Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1891-12-15
Cleveland Favored Wilson for
Speaker.
If the Deadlock Had Continued, the
Vest Virginia MAJ, You'd Haze
Been OFFERED.

The regular correspondent of the
Press. writing from New
York under date of December 2, as
serts that it was the intention of
greater politicians to cause dead
lock in the speakcrship caucus, by
which ultimately a certain candidate
could be accepted by a sufficient
number to make his nomination as
sured, and then goes on to say:
A few days ago the Press was the
first to hint at the name of the man
whom those who are nearest to Gro
yer Cleveland here really have had in
mind for the SpeaBership for several
months. This morning the World,
which is frequently the first to scent
important political moves, of all the
newspapers here, in doubIe-leaded
article indicated the possibility of an
ultimate concentration upon Judge
Wilson, of West Virginia.
Although not named in caucus, the
politics which have brought his name
in view will be of interest and impor-
lance to narrate. Early in the sum-
mer. just as Grover Cleveland was
going to his summer home on Buzz
zard's Bay. a meeting of his friends
took place here. It was ostensibly
for the purpose of consultation re-
specting his prospects, and what
should be done in case it appeared
that his chance for the nomination in
1892 was a very dim one. At that
time the Press printed an account of
the meeting of these men here.
The gathering, however, was not
for the purpose which was then an
nounced. 1t was to talk over the
Speakership matter. All of Mr..
CleveIand's friends were in favor of
the nomination of Mr.. Mills, for they
said that he alone of the prominent
Democrats in this Congress repre-
sented fully the ideas upon which the
Democratic party went before the
country in 1888. Cleveland heard
them all, and when they were through
he said that he had been thinking the
matter over somewhat carefully, and
had reached the conclusion that per-
haps it would be wiser to nominate
another man than Mr.. Mills. He ex-
pressed in the highest terms his adj
miration for Mills, for his honesty
and sincerity, but he thought that
contingencies had arisen which would
make the selection of another man
for Speaker matter of higher value
for the party than even the choice of
Mr.. Mills could do.
The ex-President said that some-
times it was dangerous for man TO
have a too strong following. Not
only. dangerous for himself, but for
the party which he represented. He
feared that very stiff line would be
drawn separating the friends of Mills
from the friends of another candi-
date who might represent some oppo-
sition to the extreme tariff views Of
Mr.. Mills. In such an emergency it
was always wise to look for a person
who Commanded the respect of every
one, and he had such man in mind.
That man he said was Judge Will
son, of West Virginia. Among all
the acquaintance whom he made
when lie was President there was no
man in either house of Congress who
had won a higher regard from him
than Judge Wilson had. He regard
ed Wilson, as in some respects, one
of the ablest politicians whom he had
ever met, and also as possessing the
highest qualities of craftsmanship
Some of his intellectual qualities sug-
gested those of Senator Carlisle
Moreover, Judge Wilson, while in
entire accord with the tariff views of
that section of the party which Mr..
Mills censpiciousIy represented, was
also not regarded as an extremist by
the other wing of the party.
In addition TO that, although it
was matter of minor expediency, it
could not be said of him that he rep
resented the extreme South or the
Northern Democracy, but, living in
West Virginia, occupied a sort of
neutral or impartial position. The
eX-President said that he did not Of
fer these views with any purpose of
influencing the decision of the Dem
ocratic caucus, but simply to suggest
to his friends that if any emergency
arose they had 4 grand man in Judge
Wilson.
1t was apparent to the men who
heard the ex-President that his choice
for the Spealership was Judge Will
son, but that lie felt that it would be
unwise and unfair for him to throw
a single straw in the way of Mills
success, provided he could secure
enough of the members to nominate
him.
What these men have done since
is. of course, a matter of surmise,
but there is an unquestioned feeling
here on the part of the politicians
who are closest to the ex-President,
and who intend to secure his renomi-
nation, that the deadlock may posi-
bly, be traced back to the day when
Cleveland expressed in such en-
phatic terms his opinion of Judge
Wilson and his qualifications for the
Speakership.
The Western Settlers Chosen