Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-10-21


many projects inimical to the well
fare Of the government of the
United States. The truth is that
the party is imbued with very
patriotic purposes, which are para
lyzed by timidity almost incredi-
BILE. In the absolute possession of
both Houses OF Congress, the party
has been so intimidated by the cry
Of the "Rebel Brigadiers" that IL
has hardly dared to call its soul its
own. If the Republican party con-
trolled both Houses of Congress,
and q Democratic President were
seated in the White House, the
real power of the government
would Immediately be seen to lie
In Congress, where, in the contem-
plation of the Constitution of the
United States, it ought to lie,
It is not too much to say that,
gradually, the Democratic Con.
gress will awaken to a sense of its
real Significance in the scheme of
the national government. In this
regard 1t is interesting to speculate
how elections in the near future
may effect that body. We find, in
the San Francisco Chronicle of
Saturday last, the following reflee-
tions:
The result of the Ohio election
has settled the point that Senator
Thurman, whose term expires in
March, 1881, will not be his own
successor. His place will be taken
by q Republican, most probably,
from present appearances, by Judge
Taft or General Garfield, though, of
90 arse, allowance is always to be
made for the possibility of the
emergence of the mysterious dark
horse.
The Senate as at present consti-
tuted contains thirty-three Repub-
licans, forty-two Democrats, and
Judge David Davis, of Illinois, who
cannot be counted upon with GER
tainty by either party, though it is
safer to class HIM with the Demo-
Gratis. Next year twenty-five seats
will be vacated, and Of the retiring
Senators eleven are Republicans
and fourteen Democrats. OF the
eleven Republicans, there is one at
least who is certain to be succeeded
by . Democrat; that one is Bruce,
OF Mississippi, in which State the
time when a Republican could be
elected to any position has passed,
with no prospect of its speedy re-
turn. OF the fourteen Democrats
whose terms expire next year,
eight are from the Southern States,
aud il may be assumed that they
will either be reelected or succeed
cd by men of their own political
faith.
Hence, il any changes favorable
to the Republicans are to be made,
1t must be by replacing some of the
remaining six who are from the
North. OF these, Thurman is one,
; and his case Ia virtually disposed
OF. Herman, of New York, is an
other, and it is not beyond proba-
bility, from the present aspect of
New York; politics, that he may
share the fate of Thurman. Wal
lace, of Pennsylvania, may also be
regarded as in danger. The remain
! ing three are Eaton, of Connecticut,
Randolph, of New Jersey, and Nc
Donald, of Indiana. From the
present tendencies of public opin-
ION, the two last might have Re-
publican successors. AS for Eaton,
he is generally regarded as per-
manent fixture in the Senate, and
as the most antique specimen of
the old-fashioned, fossiliferous type
of the Yankee Bourbon Democrat,
he would be greatly missed.
But, even if all these six North
ern Democratic Senators should be
succeeded by Republicans, which
Is improbable, the Senate would
stand evenly divided-thirty-ei
Democrats to thirty-eight Republic
cans, 30 that there is no probability
that the Democratic ascendancy in
that body can be destroyed so early
as next year, or before 1888. In
that year the terms of fifteen Dem
ocratic Senators will expire, and
then will be the Republican oppor-
tunity. For Of the retiring fifteen,
: three-Davis, Grover of Oregon,
and Mcpherson of New Jersey
may very probably, judging from
the present set of the political cur
rent, be replaced by Republicans.
Should such be the case, the latter
party would have bare majority,
allowing that Kellogg, who retires
at the same time, should be super
seeded by Democrat, as he is toler-
ably sure to be. There is also the
chance-and not an improbable one
that in 1883 there may be tie
between the two parties in the Sem
ate, in which case the one which
shall succeed In electing the Vice
President next year will enjoy the
benefit of his casting vote.
It will be seen from what has
been said that a change in the po-
litical complexion of the United
States Senate can only be accom-
pIishei by very slow and uncer-
tain process; and as that body was
designed by the founders of our
government to exert q conservative
influence in politics, it's exemption
from sudden and revolutionary vi
ciseitudes is not to be deplored.
Without descending to the mi
nuteness Of speculation employed
by the Chronicle, the following
postulates are safe: First, during
the height of the war the Dem o.
cratic party had from twelve to fif-
teen Senators in the Congress OF
the United States. Second, it is
safe to assume that, with all the
accidents favoring its getting hold
Of all branches of the government,
1t will never have less than that
number, and it will probably al