations be.
|
national prominence persistently deny
that the next national convention has
any connection with the organization Of
this House. Their denials are cane eled
out of their own mouths. There is not one
of these blatant bOurbons who Is not work
ing on either one side or the other OF the
divided Democratic household. They vainly
think that they are working for the next
President. Their fondest hopes can only
materalize in nomination and costly
campaign, the expense OF which Will be
paid by foreign importers in New York and
the exporters abroad. The one point not to
be lost sight of in this speakership fight is
that il is O contest within the Democratic
organization itself over the supreme issue
4 in the next presidential campaign. 1t is
this question more than the fortunes of in
dividual men which has caused the dead
lock in the Democratic household caucus.
Policy. not the fortune OF individuals, Is
the present stake. And so this Sunday
night closes with men hurrying through
the lobbies of hotels with five candidates
for the second highest office in the Nation
concealed in private rooms and surrounded
by eager ears, and with the confirmed ex-
pectatiOE that the result OF tomorrow
mornings caucus will again be barren. The
Nation must wait while the Democracy set
ties its intestine querrels.
Unless there should be q radical change
| in the speakership situation early tO-mor-
tives, for the first time since the Thirty
sixth Congress when the last dead
| lock over the speakersbip occurredl.
| will meet without q previous Sc
lection by the dominant party Of q
presiding officer for the popular
branch of the legislative department..
| Though this condition of affairs has not ex-
| listed in recent years. 1t was not so rare in
| the stormy years between the Mexican and
| civil wars. when the conflict over the
slavery question drew lines without
and within parties tense and close.
| Thus in the Thrty-sixth Congress
| the Speaker was not elected for
eleven days. a chairman meantime being
| appointed to administer the rules of the
| House. In the Thirty-first Congress nearly
| q month elapsed before the Speaker was
selected, and this period of practical inter
| rtgnum was prolonged to two months in
| the Thirty-fourth and Thirty-sixth Con-
| gresses. In the two last-named cases the
| Clerk of the House presided overiIts delib-
erations. and controlled the formal
itIes made requisite by the fed
| eral Constitution. Should there be q
| failure TO decide upon q Speaker at the
caucus tomorrow forenoon, it will be
necessary for tho House 10 adopt one OF
! the other of the two methods established
| by precedent for such events, namely. to
| select u temporary Chairman or temporary
| Speaker. according to the titular designa-
rion which may ba apreed uDon for the