St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-13
BATTLE FOR A CAVEL.
First Gun in TIE Speaker
ship Contest Has Been
Fired.
Crisp's Forces Solidified by
the Snub of the Re-
form Club.
Mr. Crisp's Unuttered Speech
in Accord With the Pres
ident-Elect'S Ideas.
Speaker Crisp Receives an
Ovation From the Rep
pesentativeS.

WAsHINGToN, Dec. 12.--The first gun
in the speakership contest Of the Fifty
third congress has been fired by the
reform club of New York and the
battle is now on The declaration of
hostiliieS at this early stage Of the SeS-
sion is favorable to Speaker Crisp and
his followers, as it tends to SOlldlfy his
forces for the coming contest and make
the future surprises impossible. AT the
opening of the house today almost
the only subject of discussion among
members was the reform club i'll
cident, and so significant was the
matter interpreted to be that interest
in the episode rather increased than dl-
minished as the day progressed. While
the Slight offered the speaker by his
host in New York may tend somewhat
to prejudice the speakers interests
throughout the country, there is no
doubt the affront has caused reaction
in his behalf among the members IN
this city. AS it is the congress them
selves who, in the end, must select the
speaker of the Fifty-third congress, the
incident appears therefore to have
really strengthened the candidacy OF
Mr. Crisp.
Consider Dictated.
While the reform club was doubtless
in entire ignorance in advance OF the
philippe which Tom Johnson, of ONO.
pronounced against the speaker and
Chairman Springer, OF the ways and
means committee, the disposition or
congressman is to consider Mr.. john
sons utteranceS and the diScourleSy
offered Speaker Crisp by his hosts as
only parts Of plan which has its origin
out Of congress, and which is the at
tempt of a New York dining club to
dictate the speakership Of the Fifty
third congress.
For the first time there is desire eX-
pressed for list OF the membership or
the reform club,' and Mr.. Cochran
and others who have succeeded In eX-
amining such list assert that at all
times the Mugwumps and Republicans
are able TO control the deStlnleS ana
policies of the Reform club, and that,
therefore, it Is rot much of a Demo
cratic club after all.
There is general impression IN con-
gresSional circles that Mr.. Cleveland
and Speaker Crisp have thorough un-
derstanding as to the tariff reform
conrse TO be pursued in the Flfty-tllrd
congress. and that the president-elect
was
In Entire Ignorance
of the intended slight to be placed upon
Speaker Crisp, and in his position as
guest, powerless to prevent 1t even had
he suspected it after looking over the
programme of the evening. Members
are today comparing the speech of Mr..
Cleveland and the one intended to be
delivered by MIR. Crisp and find therein
remarkable accord OH the methods to be
>purSued in the reform or the tariff.
Speaker CriSp'S speech, had it been
delivered Saturday night, would have
shown that. while i'll the present con-
greSS, with a Republican senate, he IA
v0red the tentative plan of separate
bills, his opinion of the course to be
pursued after peXt March, when the
Democrats will get control, not only of
both branches of congress, but the pres
idenCy as we'll, is that the tariff should
be revised by general bill. On thiS
subject, his speech says:
''Ihe Democrats in the present house
determined to strike at the existing law
by separate bills annulling its oppres-
sive features. This method possessed
two great advantages over any other
suggested. 1t afforded hope that some
OF the bills might pass, thus giving to
the people partial relief, and it rem
dered it certain that in
The Approaching Election
our adver5aries would be forced into
the field defending their own general
law. If might speak for my political
associates on the subject of taxation,
would say we believe in tariff for rev.
enue; we believe that unnecessary tax
alton is uni uSt taxation; we believe that
all taxation should be for pub
lie purposes; we believe that the
necessaries of life should be bur-
dened least: we believe that on
luXuries higher duties may be imposed.
and we believe that all raw material
should be free. Speaking TO my pOliti
ical associates | would say, keeping
these principles in view, we should
now, at the earliest practicable moment,
enter upon the consideration ora gen
eral tariff law to take the place of that
now on the statute books. The people
have so decreed and we are but agents
to execute their will. Great interests
are involved; complicated questions
will present themselves"
AS the morning papers of today con-
frmed previous reports of the slight i'm
posed on Speaker Crisp and strength
ell6u ll6 lUpItSSlOI Ildl III was lIlGell-
tiOnal and designed for popular effect
throughout the country. the house itself
took early and effectual means to resent
the indignity which had been offered its
presiding officer. As the clock in the
hall of the house indicated II o'clock
and the speaker entered to rap the
house to order there was an instant
CIapping of Hands,
and as Mr.. Crisp mounted the stand
the demonstration increased In volume
until it amounted to an ovation. For
nearly a minute the applause which
swept over the entire house, and was
confined to no faction and no party,
continued with great vigor, the speakers S
face flushing with evident satisfaction
and smile Of qualification stealing over
his features. When silence was finally
restored and after the chaplain'S
prayer, many members mounted the
Tostrum, and, grasping the speaker by
the hand, congratulated him upon the
esteem in which he was evidently held
by the house.
1t is doubtless a matter of great graft
fcation to Speaker Crisp that among
those who most emphatically condemn
the inhospitality of the Reform club are
many members who were uot even his
supporters in the famous speakership
contest. Representative Grain, of Texas,
who was Mr. Mills manager during the
speakership fight, said today, speaking
of the Reform club incident:
at was an outrage; an outrage not to
Mr. Crisp personally, but the speaker of
the house itself. MIR. Crisp was not in
u -, hat in, lot h. ,9.