The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-12


among the orators at the banquet of the
Reform Club meeting at New York city on
Saturday last was a serious political blum
der. To include Mr.. Crisp among the
guests invited to welcome the president
elect and then omit him from list of
speakers that contained his defeated rival
for the speakership. Mr.. Mills, was q gross
blunder, and since it is confessed to be an
intentional omission il naturally accepted
as studied Insult.
The position of speaker of the national
house of representatives is one of great
honor and responsibility, and of far
reaching political influence in making
or marring party legislation. Granting
that Mr.. Cleveland and his friends feel
confident of defeating Speaker Crisp for
reelection they are even in that event ex-
ceedingly short-sighted to insult man of
decided ability as a debater on the floor of
the house with large circle of friends
among the Southern members, who will
be sure to resent needless and wanton
insult to their friend and chief.
If Mr.. Crisp should happen to be re-
elected he could be a very effective thorn
in the side of Cieveiand's administration,
for in the formation of the committees he
could send Cleveland's conspicuous parti-
sans to the rear and effectually make or
mar any measure in whose passage or de-
feat the administration felt any interest.
Even if Crisp cannot be elected il Is quite
probable that he has strength enough to
name his successor, and he will not now
be likely to throw his influence for Cleye-
lands candidate.
Mr.. Crisp, if he cannot make a spoon
for himself. can probably spoil the Cleve-
land horn. Nor can it be said that Mr.
Crisp has not just cause to feel deeply
offended. His position in the party is one
of far greater honor, responsibility and
influence than that Of vice president; he
Is. in certain events, in the line of the
presidential succession. and it was due to
his position that he should have been
treated with studied respect. On the con-
trary Mr.. Crisp was invited to the ban
quet and was omitted from the list of
speakers. which included a noisy. pugna-
cious ''free trade" congressman from
Ohio, gifted German-American "Mug-
wump" statesman and his defeated
rival, Mr.. Mills, Of Texas. The Lam
guage of some of the speakers
would have justified Mr.. Crisp in
the conclusion that he had been invited
TO his own funeral, where the corpse"
was obliged to listen to a deal of uncom-
plimentary illusions and inuendoes re-
fiecting on the character, ability and
motives of the deceased.
If Mr.. Cleveland and his friends. before
1896. do not come to the conclusion that
when they danced on the body of Speaker
Crisp they trod upon very lively corpse
then We greatly misjudge the temper of
the average Southern man. Without any
reference 10 the political consequences
involved, the treatment of Mr. Crisp was
an act of gross discourtesy. We do not
believe there is another instance in our
history where the speaker of the nation al
house of representatives was present
among the guests AZ party ban
quet and was not among the first
speakers OF the occasion, unless
he personally gave notice in advance of
the meeting that he did not wish to speak
Mr.. Crisp's position entitled him To every
mark of political courtesy and distinction
at a political banquet of this sort; he
would certainly have received such honor
had he been invited 10 . non-partisan
gathering Of any description in the strong
est Republican state in this Union. and
ne certainly had a right to expect the
most studied courtesy aud respect at a
political banquet Of his own party.