The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-09-26
THE BROWBR BOLT.
The North Carolina Congressman Holds
the Balance of Power

the Balance of Power.
\ special corrcspo adent of the Dur
ham Globe writes a letter concerning
the bolt of Congressman Brewer. 1t
accords very much with the state
ments of Northern papers and saws:
Since Representatives John M. Brow
er, of the Fifth North Carolina dis
trict, declared his purpose to bolt the
republican caucus and set up for
himself in the Fifty-fir Congress. a
great deal has been SAL about the
organization Of the House. and
about Brewer probable course.
The reason for this singular mani
iestation of interest in a mi, tier which
would. under ordinary circumstances
excite very little comment. is the
critical condition in which the Repub-
llcan majo ity has been placed by a
series of blunders and accidents that
have reduced the Republican MEM
be:s OF Congress to bare quorum
including Brewer, thus giving him
the balance of power
At the time of Brewers first an
nouncement of an intention to bolt,
the number necessary to form quo
rum was 163, and only 164 Republi-
cans had been elected last fall. Brow
ef, who has always trusted to luck
and often won, resolved to take adj
vantage of the situation, not unreas-
Onably supposing that the chapter
of plumbers and accidents would show
something favorable to his designs
before the meeting of Congress. And
he was right. The lingering illness of
Mr.. Nutting, of the 9th New York
district, reduced the Republican
strength to Il bare quorum, including
Brewer; SO that the extra session
could not be called without putting
the party absolutely in his power-a
| step which the President decided not
to venture on.
The nation has provided that after
| the elections in the new States the
condition of the Republicans would
be so far changed as to enable them
| to go on without much difficulty;
but here, too, certain difficulties have
arisen. The constitution of North
Dakota is not in accordance with the
Enabling Act, in that the convention
| violated the provisions of that act
by inventing in their convention GER
| tain provisions with reference to the
public lands and public buildings.
dlametrlcally opposed to the provis-
| ions of the Enabling Act. The ad-
mission of the State by proclamation
OF the President, under that Act,
will therefore be denied, and North Da-
| kota's constitution will have to be
| passed. upon by Congress-; so that the
member from that State, who is set
| down iii all calculations as likely to
be Il Republican. cannot take part
| in the organization.
Conceding to the Republicans three
| out of the four new members to be
admitted prior to the election of a
| speaker, they will have only 167
members, including Brewer and Nut
| ting But it will take 165 to form a
| quorum and if it should by any
| means happen that the members from
Dakota should be allowed to partici-
| pate. in the organization of the
House, in that case the required
| number for quorum will be increas-
ed to 166. and the Republicans will
have only 16S including Nutting and
| Brewer.
To all appearances, therefore, the
| position of the Republicans will be
exactly the same at the meeting OF
T Congress as it was the day that
| Brewer astOnished the country by
his bold utterances at the Ebbit
House. They will have bare quo
rum without him, for there is no
probability of Mr.. Nutting's recov-
cry in time to occupy his seat and
any accident to any one of the 1G6
Republicans necessary to elect a Re
publican speaker, will place that par
ty absolutely in the power of the
North Carolina bolter There being
l66 chances to one in his favor, he
will continue to kick until after the
| meeting of Congress.
He knows that he may be able to
force his party to elect him speaker,
in spite of their ieering. They could
not do better under some circum-
stances, which are not unlikely to
happen, than to make a deal with
him by which he should be made pre-
siding officer of the House, in cOnsid-
Grafton of his appointing the com
mittees as agreed upon by the Re-
publican caucus, and he understands
the situation as well as anybody.