Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-12
SpEAKERSH|P FIGHT IS ON,
The New York Reform Club
Has Forced the Issue.
Speaker Crisp's Friends Rally
to His Support.
The Indignity Imposed Upon Him by
the Mugwumps Resented.
He Is Given an Ovation by the Members
of the House-So Friction Be-
tween the Speaker and
Mr.. Cleveland.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.--The frat gun
in the speakership contest of the fifty
third congress has been fred by The Re-
form club of New York, and the battle
is now on. While the Reform club was
doubtless in entire ignorance, in ad-
vance, of the philippe which Tom
Johnson of Ohio pronounced against
Speaker Crisp and Chairman Springer
OF the ways and means committee, the
disposition of the congressman is to
consider Johnson's utterances and the
dscourtesy offered Speaker Crisp by his
hosts as only part OF plan which had
its origin out OF congress. and which ia
an attempt of the club to dictate the
speskersnip of the fifty third congress.
For the first time there was o. desire
expressed for list OF the embership
of the Reform club, and Bourke Cock
ran and others who succeeded in exam
lining such list assert that the old time
Mugwumps and Republicans are able to
control the destinies and policies of the
club, and that, therefore, it is not much
of Democratic club after all.
There is a general expression in con-
gressonal circles that Cleveland and
Crisp have thorough understanding as
to the tariff reform course to be pursued
in the fifty-third congress, and that the
president-elect was ia entire ignorancs
of the intended slight to be placed upon
Speaker Crisp. speaker Crisp'e speech,
had it been delivered Saturday night,
would have shown that while in the
mt a Roy, h otl
senate, he favored the tentative plan cf
separate bills, his opinion OF the course
to be pursued after next March, when
the Democrats will control not only both
branches OF congress, but the presidency
Rs well, is that the tariff should be re-
vised by general bill.
AS the morning papers today con-
frmed the previous reports of the slight
imposed upon Speaker Crisp, and
strengthened the impression that it was
intentional and designed for popular
effect throughout the country, the house
itself took early and effectual means to
resent the indignity which had been
offered the presiding officer, and as the
speaker entered to rap the ho-se %
order there was demonstration amount
ing to an ovation. When silence was
finally restored, and after the chaplain's
prayer. members mounted the rostrum,
and grasping the speaker by the hand,
congratulated him upon the esteem in
which he is evidently held by the house.
1t is doubt ess matter of great graft.
fcation to Speaker Crisp that among
thoee who most emphaticslly condemn
the inhospitality of the Reform club are
many members who were not even his
auDnOrtprs in the last speeiou
To Bourke Cochran of New York the
incident is a suhjecto Of considerable mer-
riment II told you all about those
people," he said. "When we took up
the managemento of the campaign in New
YORK we refused to give them single
appointment or chance to speak. They
would have ruined everything. Yet
now, when everything is over and we
have won the battle, these 800 mug
wumps come forward and want to read
600 600 regular Democrats out of the
party"