Evening star., 1894-03-30
HE WILL DECLINE
Speaker Crisp Will Not Accept the
Appointment as Senator.
BE Is NEEDED In THE ROUSE
An Election of Speaker Now
Would Be Disastrous.
WHAT HIS FRIENDS SAY

me appointment Of Speaker Crfsp To suc-
seeu MI Colquitt in the Senate Was ON MT
Ter anu complete surprise to Mr.. Crisp and
" ms colleagues in Congress There ia no
uouOt tnat Mr.. Crisp would like to go to the
senate ana IL the situation was such as to
ADMIT OF his accepting the appointment
ne would doubtless do go, as there is no
question Of his being reelected To the long
term without opposition should he enter the
eenate now. The situation Is such, how
ever that II Is believed to be impossible
ior MIN to accept And 1t Is certain that
the democrats Of the House will not permit
II II they have the influence to prevent.
Must Remain I'm the House.
AS tempting as is the prospect Of a po-
sition OF ease and comfort In the Senate
ana as uncertain are the prospects for
the democrats to hold the next House, the
Speaker feels that he still owes a duty to
his party which will undoubtedly compel
him to remain in the House.
There are plenty Of men in the House
any one of whom would make q good
Speaker. but a change in the speakership
at this time. splitting the Congress in two
In the middle, to start over again. especial
ly when the e Is so much of uncertainty in
political matters, would necessarily be a
serious setback to the Congress, disorgan-
izing things. for a time anyhow. and break
ing Ine community OF tne pldn OIL WOrh
VIII Decline the Appointment.
At whatever personal sacrifice it may be-
It Is believed that he will surely be COM
PEELED to decline the appointment. This. it
Is evident, the democrats OF the House will
insist on. There is a very earnest declara-
ton on the part OF his party colleagues
that he must I OF resign the speakership.
The confusion which would follow a speak
ership contest at this time. il is claimed, Is
something almost appalling to contemplate.
That he will decline is certain.
Congratulations on All Sides.
Speaker Crisps room at the Capitol was
crowded with members for an hour before
the House met today, rendering him their
congrs tulations upon his appointment as
Senator, some urging him to accept and
others to decline the honor A steady
ing kilograms of congratulation from all
parts OF the country.
What Representative Montgomery
Says.
Representative MGR tgomery of Kentucky
was ore OF the SpeaE er's lieutenants dur
Ing the Speakership ccI test which elevated
Mr.. Crisp to his present place, and he is
recognized as one Of the Speakers closest
confidants. Mr.. Nor tgo merry said: THE
sp saker has given no irtimation of his de-
Termination, and / caLLot say what he will
do. But feel satisfied that he will make
the sacrince that the party and the coun-
try has right TO demand of him. His
resignation of the Speakership would mean
the generalization Of the House in the face
or situation on the tariff question that
demands such action by the House as can
only be hoped for under the superb leader
ship which he has manifested ever since
he has been in the chair. The democratic
party Eas right to expect that the people
or Georgla accept this sacrifice of Mr.
Crtsp'S ambitions for the good of the whole
party and the country. / know Mr.. Crisp
well er ough to believe that he will place
s.i sne interest OF the party above his per.
his ambition that the public good may de-
mand- What is more, the sacrifice will be
only a temporary one. The country will
remember 1t, to Mr.. Crisp's credit and
future conspicuous advancement"
MIR. Catchings Hopes He VIII Decline.
Representative Catchings, who, with Mr.
Montgomery, has been Mr.. Crisp's close ad-
wiser, said: Il hope the Speaker will de-
cline His friends are urging him to that
conclusion in the strongest terms He is
not the man to consider his personal inter-
ests when those of a public or party char
acter are at stake. But, in my judg,ner t,
his declinatiOn Of the Senatorship will not
be in the nature of sacrifice. The Speaker
ship of the House is more than Senator
ship. Even as leader Of House minority
Mr.. Crisp would be more conspicuous and
more valuable to his party than he would be
In the Senate. Moreover, / do not think his
declination now would interfere with mis- ac-
cep;inS SenatorShip when the regular cleo
ton occurs in Georgia next winter If the
legislators of Georgia should then desire and
he should assent to postponement of the
honor"
VIII Not Leave the Speakership.
Speaker Crisp told a prominent democrat
at I2:3O today that he would decline the
Senatorship; that he could not resist the
almost universal request which came to him
from his colleagues not to leave the Speaker
ship.
Petition Urging Deciination.
A petition is being signed by the demo-
Gratis OF the House urging Speaker Crisp
not to accept the appointment to the Sen
ate. The petition, after complimenting him
upon the selection and approving Of the
wisdom of the choice. says: THE compli-
ment paid you IS indeed, well merited. The
Position you now hold. owing to existing
Conditions, is a highly important one-impor-
tant to the country and to the party In
whose principles you believe. We appeal to
You iii the name of the country you love and
cherish. and the party whose able repre-
sentative you are, to decline further honors
at this time and to remain in the position
You now occupy. In doing tnls you VIII
ever enjoy the gratitude of grateful peo-
pie"
This petition will be presented to Mr..
Crisp for his consideration, and there Is no
party II is understood that his answer to
Gov Northen has to be made this afternoon
or tonight
The Correspondence.
In a message wired Speaker Crisp last
night. the governor Of Georgia asked him
to resign his seat in Congress at once and
qualify as successor to Serator Colquitt' SO
that he could take part in the tarin dis-
cussion which comes up next week The
1.tf To- 70 fn
the Senate himself but he announced that
he was not in the race He said ne teIt
II his duty to appoint Georgian VINO could
do the country the greatest service, ana ne
Considers Speaker C-isp that man.
Speaker Crisp sent back word that ne
would have to consult members or the
HOure before deciding whether or not ne
will accept the appointment
Battle monuments.
The assistant secretary of war has