The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-03
CRISP IS STILL AHEAD.
Rumored Mills and Springer Combl-
nation to Beat Him.
A CAUCUS OF NEW ENGLANDERS.
A Majority for Mills In the Delegation.
But They Cannot Enforce the Unit
Ruie-McMiIlin and Hatch still In the
Race and Hoping.

WASHINGTON, Dec. SIT is still Crisp
against the field, and whether the Geor-
gian will win will depend upon his ability
to defeat any combination which may be
formed against him between this time and
Saturday morning. He undoubtedly leads
all the other candidates at this time, as he
did twenty-four hours ago. The partisons
of Colonel Mills still proclaim in public
that he is in the lead, but their private
admissions and "inside figures do not
support the Public claim, while the efforts
in which some of them have been actively
engaged since Monday, TO effect diver
son in their favor among the Springer
men in the Northwest, are sufficient evil
dence that 1t cannot be maintained.
1t has been plain to every careful and
impartial observer, especially during the
last thirty-six hours, that Colonel MilPs
hope of success depends upon the breaking
of the Springer lines, the cooperation OF
McMillin and his little band Of followers,
and probably, also upon the withdrawal
of Hatch.
A story was started on it's travels to the
effect that five of the Illinois men and all,
or nearly all, of the Iowa men would de-
clare for Mills and vote for him on the
first ballot. From this break two results
were hoped for in favor of the Texas can
~,
the Springer men in Wisconsin, Michigan
and other States in the prospects of their
candidate: second, TO succeed in persaud-
ing the Springer men, whose second choice
is Crisp, to stand by the Illinois man at
least for one or two ballots.
At Mr.. Springer's headquarters the pos
sibility OF such desertion as the Mills
partisans asserted, or any desertion what
ever, was dismissed as absurd.
Mr.. McMillin and his friends were ap-
parently undisturbed by the report of
combination between the Mills forces and
q part of Springer's, and they stoutly de-
MED that Mr.. McMillin entertains the idea
of withdrawing from the race. Mr..
Hatch and his friends sturdily refuse to
listen TO any suggestion which means his
withdrawal from the race.
The entire New England delegation,
fourteen members met in the residence of
Representative John +. Andrew last even
ing, and for over three hours were engaged
in an earnest discussion as to the way the
delegation should vote in the caucus.
The meeting was the first one since the
election of the present Congress at which
all the members of the New England dele
CATION were present.
Mr.. Andrew was nominally the presid-
ing officer and Mr.. Mckinney of New
Hampshire the secretary of the meeting,
but officers were really unnecessary and
the meeting resolved itself into a free
and informal discussion of the candi-
dates and the reasons why they should be
supported.
The discussion took a wide range, but it
was soon made evident that il would be
impossible to get the delegation to adopt
the unit rule or agree to solidly support
any one candidate. IL Is very probable
that the delegation will give Mr.. Mills 10
votes, Mr.. Crisp and one scattering.