Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-12-05
WASHINGTON.

the caucus meets next Saturday. AS
a prophet with reputation to main
tain, there are no signs visible that
would justify your correspondent in
any portion of this compos-
lite name. In plain everyday talk,
these five gentlemen and their friends
are engaged in conducting one Of the
liveliest and the most uncertain cam
paigns for the Speakership ever
known. Each of them is apparently
confident of winning. 1t is conceded
by the other candidates that Mills
and Crisp are we'll in the lead, but
they contend that neither of them
can get votes enough to get nomina-
ted and that after two or three bal
lots are taken without result, there
will be a stampede to other candi-
dates. Mr.. Crisp's friends boldly
claim his nomination without fail on
the first ballot while the advocates of
Mr.. Mills say that he will be nomi-
mated on the second or at the outside
the third ballot.
1t is believed that more than one
hundred unpledged members have
arrived within the last forty-eight
hours, and that half as many more
will be here within the next two
days. Many of these men are entire
ly new in National politics, and a
goodly percentage of them are per-
sonally unacquainted with a sim
gle one of the candidates. 1t is the
votes of these new men which will
settle the Speakership, and at this
writing no man can say with any
truthfulness how they will vote ;
much will depend upon the impress.
sion made upon them by the
candidates and their friends, and
there is little doubt that some of the
candidates are being injured by fool
friends. The caucus, which will
be held next Saturday, will include
all of the Farmers Alliance men
from the South and perhaps some Of
those from the West, although Jerry
Simpson says none of the Alliance
men will go into the democratic eau
Gus. 235 would be about the number
if there was full attendance, but i
is safe to deduct five or six on &C
count of absence, because of sickness
or other reasons, so that it may b.
set down as a reasonable certainty
that the man who can get 115 vote
will be nominated.
The canvass for the minor offices 0
the House is quite as spirited as tina
for the Speakersbip, and the numbe
of candidates is much greater, an,
not a few of them are ex-Members @
the House. Turner, "the iceman" i
making typical Tammany struggl
for the Doorkeepership; Pennsylva
MIA has two candidates for Clerk, an,
Virginia two for Postmaster. Blu
these positions are usually settled i
the last hours of the campaign b
J means Of combinations with the wiz
ming Speakership candidate.
While Harrison was cogitating o
J the free trade treaty which has bee
negotiated with Hawaii and wonde
ing what the people would think {
his signing such treaty after refu
J ing to even receive the Commission
: ers sent by Canada to negotiate #
an enlargement of our trade rel,
: tiOns, Blaine slipped over to Phili
= delphia to see Claus Spreckels, VIII
: is the virtual owner of Hawaii, an
2 find out what he thought about tn
t high protection administration Ell
3 dorsing treaty of absolute fire.
8 trade. Meanwhile Harrison wi
2 hold the treaty until he can SCUM
5 public opinion; if favorable, he wi
7 sign it and send to the Senate for "a
/ ification, if unfavorable, he wi
9 "pigeon-hole" it. That's statesman
ship of the Harrison brand.
1t is said that Senator Sherman h;
e complained to Mr.. Harrison of M
g Blaine's meddling with his Senate
: ship campaign in Ohio, and reques
Q ed his aid in having it stopped.
a Just as hasbeen predicted all alon
h the Pacific Mail Steamship Comp
g ny will gobble up the greater part
;. the money paid out under the Pc
e tal-subsidy act of the last Congress
!, Mr.. Wanamaker has signed eigI
:. contracts for carrying the mails u
J, der that law, and the Pacific Ma
J. Company gets three of the best
t them, being for ten years each al
o to begin January l, 1892, while Il
d others will begin at different dat