Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-03-21
CRISP AND MILLS
SEEM TO HAVE TIE LEAD FOR THR NEXT
SPEARERSHlP.
Most Of the Reelected Members Pledged % the
Pormsr-Mills' Streng!h-In Case Of Dead
lock Wilso9, Of West Virginia, or Mcmillan
May Garry OF the Priza.
.SDeeiqI Ts,eoram 10 ne REGISTER.

Special Telegram 10 he Register.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 20.-Al-
though Congress has adjourned and few
Democratic members remain in the city,
more talk is heard concerning the
! Speakership of the next House than be-
/ fore the close of the session. This is
due to the fact that while Congress was
sitting the members had their minds
| fully occupied and their time taken up
| in attending to legislation. Now, how
ever, they have more leisure and can
! look to the future. An interesting and
encouraging feature Of all the speaker
ship speculation heard is that not the
least sign of bitterness is manifested by
the friends of the rival can
didateS. They all generously
admit the good qualities and the
capacity of the candidates Of those who
are opposed to them, but continue quiet
ly but earnestly their efforts TO make
votes for their own men. II may be
said at the outset that no one OF the
candidates has as yet obtained deci-
Siye lead in the contest. Mr.. Crisp'S
friends continue TO claim with apparent
Sincerty,and seemingly on good grounds,
that he will have Il large majority OF
the Democratic members of the late
House who have been reelected. They
assert that they have practically
pledged to their candidate no less than
two-thirdS of the reelected Democrats.
They say that Mr.. Crisp will not only
command the votes from the outset of
the South Atlantic States, but that he
will also get votes from the North and
from Western States which have candi-
dates Of their own. They rely very
largely on this support which Mr.. Crisp
will have among experienced members to
secure his final success. The lead Of the
old hands will be very apt to be followed
by new men who have not positively
pledged themselves TO other candidates,
especially rs the ground on which Mr..
Crisp is supported is one that must
commend itself very strongly to men
who desire the good of the party above
any merely personal claims or personal
ambitions, either on the part OF the
speakcrShip candidate or his more active
friends. The arguments which are
used on behalf of Mr.. Crisp are that he
is pre-eminently the best equipped man
for the place, and that he has demon
strated this fact beyond question in his
conduct throughout the entire course
OF the late turbulent Congress.
The friends of Mr.. Mills, OF Texas.
seem to have gained in confidence since
the session came to a close. They have
been able to devote themselves TO as
ccrtaining the feeling among Congress
men-elect, and the result OF their in
Quirics has been very encouraging TO
them. They have found, it is said, that
Mr.. Mills will have very strong back
ing among the new Democratic mem
bers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ne
braSka and other portions of the North
west. The, Nebraska and Minnesota
Democratic delegations are claimed to
be solid for Mr.. Mills, and he will, OF
course, get many votes from all the
States along the Mississippi Valley. 1t
appears, in short, that Mr.. Crisp and
Mr.. Mills will probably be very evenly
matched by the time the caucus meets.
This will give rise to considerable
probability of compromise candidate
being taken up If, as Is not
at all unlikely the friends OF
Mr.. Mills and Mr.. Crisp remain firm
in their adherence to their candidates.
In event Of anything resembling Il dead
lock it would probably be regarded rs
the best party policy for the supporters
of the other candidates to unite their
votes on third man. In the event OF
this being done either Mr.. Mcmillan, Of
Tennessee, or Mr.. Wilson, OF West Nir-
ginia. would undoubtedly have the best
chance of success. Both Of these gen
tlemen would unqucstionably be regard
ed as possessing all the requisite quail
tiles for first rate Speaker. They are
both well liked personally, and they
come from more central section than
either Mr.. Mills or Mr.. Crisp.