The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-31
CRISP NOT TO BE- SENATOR.
His Sense Of Duty TO His Party Leads
Him to Decline,


the Senate, But is Compelled to
Decline the appointment at Present
Owing to the Request of His Farty
Colleagues That he Serve Out His
Term as Speaker.
Washington. March 80.-Speaker Crisp
has declined to accept the United States
senatorship, to which he was appointed
by Gov Northen last night to succeed
the late Senator Colquitt At 8 o'clock
the speaker received a delegation of news
paper men, who had congregated ia the
lobby of the hotel to get copy of his
message to the governor which it was
stated he would make public tonight
He gave them hearty reception, and en-
gagged in a joking conversatio upon the
present events in the House, while his
clerk prepared the telegram. The speaker
had nothing to say in regard to his decli-
nation, but produced the message. 1t is
as follows:
w j. Northen, Governor, Atlanta: have
an am0ltiOn to represent Georgia IN the Sen
ate OF the United states and appreciate most
hlghly the appointment you have given me,
tut for the present at least 1 must put aside
my ambition l was as you know, unaui-
mously nominated speaker In accepting
this Office / have incurred obligations to our
party throughout the country very large
ma oritY of the democratic members have
united IN request that, for the remainder
OF TINS congress- l continue in the
position to which they have elected me They
base this request upon grounds which | can
not in modesty repeat, hut viii h cannot in
DUTY ignore As speaker feel to some ex-
tent responsible for the action of the House
feel pride in its organization and have set
tied purpose 50 far as my influence extends,
to have brought before it and have voted
upon. bills which If enacted into laws, will
redeem to the fullest extent our party
pledges This, think will serve the interest
OF the people of Georgia.
| am grateful to you for the honor you have
done me. ] am grateful to the numerous
friends throughout the state who have
seemed pie sed with and who have urged my
acceptance OF this appointment, and beg that
you ana they Will beheyewhat J. in the ut
most sincerity, say, that in declining il l am
sacrificing cherished ambition to what l re-
gard as sense Of duty CHARLES f.. CRISP.
AN ACT WORTHY OF HIGHEST PRAISE
In declining the position of United
States senator, to which he was appointed
by Gov. Northen, Speaker Crisp has per-
formed an act of self-sacrifice and exhib-
tied devotion to duty, such as are sell
dom seen Naturally, he would like to
60 TO the Senate; that is the goal of every
statesman's ambition. There are but two
things beyond 1.-THE supreme court and
the presidency For man to deliberately
decline it for his party's sake, when the
Office is in his grasp, shows a patriotism
both exalted and rare. Speaker Crisp de-
clines the high honor simply and solely
because he cannot accept without doing
violence to his convictions of duty 1t
clearly appears to him that duty demand s
that he should remain where he is; and
in this instance, as in all his previous
life, he regards duty as his su-
preme controlling motive, and follows
where itleads.
Early this morning, before Speaker
Crisp left the hotel, his room
was thronged with members
who called to express their
congratulations and enter their
protest against his acceptance. Later
when he had reached the capitol the
same scene was repeated there, and a
regular levy was held in his room until
the hour of meeting arrived
PETITION CIRCULATED.
So strong was the objection to his ac-
ceptance, that soon after the House met
petition was circulated by Mr. Cadmus,
of New Jersey, protesting against his
leaving the House.
The petition read as follows:
Washington. March 3O l8g4.-Hon. Charles
+, Crisp, spt aker House of Representatives:
SIH-I our colleagues in the present congress
have heard with great pleasure of the high
compliment which has been bestowed upon
you from the state OF Georgia by your ap-
pointment as United States senator. to NIL
the unexpired term OF the late Senator Col
quit.
The compliment thus paid you is indeed
well merited, but il is the unanimous opinion
of US all that your obligation to your country
ana your party, at this lime. make II iInpera-
tive that you sacrifice any personal desire in
ia nFf4t Kos FfA inn N Tna
side over the deliberations OF this House.
which you have 80 ably and so impartially
administered. The position you now hold.
owing to the existing conditions, is
q highly important one, important to the
country and important to the party in whose
principles you believe.
We appeal to you in the name OF the coun-
try you love and cherish, and the party whose
able representative you are to decline this
further honor at this time and remain in the
position you now occupy
MODIFIED ITS LANGUAGE.
Later in the day Mr.. Cadmus, in order
to avoid placing the speaker in an embar-
raising position in case he should conclude
to accept the governors Office, struck out
from the petition the words in the second
paragraph: That your obligations to
your country and your party at this time
make it imperative that you sacrifice any
personal desires in the premises"
Within two hours after the petition be-
gan to be circulated it received the sigma
ture Of X 0 democrats.
The democratic members were unani-
nous in the opinion that the removal of
the speaker would be the worst calamity
that could befall the House. Some of
them went SO far as to say that the safety
of the party depended upon the speakers s
remaining with the House. Gov. Nc
Creary, of Kentucky, said after what
happened yesterday, | am tenfold more
reluctant TO give him up. In all my service
here | have never known any man to
acquit himself 50 handsomely or accom-
plish so much in a short time as the
speaker did yesterday afternoon. We
cannot-we must not let him go.n
These expressions voiced the senti-
ments Of the entire democratic side of the
House. The protest against the speakers
removal did not come from any one state
or section, but it covered the entire union.
The newspaper correspondents, than
whom no men are better posted, say that
it would have been a misfortune which
the House could not have overcome.
HAS THRUST ASIDE THE CROWN.
Speaking Of the speakers declension,
Judge Lawson said He has thrust
aside the crown"
Telegrams Of conRratulation poured in
from all parts Of Georgia and every sec
rion of the union. Most of the promi-
nent men in Georgia wired their congrat-
ulations, including ex-governors, ex-mem-
bers of congress, etc
sTsNsa sta.Ar u ystaI-