Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-01
Speaker Crisp.

The opponents OF Judge CRISP Tor elec-
fion to the speakership when he first ran
for that Office are renewing their efforts TO
.liscredit him in the estimation of the
Democratic members OF the new House OF
Representatives. Yet he has proved HIM
self TO be an excellent presiding officer HIS
course last winter must have satisfied all
impartial men that his competitors for the
Office which he so ably fills could ind
among their own numbers no man who
was 50 fully equipped for the second office
In the United States as Judge CRISP.
The Speaker made what are called enc
mics of course when he appointed the
committees. and especially in selecting the
chairmen. He knew beforehand that
he would DO censured by some. The
members who least merited cbairmanships
and most desired to be on important COM
mittees are the very ones whom Judge
CRIsP will ind TO be his most active oppo-
nents when he comes next year before the
Democratic caucus for approval OF bis
course as Speaker. II he were TO under
take to render an account of his steward
ship, as he will not. he would only intiame
the intolersnt. disappointed place-seekers.
Certainly he would gam nothing by at
tempting to make terms with the dissatis-
fed host of place-seekers whose merits are
perceptible 10 nobody hat themselves. Ii
he has done his duty the Democratic eau
Gus will renew his title TO the exalted po-
sition which he now occupies. II he has
not done it he will be ordered to the
rear" All the waters If Alans and Phar-
phar cannot wash away the leprosy of work
aeft undone and duty left unperformed.
We have no fear that he viii come under
condemnation or fail to be chosen Speaker
of the next House OF Representatives.
But it is said that Judge CRISP is not as
strenuous an advocate of free trade as he
ought 10 be. We say free trade but
that is hardly the right phrase, seeing that
no congressman fit for his place IL free
trader. He is charged, let US saw, with
not being willing to hasten to repeal the
MCKINLEY tariff bill as a whole. We
think this charge ought TO rebound to his
credit, If he does not know, az nobody
seems to know, whether or not such repeal
would operate the revival of all the Gus
TOMS duties which were levied under the
law as il stood before the MCKINLEY bill
was passed.
But do not misunderstood the facts
Judge CRISP declares emphatically that the
McKIHLEY act must co." The people have
'sent forth decree" TO that effect. and it
must, he says, be obeyed. But the people
do not desire the unthinking legislators so
20 vote as TO cali down public censure upon
the Democratic party and make the De-
mocratic members of the House OF Repre-
sentatives the aughipg stock of the world.
Out of 1SS members the New York Herald
found Al in favor of the law with modifca-
lions, and 81 opposed to any change in it.
In other words, the Herald found more
friends than enemies of the MCKINLEY
tariff. However. as We said yesterday, we
iudge that the Herald had more than due
proportion Of Republicans upon Its list.
We need not say q word as TO the charge
that Judge CRISP was in Mr.. RANDALL's
palmy days friend of the great Pennsyl-
vanian, if not of bis tariff policy, seeing
that SAMUEL J. RANDALL was himself made
Speaker of the House of Representatives
by the Democrats. We had thought that
there could not now be found anywhere a
good and true Democrat who would be
willing to forget the services which Mr..
RANDALL rendered TO the southern people
when be stood day after day between them
and force bill much more Objectionable
than the one now pending in Congress.
Tor forty-eiGht hours the Pennsylvania
parliamentarian employed ali his resources
TO prevent the southern States from being
converted into mere satrapies. He refused
70 let slumber come upon him so long as
his white brethren of the South were in
danger Of being ruined by the diabollcal
legislation proposed by the malignants in
Congress. Ought not every southron TO
say, rather. that be will never forget these
inestimable scrvicesl
Judge CRISP deserves all the good words
that can be applied TO him. Nevertheless,
we do not by any means intend our lam
gusge to imply that be has more than a
few enemies in the Democratic party, nor
shat among those opponents there are no
"good men and true"