The Dawson journal., 1884-01-03
The United States Senate.

The republican majority in the sen
ate may have made a mistake upon
the possible consequences Of which
they have not fully reckoned. They
have accepted Senator Edmunl's
dsclination of the presidency Of the
senate in order that they may place
Senator Anthony in that position
BY this course they CRAFTY The vani-
ty of a very able and faithful partisan
who, by reason of his long service in
the body feels that he should be call
ed to preside over it. And, thus,
they secure the service on the floor
and in committee of the ablest and
most influential of all the senators
on the republican side Ga the 9th
er hand, Senator Anthony is quite
old and feeble, and has little encour-
agement to hope for many more
years of service, but every reason to
fear that his days are well nigh
numbered Now, should the worst
well-grounded fears of Senator An
thongs friends be realized, there
would be but one life-that of Pres
ident Arthur-between the democYa-
tic speaker Of the House and the
presidency. We may, therefore, have
a democratic president sooner than
we have expected.
The Republicans sadly need the
aid Of .1Ir, Edmunds on the floor,
however, and can afford to take
chances to secure it.
In intelligent caibre and legisla-
tive experience the republican major
ity is much inferior to the democrat
ic minority. The terms Of eleven re-
publican senators who sat in the
forty-sevsnth congress expired with
its last session. OF that number on
ly four were reelected and Of the
new men only two have had expert
ence in the house. Altogether there
will be eight new senators on the
republican side, that party having
gained one in Illinois and another in
Oregon, but having lost one i'll
Louisiana.
The republican size of the senate
is largely made up Of weak men
whose only qualification is to vote
"a the wiser ones direct Many Of
them are good politicians, but not
statesmen. As for instance the
Camerons and Mitchells and the
Millers.
The democratic side is numerical,
ly weaker by two, counting the by
birds, Malone and Rildltberger.
with the republicans. But all the
newly elected democratic senator's
have secu service in the lower house,
while Messrs. Salisbury, Ransom,
Butler, Morgan, Harris, Beck, Gar
land, Lamar, Coke and Mcpherson
have been reelected after previous
service in the Senate.
And it is iudubitably true that the
democrats are much stronger in
craftsmanship than their opponents.
The south has always been consistent
in selecting her senator's from among
her ablest men, and hence her influ-
ence in the councils of the nation,
while the north has in many instance
chosen her bonanza princes and sil
yer kings, its Camerons aud its
Millers.
Before indicating lis purpose to
retire from the presidency Of the
senate, 3Ir. Edmunds gave his fel
low republicans distinctly to under
stand tnat he was satisfied with the
existing official staff Of the senate,
and reminded the caucus Of the ex-
istence of the civil service law, but
later developments show that his
opinion was unheeded, and that the
democrats have been put aside to
make places to be distributed by
senators as rewards for their hench-
men.
We have for twelve months been