The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-14
THE SENATE.

After All RsverScs tho Republicans Have
Six Majority Over All Sorts.
Ivashiagton SpeetG! TO NttV York Tribune.
The election Of Gen. John S. Palmer
as United States Senator from Illinois
settles pretty definitely the question OF
party strength in tho "deliberative"
branch OF Congress for the next two
years. Three Senators are still to be
chosen, ono in Florida, one in Maryland
and one in California; but in each case
the party affiliations Of the successful
candidate can be safely predicted in adj
vance. California will send Republi.
can togucCeed Mr.. Hearst. Maryland will
choose a Democrat TO ill the unexpired
term OF Mr.. Wilson, and in Florida it
looks as II Mr.. Call would secure re.elec.
ton. The Republican majority in
the Senate at the beginning OF
the Fif.y.frst Congress WAS eight. By
the eealing OF the Two Senators from
Montana last spring it was increased to
ten, and it was swollen still further to
fourteen by the admission, during the
abort session, OF the Senators from
Wyoming and Idaho. But the disastrous
legislative elections Of last fall came
near wiping out this apparently safe and
unassailable majority. For awhile it
looked as II the Senate might be Repub.
lican by an uncertain majority of two;
hut by tho return Of q Republican in.
stead Of a Democrat from New Hamp.
shire, the control OF the upper branch OF
Congress was made certain, by pre-.
ponderarce OF four, to the party which
had held the organization OF this branch
for dozen years.
The death OF Senator Hearst, making
way for the election OF Republican, has
within ten days increased the Republi
can majority in the Senate, over all ele-
ments in opposition, to Elk, The States
in which Republican Senators have been
succeeded by out and out Democrats are
New York, Wisconsin and Illinois,
From New York Governor Hill replaces
Mr.. Eyarts. Wisconsin has sent Mr..
Vilas to succeed Mr.. Spoouer. In ILL.
nois General Palmer has just won after
long legislative deadlock. The aCCes.
sion Of these three members increased
the Democratic strength from thirty.
seven to forty, aud diminished that OF
the Republicans from fiity.one to forty
eight. In Kansas and South Dakota the
regular Republican nominees WIRE de.
feated by Farmers Alliance and fusion
list candidates, Messrs. PETER and Kyle.
Neither party can count upon
consistent support from either OF
these representatives Of the new
and startling overture in politics
which upset so many calculations at the
polls last fall. Both FARMER" Senators
arc likely to side, however, with the
opposition on financial and economic
questions, and on all issues OF this sort
they can be safely added to the regular
Democratic column. The Republican
strength on these questions would then
BIZ further reduced to forty.six, while
that OF the opposition would rise TO
iorty.two. But the change OF Senators
in California will offset a Democratic
gain in the East and increase the mum.
Der OF strai, htout Republicans to forty
seven while reducing the total OF the
opposition forces TO forty-one. A ma.
iorisy OF six in the Senate, with a total
membership OF eighty.eight, is, Of course,
safe and trustworthy one for ordinary
party purposes, and the falling OF in the
Republican strength from last year is
also likely to have the good effect OF
causing Republican Senators to get
closer together on all matters Of general
party policy.