The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-11-15
Aadersun guteltigeneer.
Changing Political Complexion Of the
United States Senate.

- Ing TSSpuOllCdu udjOllty al eA0 oOA0eo3
and his Democratic successor will be an
addition to the strength of the other side.
Senator Patterson, of South Carolina,
who is under indictment for felony, is
likely to lose his seat by expulsion, and
his successor will be a Democrat. SEN
1 ator Davis, sof Illinois, who. attended the
Senatorial caucus of neither party, will
Sprobably act with the Democrats in ques-;
tions where they have right and justice
clearly on their side. If the Democratic
{ claimants from Louisiana and South Car
olina are admitted to seats, the long Re
publican ascendancy in the Senate is
5 gone, and the Democratic party will
have q majority in both branches Of Con-
gress. It is certain enough that. the
1 Democrats will control the Senate during
Sthe; last two years of President Hayes
term, and there seems almost an, even
chance that they may gain. this advantage
] In the F0rty-fifth Congress. This posi-
BE change in the party composition of
Athe Senatenis of SO much interest that It
may be worth while to look into it. The
following classified list contains the
names of all Senators entitled to seats on
ssthe day OF: Mr.. Morton's death, with the
single omission of Senator Davis, of Illi-s
.nois, whose Independent position does
snot permit him to be arrayed on either
side: 81 q
Repu5 5zeaas.- llison, Iowa; Anthony,
R.s I. Blaine, Me-; Booth, Cal.; Bruce,
Miss. Burnside, r. T.; Cameron, Pa;
Cameron, Wis. Chafee, Col. - Chris
tiancy. Mich; Conkling, N. Y; Como
7er, Fla; Dawes, Mass; Dorsey, Ark.
Edmunds, W.; Ferry, Mich. |; Hamlin,
Me-; Hoar, Mass; Howe, Wis; In
gals, Kansas Jones, New; Kirkwood,
Iowa; Matthews, Ohio; Mcmillan,
MINI. Mitchell, Oregon; : Morrill,, VT: !;
Morton. Ind. ]; Ogtesby, H.; Paddock,
Neb.; Patterson, S. c.; Plumb, Kansas;
Rollins, n. H.; Sargent, CAL; Saunders,
Neb. Sharon, New; Spencer, Ala;
! Teller, Col; Wadltigh, N. H.; Win
dom, Minn.-39..
Democrats. Armstrong, Mo-; Bailey,
Tenn.;; Barnum, Conn.,; Bayard, Dell;
Beck, KY; Cockrell, Mo-; Coke, Texas;
/ Davis, w. Va. :; Dennis, Nd; Eaton,
Conn; Garland, Ark; Gordon, Ga. !;
Grover, Oregon; Harris, Tenn. Here
ford, ". Va, Hill, Ga; Johnston, Va;
Jones, Fla; Kernan, N. VI; Lamar,
Miss; McC Creery, Ky.; Mcdonald, Ind;
Mcpherson, M. Maxey, Texas Mer-
ssriimon, N. c.; Morgan, Ala.s;; Randolph,
u; Ransom, N. c.; Salisbury, Del;
Thurman, Ohio; Wallace, Pa; Whyte,
Md; Withers, Va.-33.
By the death of Senator Morton and
theecertainty that the Governor OF In
diana will appoint Democratic sue
cessor, this slender Republican majority
of six is reduced to four, and to three as
5often as Judge Davis votes on the Demo-
cratic side. IF Patterson, of South Car
olina, should be expelled, the Republi-
cans will have only majority of two on
critical occasions and of only one after
i Patterson's Democratic successor is seat
ed. With Sharon, of Nevada, absent, as
9he feels at liberty to be a great part of
!. the time, the Republican majority would
Be. annihilated as soon as Patterson is re-
placed by a Democrat, and the Senate
s would be brought to a tie on political
! questions. But tie would not destroy
Republican control, since the Vice Pres
ident, who is Republican, has casting
vote whenever the Senate is equally di-
yided. But it must be remembered that
there are three vacant seats, and that the
filing of these may reduce the Republi-
cans to an absolute minority when the
casting vote of the, Vice President cannot
help them. Louisiana is not represented
{ in the Senate at all, and South Carolina
has but one Senator. These three seats
belong, of right, to the Democrats, and if
the Democratic claimants are admitted
fhe Republican majority in the Senate is
s hopelesslY gone for the whole of Hayes
!. term.
If the Republican Senators are unscru-
pulous enough they may perhaps main
tain their ascendancy during the Forty
fifth Congress by admitting Kellogg from
Louisiana and keeping the other untitled
seats vacant. But. this would be ahaz..
ardous experiment. Judge Davis would
certainly vote against them in any at
tempt to perpetrate manifest injustice,
AMI perhaps also two or three Republi-.
can Senators who strongly approve of
President Hayes Southern policy. If
the President wes right in recognizing
the Democratic State governments in.
Louisiana and South Carolina, the Dem.
ocratic Senators from those States ought
to be admitted. It is only necessary that
two Republican Senators-say Mr.. Chris
tiancy and Stanley, Matthews-.should
vote with Judge Davis aud the Demo
Gratis in filling the contested seats to es-
tablish clear Democratic ascendancy in
the Senate. The foregone certainty that
the Democrats are to control the Senate
during the last half of Mr., Hayes term
tends to discourage unscrupulous party
zeal, and it is quite possible that the fill
ing of the vacant seats may reduce the
Republicans to minority in the present
Senate. When their very slender ma
jority can be maintained only by reck-
less partisanship which oVerrides justice,
and may be lost in any event by the re-
fnsal of barely two Republican Senators
to 20 all lengths, the party is practically
bankrupt in the Senate of the United
States. IF merchant were reduced to
such an extremity bis credit would be
ruined. 49, sS .s's'.
This narrow and vanishing Republican
majority in the Senate is great political
fact which President Hayes cannot pru-
IDENTIFY ignore. The usefulness of his ad-
ministration depends upon q reasonable
support by Congress He is in very
different position from that in which
General Grant stood during the first six
years of his administration, when he had
strong Republican msjorities in both
houses. Beyond the mere. routine of ex-
ecutiye duties President Hayes can do
little for the advantage Of the country
without the permission of his political
opponents. During the last half of his
term certainly, and for the first half pos
sibly, he will; l;haye to depend ON Demo
cratic votes tosget his appointments con-
frmed, and 40 public measures. which he
NAV recommend to Congress can posi-