The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-21
Especial to the Press.1

Especial to the Press.1
WASHINGTON, December 19-Roger O.
Mills still sulks and refuses to be- comfort
ed. Speaker Crisp "fnds the demands on
his time too great" to enable him to call on
his defeated rival, but he has written to
Mr.. Mills offering him the second place on
the ways and means committee and the
Craftsmanship Of one of the second class
committees. Mr.. Mills, as might be ex-
pected, declines to play second fiddle to
Mr.. Springer or any other man. Mr.. Mills
says that If, for gany reason in the judg-
ment Of the Speaker, he Is not fitted to be
the chairman of the committee on ways
and means, position which he held In the
6Otn Congress, the same objections ought
TO disqualify him from being on the COM
mittee at all. For that reason be declines
to take second place, but informs the
Speaker that he will do his utmost to con-
tribute to the best success of the party In
whatever position he may be placed.
This makes the situation very awkward
for Mr.. Crisp. He thought he could
smooth down Mr.. Mills by making him
Mr.. Springer's lieutenant. Now Mr.. Mills
won't have any Of 1t, and his friends In
dulge In good deal of hard talk. They
say openly that Mr.. Springer Is re-
ceivtng his reward for having voted
for MIR. Crisp when his vote counted the
most: that before Mr.. Springer voted,
hard and fast bargain was made, and that
If Mr.. Crisp should now try and repudiate
that dicker 1t would cause friRhtful scan,
dal. Mr.. Mills's friends are doing all they
can to keep the fight mp by never losing an
opportunity 70 talk about Jobs and trades.
Ii there was any doubt entertained before
that Mr.. Springer would be chairman, Mr..
1loso loff khnF
that Mr.. Mills has refused second place on
| the committee, for the Speaker to make
him chairman would be an act Of stultifca-
| tiOn ON the part Of Mr.. Crisp 1t would be
| an open confession OF what his enemies
charged him with before his election:
namely, that as speaker he would only be
puppet In the hands of German, Brice,
Hill g. Co. Mr. Crisp, however, Is a pretty
obstinate sort of a man and does not easily
| yield to pressure. The German Brice-Hill
crowd during the last two days have sud-
denly changed front and are now clamor-
ing for Mr.. Mills, because they say thas
| with Mills snubbed the Democratic party
pretensions are. only a humbug. and az
there is no danger of the Senate agreeing
20 any tariff bill this session,
1t will do no harm to let
Mills perform. Mr.. Crisp so far has
not yielded and his senatorial partners are
| saying very DLler tnlDgS ABOUT lngrates.
| Mr.. Mills Is so frantic TO be made chair
man of the committee that he will eat any
dish of crow to gain his object. Before
the election he would listen to no PROPOSE
tion which did not contemplate complete
revision of the tariff. Now he announces
that he is willing to abide by the decision
of the Democratic caucus to do anything
that may be required of him.
Corporal Tanner gave lunch today al
| the Down Town Club in honor of ex-Gov-
ernor Selden COnnor. General George A.
Sheridan, the noted campaign orator, and
several prominent business men of Wash
ingtOn were the other guests.