The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-26
THE SENATORIAL Theft.
Republican Purpose to Create Two
Rotten Boroughs for Senator
ships Only.
They Hope Thereby to Get q
New Lease on the Prest-
dency.
Though Cunning and interruptions the
Architects, the Structure is Fragile
Sure and Debatable States.

With the theft of two seats in the senate
of the United States from Montana the re-
publicans now have ajority of ten IN
that body. In the guilty fear that this
may not afford sufficient defense against
popular assault at the ballot-box, the re-
publican leaders in congress propose to Gre
ate two more rotten boroughs and secure
four more senators from Wyoming and
Idaho territories. With this strength they
feel that, even though a popular revolution
should sweep them out of control Of the
presidential office and of the house of rep
resentatives, they might still retain pos
session of their citadel in the senate for
some years to come, says the Philadelphia
Enquirer.
Yet, cunning and interruptions o. are the
architects of this structure OF political
fraud, it is as fragile as the playhouse that
children build of cards. OF the twenty
eight senators whose terms expire on the attn
of March next, sixteen are republicans
Among these are Stanford, of California;
Teller, of Colorado: Plat, of Connecticut;
Farwell, of Illinois; Jones, OF Nevada; BAR
of New Hampshire; Evarts, of New York;
Mitchell, of Oregon; Cameron, of Pennsyl-
vania. and Spooner, of Wisconsin: Inc
democrats would have to carry only tlye OF
these seats to balance the present political
power Of the republicans in the senate.
California changes SO often tnat tae uem-
coming the present small majority OF ten
on Joint ballot in the state legislature. In
Colorado bitter warfare is progressing be-
tween the respective partlsans OF senator
Teller and ex-senator Hill; and out OF this
quarrel the democrats may come by their
own. Connecticut is democratic state,
and the republicans are able to control the
legislature only through a "rotten-borough'
system which has been frequently over
turned at the ballot box. The democrats
of Illinois will enter hopefully INTO the
contest for the seat of Senator Farwell, who
has been unfortunate in his attempts
to distribute the spoils. as he made himself
obnoxious to public sentiment by truoulent
Championship oft he spoils policy. New
York is a democratic state, and ought to
elect a democratic legislature TINS year.
Nevada is treated as mere preserve OF the
bonanza miners; and yet the democrats car
,ried the state for president in 1880 and for
governor in 1882. OF course, the republl-
cans laugh at the possibility OF losing the
Pennsylvania legislature; but the condition
of the democratic party was much worse IN
Pennsylvania in 1874, when they elected a
legislature by large majority, than it is
in 1880. As for Wisconsin, that state has
become debatable ground of much inter
eat. especially in view or the present con-
fict over the Bennett school law.
but, even 6lOulO uuo UeIAOcidN koaA Aou
more than five of the above senatorial seats
in 1891, the elections of 1892 would open nu new
ing, among other republicans, will expire:
Hawley of Connecticut; Dawes, OF Massa-
chusetts; Stockbridge, of Michigan; Davis
of Minnesota; Stewart, of Nevada; Hlscock
of New York; Sherman. of Ohio; Quay, OF
Pennsylvania; Aldrich, of Rhode Island and
SAWYER, of Wisconsin. Rhode Island is al
ready democratic, and the gigantic strides
which tariff reform is making in Massa-
chusetts and the states of the northwest
may take them into the democratic camp by
1893
This glance over the field shows how un-
certain is the hold of the republican party
in the United States senate. popular
breath may overturn the edifce of political
power in which monopoly and wealth have
intrenched themselves The democrats
have only to faithfully adhere to their pro-
gramme of policy, without rushing into rad
ical extremes, and their complete victory in
the near future is certain. In view of the
situation, the forbidding methods for con-
trolling the United States senate are not
worth half the trouble the republican poll
ticians are giving themselves.