Arizona republican., 1899-05-29
Rapidly Growing Interest in the
 Approaching Contest.
HENDERSON IN THE LEAD
Though There Has Been a Lafe Un- accountable Hove ment in Favor of Sherman. The Strong New England Delegations Have Given Out no indication of Their Course in inc Struggle.

Washington. May Especially
 Chiefly by means of correspondence
 the canvas for the speakersh:p of the
 next house of representatives has as
 sumed a very active phase within the
 last two or three weeks. None of the
 candidates for the place vacated by
 Thomas B. Reed has yet opened head
 quarters in Washington, although it
 has been reported recently that sev- eral of them would do so shortly.
 Much interest has been manifested
 in all the correspondence that has
 thus far been carried on in the posi- ton which the New England repre- sentatives will assume toward the sav- eral candidates. The candidates from New York have apparently 3ssum2d that nearly all the eastern republicans in the next house, including, of course, those from New England. would lend their support to an eastern candidate
 
 be brought forward from the west. It appears from the testimony of several representatives from states east of New York that this assumption has been false, and that far from being solid in favor of a New I ork man for speaker, a considerable number cf New England congressman will vote for a western man. One of these con gressmen, who is now in Washington, is authority for the statement that there issa strong sentiment among the representatives in several New Eng land states in favor of General Hen derson of Iowa for speaker, and that several are certain to vote for him.
 General Henderson has at least two votes from the Connecticut delegation of four congressman, and both of the Rhode Island congressman, although neither of them has publicly expressed an opinion in the matter, are said to ibe in favor of Henderson. In addition to these four men, General Henderson could command today at least as many more from the Massachusetts deIega- 1 tion One of the New Hampshire | congressman, MT. SullCway, makes no 1 secret among lis colleagues of the l fact that he intends to vote for Hen i derson. How many more New Eng 1 land representatives are in favor Of | the Iowa congressman for the speak | CTS chair is uncertain at present, but 1 there is authority for the statement | that a majority of the delegation are { Henderson men. The two COrnecd | cut congressmen who will vote for ! Henderson are Representative Sperry f of the New Haven district, and Repre- | sentative Russell of the New London i and Norwich district MT. Sperry has 1 declared his intention of voting for a westerner or, the ground that the next speaker should, other considera- tions being equal, come from that part of the country.
 A New England congressman said today that he regarded Representa- tive Payne's chances for the speaker ship as amounting to very littla Senator Platt. he says, IS certainly for Sherman, and lined up with him are all but one or two of the members of the house from New York. The only New York man who is outspcken for Payne IS Representative WadsWOrth One other is possibly for Payne. but is not very decidedly in favor of any particular candidate MT Payne came to Washington yesterday, and he will meet as many republican. congressman as he can find in the city. He has writ ten letters to a number Of republican members of the next congress solicit ing their Upport, but 1t cannot be learned that he has made much pEe- gress with his canvass. His aim $ said to be to secure as large a showing of strength as possible outside of his state delegation, in order that he may i have some basis for tts claims for : when the delegation is , ready to consider formally whether it will support Payne or Shern,n.
 Representative Moody of Massachu- setts, who has himself been mention ed for speaker, dces not it IS learned, 2 regard himself as candidate. He I aas, however, privately expressed I himself as in favor of 9 western man s ,or the place, and he has personally I lrged a number of members from New l England to refrain from publicly ex- pressing opinions as to candidates lntil the members from New England an get together and agree, if possible. s Q support as unit some single can Iidate. The congressman already ' Iucted is optimistic e1Clgh to believe c