The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-21

It Is not conceivable that the Democratic
members OF the Fifty-second House fail to
understand the enormous responsibility
resting In their hands at the present time.
They are prepared to hear advice, good or
bad, and to determine for themselves by
reasonable processes what advice is good and
what is bad: rejecting the latter and acting
on the former, for the sake OF the party
they serve and which has honored them.
Certain persons and certain newspapers
are urging the Democrats in Congress to
elect Mr.. MILLS Of Texas as Speaker Of the
House when ii, meets q fortnight hence.
First. there is Ne MILLS himself. who
claims the post Of honor partly on account
Of his long service in Congress. partly on
account II his prominence in the events
which, prepared the way for and led up to
the great Democratic disaster OF 1888. when
Republican candidate for President ousted
the Democratic incumbent by an electoral
vote Of 2ss to 1863: partly as the self-pro-
claimed representative of an issue which he
declares must be the single issue in the
Democratic politics Of the future.
Behind Mr.. MILLS In his personal canvass
are all OF the Mugwumps who are Mug
wumps because they want free trade. and
want to take the shortest cut to free trade.
They do not conceal the motive OF their ad-
vocacy Of Mr.. MILLss election. They caro-
nothing for the Democratic party except
80 far as it can be used to promote the
cause in which they are interested. They
care very little for Mr.. MILLS, except SO
far as he can help them in getting the
Democratic party committed to free trade.
They believe that he is with them. on tho
strength of his deeds in the past and his
utterances now: and they are right.
Behind Mr.. MILLS. likewise. are those
Democrats-a small minority Of all OF the
Democrats in this countrywide would
rather follow GROVER CLEVELAND again to
defeat in 1892. and again In 1896. and again
victory under the leadership OF any man or
men alive to-day. They would rather see
the nomination Of Mr.. CLEVELAND in July.
and the election OF a Republican in Novem-
ber. than the nomination OF any other
Democrat in July and the election Of that
Democrat four months later. Whether the
uncompromising loyalty that will face
even the certainty OF disaster rather than
yield q personal preference is credltable or
discreditable, Is not matter for consider
alton heres but it is not loyalty to the
Democratic party.
These are the two distinct influences IA
voring the election Of Mr.. MILLS as
Speaker: the first. because he has squarely
declared himself for absolute free trade: the
second. because he has squarely declared
himself for free trade and CLEVELAND.
Besides these two clearly defined classes
OF MILLss supporters there is third. quite
as important as either. We refer to the
Republican party. There Is not at Repub-
ncsn headquarters or in the Repub-
lican ranks sagacious observer or
q far-seeing politician who would not
do anything in decency to bring about
the election Of Mr.. ROGER Q. MILLS
as Speaker Of the House Of Representatives
in the Fifty-second Congress. The only
possible road to success for the party OF
BLAINE and HARRISON and MCKINLEY is In
the chance OF such fatal folly. such wilful
blindness to the lessons OF the past and the
possibilities Of the future. as would be sig
nalized by the choice Of this proclaimed free
trader and income tax crank as the repre-
sentative In 1891 OF the Democracy's policy
for 1892; and the Republicans know it.
The Republicans want Mr.. MILLS in the
Speakers chair. We state this simple in
dlsputable. and significant fact AS the
strongest OF reasons why the Democrats
should not put him there. We commend
the fact that nothing would be more welcome
10 ths hopes or more eongsnial to the plans
eSths saeuy tAsn ~. NuGs's election two