The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-22
CON TEST FOR
SPEAKERSH|P
Men Who Want to Get
Reeds Place.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, May 21-The Washing
ton correspondent of the Herald tele-
graphs: Represe~ative Hopkins of llli-
nois one of three leading candidates for
the Speakership of the House of Repre-
sentatives in the FiftysiXth Congress, ar
rived in Washington tonight to look after
some matters in departments for his con-
stituents, and incidentally to advance mis-
campaign for the Speakership.
Representative Lorimer of Illinois, who
it was expected would manage the cam
paign for Mr.. Hopkins, has been i'll and
may not be able to take an active part
in the contest.
Mr. Hopkins said tonight that he was
receiving many encouraging letters from
Republican representatives-ele in all
parts of the country, also so encouraging
in fact as to justify him in expressing
the utmost confidence in his success. He
said it was too early to give detailed in
formation as to State delegations or indi
viduals but he was assured of support
from the East as well as from the West.
The Speakership campaign has not yet
settled down sufficiently to justify the as
sertion that either one of the three prin
cipal candidates is in. the lead. There are
rumors of deals Of various kinds which
would involve the delivery of blocks of
votes TO this candidate or that, but it is
not possible that any such deals have
been definitely entered into.
One of the reports is that Mr.. Sherman
and Mr.. Henderson have agreed that after
the first trial of strength in the caucus
the one who is shown to be the weakest
is to withdraw in favor of the other, and
is then TO be made chairman OF the Com
mittee on Ways and Means and the lead
er of representatives on the floor of the
House. Letters which Mr.. Sherman and
Mr. Henderson have written to their most
intimate associates do not indicate that
anything of the kind is on foot.
Another report is that Mr. Payne is re-
naming in the race for the purpose of
turning his support over to Mr. Hender-
son at the right moment and being con-
tinued at the head of the Ways and
Means Committee in return for this ac-
ton.
AS a matter of fact few members of the
Republican caucus have yet committed
themselves finally as to their choice for
Speaker. Most of them are waiting for
consultations with their colleagues in va
rious State delegations, and the final &C
ton of many will be governed largely by
their Judgment as to their prospects for
securing coveted committee assignments
with this or that man for Speaker. Thus
far the Illinois delegation IS the only one
which has been consulted, and the repre-
sentatiVes of that State have determined
to give their solid support to Mr.. Hopkins.
Though there has been no consultation of
the Iowa delegation. il is known TO be SOL
id for Mr.. Henderson.
There is much speculation among the
friends of various candidates as to the
plans of the Quay leaders in the Pennsyl-
vania delegation. Representative Bling
ham of Pennsylvania has been put for
ward as their candidate. and it is well I'M
derstood that he is to be used merely to
hold the delegation until 1t can be deliV-
cred to the best advantage in return for
committee places and House patronage to
the man who will be elected 1t is not
improbable that this delegation will hold
the balance of power in the convention,
and the report that its support was to be
given to Mr.. Henderson has been the
ground for much of the confidence which
the Henderson men have been showing in
the past few days.