The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-02
VICTIMS OF THE STORM.
THE REPUBLICAN FLEET LOSES
MANY GOOD SHIPS.

Congress Craft of 1ndiana-Destruc-
ton of the Republican Fleet of vir-
GINA.
NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-The congressional
casualties in the November political gale
were not confined to the Democratic party.
Many a stout republican vessel was dis
masted, aud several fagships went to the
bottom. The gale was particularly severe
upon republican congressional craft in In
diana While Gems Harrison and Hoyey
carried the state, the democrats gained
three congressman, thus securing large
majority of the delegation The most
serious republican loss was that of the
three-masted flyer, Gen. George w.
Steele Of the Eleventh district. The Gen.
eral is serving his fourth term in
congress. He is the republican leader in
the committee on military affairs and
man of considerable influence in the House.
He unavailingly crossed swords with Gen.
Hovey IN an effort to secure the republican
nomination for governor. Gen. Steele is
an indefatigable worker, close observer
and a ready debater. In all political
ssirmishes he is among the most active Of
the republican pickets. He is 30 years old,
bright looking, and eninently genial and
colnpanionabie. Many democratic
member will persona y regret his defeat.
A loss fully serioIs to the republican
party was the laundering of the grim sloop-
of-war james T. Johnston. 1t carried
heavy metal and made much noise in battle
Johnston is a typical hoosier. lie wears a
black felt hat with a broad brim, and has
the countenance, dialect, ana manners of an
old time fire-eater Were it not for the
grand army button which he wears, q
stranger would assuredly mistake him for a
Knight of the Golden Circle. Johnston
has an innate love of deviltry. He sat be-
hind Senator Ingalls, when the latter drew
Dan voorhees, into an argume8tative
ambuscade last winter, and gave point and
poison to the Kansas senator's shafts
of sarcasm. VOORHEES, caught Johnston in
the act, and denounced hun in most I'M
measured terms 1t was fighting talk, yet
Johnston sat like Count Fosco at the opera,
drumming his fingers and never changing
his smile. If he had taken up the gage of
battle he might have secured a prestige that
would have led to his reelection. His
silence was remarkable, for he is intensely
combative in disposition. May lovely
row has he raised upon the floor of the
House. His speeches are long and argu-
mentative. When excited he roars like "A
lion. Either his argument or bis roaring
always delights the galleries. With his de-
feat disappears one Of the most dramatic
characters IN congress.
still heavier republican loss was the
submerging of the double-turreted monitor
Jehu Baker. 1t was a serviceable vessel.
1t carried heavy guns, and its machinery
was seldom out of order. Judge Baker is
the successor of Col. William K. Morrison.
He was born in Kentucky sixty-six years |
ago He has been United States minister to |
Venezuela, and this is his third term in |
congress. He is a piece of quaint Federal |
bric-a-brac. His face is ruddy and clean |
shaven, his eyes are steel blue, and he is as |
gray as a badger. He wears an antique |
cravat and collar and no cuffs. With his |
hands in his pockets he saunters /
around the House apparently IN
concerned in its proceedings. Yet no |
man is more wary and watchful. He |
has a reflective brain, tempered by rare |
Judgment. The judge accepts no other |
mans conclusions. In committee he per- |
sonally examines all bills. To him is mainly !
due the smothering Of the bills providing |
for the election of President and Vice Presi-
dent by popular vote. Both bills were
referred to the committee on the election of |
such officers. 1t was proposed to distribute
the presidential electors i'll each state in
proportion TO the vote cast for each candl- |
date. The bills were urged by the Chicago |
Tribune and supported by prominent CON
CresSnen N both parties. Judge Baker is |
the leading republican member of the COM |
init ee to watch they were referred. Printed |
tables submitted with them applied the pro- |
posed system to former presidential eiec- |
lions with apparently gratifying results. |
The committee, accepting the figures as
correct, was about to make favorable re- |
port, when the judge objected. He wanted |
the figures proved before action was taken. |
Two clerks spent a week over them. The |
result astounded the committee. The hg- |
ures showed that under the proposed rule |
several former presidential elections would |
have been thrown into the House and the |
popular will defeated. The committee |
refused to report either bill.
Although floored by young lawyer this |
fall, the Judge Will probably pick his flint |
anew and try it again. His pluck ana vln
were shown in the filibustering season last
winter. He never left the House during |
the all night sessions. At ] O'Clock in the
morning be deliberately prepared for bed.
He removed his collar and shoes, unbuttoned
the wristbands of his shirt and stretched |
himself upon a sofa near the entrance to a |
cloak room. From the galleries he pre-
sented picturesque figure. Ills stockings
were as red as blood, his red flannel under
shirt was visible at the wrists, and his face
was covered with red bandanna. Amid
the noise and tumult he fell aslesp as quietly |
as an infant. When division was de-
manded he marched between the tellers
without his shoes and resumed his nap until
the next interruption.
The stranding of the lively felucca, John
Kean, Jr, OF Elizabeth, N. j., Is announcer
republican disaster. The vessel was well
heeled and had rakish spars. A nicer
political craft never fioated. Kean really
represents a democratic district. he is
serving his second term. He entered con-
gress when 80 years old, succeeding the
yell-kuown Miles Ross. He came in on a
popular wave, caused by the passage of
huge river and harb,r appropriation bill
over President Arthurs veto. Kean Is
silent member, but one extremely popular
He is an earnest worker and an excellent
skrmisher when votes are required. lie has
begun his political career by serving alter
nate terms in congress, and it looks as
through he might take his turn again two
years from now.
The humiliation of the democratic fiotilla
in Minnesota was Offset by the almost total
destruction of the republican fleet in Nr-
ginia The republicans have regained Min
neso.a and the democrats have reclaimed
Virginia Two years ago six Of the ten
congressman elected from the latter state
were republicans. Five OF the six were
new members This fall only one of the
six was returned None of them has been
conspicuous in the present congress. -Four
we're confederate soldiers. The youngest
aud probably tue best known is Jacob Yost
Although 81 years old, be is so boyish in