The National tribune., 1889-12-05
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weeks DOingS at the Ma
tiOnal Capital
SENATORIAL GLORY vs.. SENATORIAL CLASH


ted Territories will have 70 be duly classified,
ia accordance with the custom of the Senate,
and In spite Of the fact that they have all been
chosen for six years. their respective terms OF
actual service must be determined by the class
ifcation system Of the Senate adopted in l1S9.
At that time the body consisted of 20 members
each, Of course chosen for a six years term.
Now. Article l, Section g. Paragraph 2, of the
Constitution, says:
Immediately after they shall he assembled. In
consequence of the first election. they shall be d-
vided as equally may Ice into three classes Inc
seats OF the Senators 81 the FIRST class shall be va
Gated at the expiration of the second year OF the
second class at the expiration OF the fourth year.
and the third class nj the expiration oil Tie sixth
year, 50 that Onethird may be chosen every second
year.
On May III a committee was appointed, under
resolution adopted, TO report mode for car
rying ont the above provision, and as a result
the 20 Senators were divided into three classes,
two Of which included seven Senators each,
aud the other six. According 10 the course to
be pursued, three slips of paper were numbered
i, 2 aud 5. and were placed in o box, from
which they were drawn by the three leaders Of
the three classes respectively. Ii was also pro-
Eided:
When Senators shall take their seats from States
that have not yet appointed Senators iey snail be
placed by lot in the foregoing classes but In such
manner as shall keep The classes as nearly equal as
may be in numbers
Of Senators was chosen by lot TO serve two
years, another 10 serve four years. and the third
20 serve six years. Fourteen Senators were
thus deprived offrom two TO four years Ofservice.
When Colorado and Nevada were admitted, the
resolution was introduced each time to class
lily the new Senators IN conformity with the
resolution Of May i, 1879, and they were in
consequence assigned to the different classes by
lot, and, il happened, not one OF the four Seua
tors served the full term for which he was first
elected, though some Of them were reelected
at the expiration Of their short terms.
The eight new men are upon an equal foot
ing. BY resolution they viii decide their own
Classification by drawing lots. To keep the
three classes as nearly equal as possible il is
necessary for three TO be assigned 20 Glass g.
their terms expiring on March 3, 1891; three
must 60 10 Class . and serve until March 3,
1888; while the remaining two will enter Class
j, serving until March g. 1895. OF course, it
viii be SO arranged that no two Senators from
the same State shall find themselves in the
same class. Ii is question whether the shorter
term Senators viii not have an advantage over
those whom the drawing has placed in the two
other classes, since in the few months that
Class has 10 serve, the new men need hardly
commit themselves, and may easily keep in
favor with the powers at home, resting mean
while on the reputation already made, while
OF the men who serve longer more will be ex-
pected, aud they may possibly by an injudicious
stroke injure their popularity with their con-
stituents and End reelection impossible.
1t viii thus be seen that no regard whatever
Is paid 70 the constitutional provision that Sem
at0riai elections shall be for six years and that
the august body allows no interference with
the proper arrangement of Its classes
THE HOUSE ORGANIZED.
The Republican Caucus was held on Satur-
day, az which the Hon. Thomas b. Reed, Of
Maine, was chosen Speaker; Edward McPher-
son, Of Pennsylvania, Clerk; Adoniram ].
Holmes, Of Iowa. Sergeant-at-Arms; Capt. Chas.
w. Adams, Of Maryland, Doorkeeper; Capt. J.
A Wheat. OF Wisconsin. Postmaster, and Rev.
Charles Ramsdell, of the District of Columbia,
Chaplain. These officers were duly elected on
the assembling Of the House on Monday last,
with the exception Of Rev. Ramsdell, some OF
the Republican Members having bolted the
Chaplaiu's nomination, and, assisted by the
Democrats, elected Rev. w. III. Aiburn, the
blind Chaplain Of the last House.
The vote IN caucus for the Speakership was
heed, 20; Mckinley, 80; Cannon, %; Hender-
son, 10; Burrows. 10 on the first ballot On
the second ballot Dir. Reed received IS votes,
the number necessary for the choice, and he
WAS then unanimously made the nominee Of
the Caucus upon motion Of Maj. Mckinley, his
most formidable opponent
The Pennsylvania delegation had practi-
caily settled the Cierkship by espousing the
cause Of Hon. Edward Mcpherson on Friday,
by having named him as their choice as against
8aJ- John Carson. another Pennsylvania. Mai.
Carson, however. received 30 votes, a good
showing for The most popular newspaper CORE
spOBdent in Washington.
The greatest surprise Of the caucus was the
nomination Of Hon. Adoniram J. Holmes, Of
Iowa bis name had never been mentioned in
connection with the position In public and
when Col. Henderson, one Of the defeated can
dioates Tor the Speakership delivered a ring
lag speech in placing Maj. Holiness name in
nomination, il was such a surprise, and the
speech was so fOrcible, that the caucus was cap
tured, and when Col Henderson sat down
MAJ. Holmes was as good as nominated. Holmes
was elected by lzZ votes, his opponent. Capt.
votes.
The big fight occurred over the Doorkeeper-
snip. Tho Reed supporters had pledged their
support 10 Capt. Wheat Of Wisconsin, aud the
Western men, outside Of WheaTs own State
went for Capt. Adams. Of Maryland, and Mr.
Reed friends soon saw that the Western and
Southern combination WAS too much for them
and they quietly acQuiesced 20 the inevitable
ana allowed Capt. Adams TO be selected as
D0Orkeeper. The vote was terribly close how
ever. and had not Mai. Farquhar, Member
from tie Ihirty-seeoBd New York District,
voted Tor the Southern candidate he would not
have been elected. There was considerable
CONSERVATION shown at Mai. Earquhar's course
and i has been stated that be will be disci-
pinned by the New York delegation
his outcome Of the DoOrkeepersbip put
new phase on the POstmastership, and the
splendid showing made by Capt. Wheat ia that
race made bis friends place him in nomination
ior the position, and be received : handsome
majority Of the votes cast
All the gentlemen who have been chosen 10
Eli these very desirable places have army rec
ords, and good ones IL that. They will nm
aonDtedly, make good records as do most men
who were good soldiers
THE PRECEDENT
has been very chary Of his preroRatiYe Of ap-
pointing persons for the past week or two. per
haps for the reason that Congress would assemble
and bring many prominent men 20 Washington
besides the Senators and Members Of Congress-
1t seems that the policy Of Gen. Harrison i to
not only consult Members and Senators ia max.
ing these appointments, bot also other men who
are prominent ia local and State politics. In
THIS way he manages he thinks, In getting q
better class Of men 20 ill the various Offices
End that the majority Of people throughout
The country viii 50 think. The Members and
Senators, however, very generally think that
rms manner Of procedure depriges them of a
great Deal Of the patronage which obtains ae-
coiding 10 custom 10 their respectiye Offices
aho they have been and still are max ing a yigor
Gus KICK against the plan. The postOfiices
~ eAch a4slfIct have almost always been con-
slnsrea the exclusive property Of the Member
OF congress, and his dietum has been the m
written law, except In the case of the CITY
where Senator halls from In The Iatter
event Tie Senator has ueUaIIv n,,a.S a.. -.