The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-06
CRISP AND THE sENAToRsH1P.
What a Washington Correspondent
Thinks of the Situation.

II rum ti4C Hllduclpuld h6COIu.
Washington, June 2.-When Speaker
Crisp refused the appointment to the
vacancy in the Senate caused by the
death of Senator Colquitt, with which
Gov. Northen coupled practically a
promise of support for the succession
after the expiration of the Colquitt term,
it was generally supposed here that his
self-sacritce in the interest of his party
would so impress the people of Georgia
that he would be elected for the long
term in the Senate next fall. as he I'M
doUbtedly would have been if he had ac-
copied Gov. NOrthen's offer.
There is no doubt that the people of
Georgia do admire the way Crisp stuck
to his post in spite of the tempting offer
of the very thing he has longed for all
through his political life, and there is no
doubt that if senator's were elected
by the people he would be elected in
October to represent the state of Georgia
in the Senate from the 4th of March next.
But the people only elect the legislators,
who elect the senator's, and also in GeOr-
gia elect the state judges and the prose
cutting attorneys for the different circuits,
who have the title of solicitor general,
and these judgeships and solicitor gener-
alships make a senatorial election, where
there are several candidates, more uncer-
thain than presidential convention.
Such deals" and ''dickers" were never
known at Harrisburg or Albany, am
told, as are made at Atlanta on such oc-
casiOns' with the result that candidate
whom three-fourths of the people want to
see in the Senate may be beaten by the
least popular man in the race; provided
the latter has the men and the means to
form combinations with the aspirants for
judicial aud other local honors, which
will give him the required majority in
the Legisla ture.
CRISP HAS LITTLE CHANCE.
If Speaker Crisp could go to Georgia
right now and stump the state, er even
visit the different sections of it and see
his friends, he would be able to mass the
sentiment in his favor, so as to make his
election almost certain in spite of the
politicians, for no man of our time has
been more popular in his state. But
Speaker Crisp is tied here by the same
obligations which kept him from resign
ing to accept the senatorship when it was
placed in his hands He must stay in the
chair or near it until congress adiourns.
This will probably not be much before
Aug. /, and by that time there will be
only a month or two in which effective
work could be done toward impressing
the candidates for the legislature, most
of whom are now being selected and are
now being approached by the friends of
the avowed candidates for the senator
ship.
The speaker is, therefore, in a dis
agreeable dilemma He wants to be SEN
ator as everybody knows, but he does
not want to announce himself as a candi-
date unless he knows he can make an eff
fective canvass, nor does he want to
give up the certainty of a reelection to
the House and probable reelection to
the speakership for the shadow of a SEN
atorship.
Senator Walsh, who was appointed by
Gov. Northen when Speaker Crisp de-
clined to take Colquitt's place, has al
ready announced.himself as a candidate
for the long term, and so has Repre-
sentative Turner, quiet man of high
character and great ability, who has
served for years on the ways and means
committee. So have other statesmen in
Georgia. Yet the speaker hesitates, not
knowing, | suppose, just what to do. But
you can imagine how much he would like
to see congress adjourn at an early day
The speaker, by the way, is in better
health this year than ever before, and is
getting stouter all the time. With his
round head, which is getting more and
more bald, his round face, smooth-shaved
save for very light mustache, and his
round form, he is getting to look more
and more like his great antagonist,
Thomas b. Reed.