The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-07

The Fifty-second congress convenes to-
day at Washington. The final roll call Of
the Fifty-frst congress showed 176 Re-
publicans and 154 Democrats on the list.
The roster of the Fifty-second congress
shows that 116 of the 154 Democrats were
reelected, and only ffty-nine of the 176
Republicans. In the Fifty-second con-
gress there will be 236 Democrats, eighty
eight Republicans and eight Farmers AL
lance. The classification of Clerk Nc
Pherson places Sockless "Jerry" Simpson
and the Southern Alliance members with
the Democrats. for all of them are free
traders.
The United States Senate contains
forty-seven Republicans, thlrty-nine
Democrats and two Farmers Alliance.
The Senate has lost Hearst, Payne, Ed
munds, Ingalls,. Brown, Farwell, Evarts,
Moody, Hampton. Reagan, spooner,
Wilson, Eustis, Blair and Pierce, and
their places have been taken by FELTON,.
Brice, Proctor, PETER, Gordon, Palmer,
Hill, Kyle, Irby, Chiffon, Villas, Gibson,
White, Gallinger and Hansborough.
Edmunds, ingalls,, Evarts, Hampton and
Spooner were all able men, of long ex-
perience, and their absence Is not made
and Villas, who are the ablest of the new
senators. FELTON, and Brice will
more than make good the places
of Hearst and Payne, and DR.. Gall
linger cannot be other than a more useful
senator than Blair, the New Hampshire
crank whom he succeeds. White. of Lou
isiana, is not so able a man as his prede-
cessor, Eustis, but he is a younger and
more energetic man. On the whole, the
Senate Is weaker body than it was in the
last Congress. In the House, while the
Republicans are weak in numbers, the In
tellectual weakness Of the Democracy COM
pared with the Republicans is conspicuous.
The Northern representatives of the De-
mocracy are so dull and weak in the
House as . rule that the present Demo-
cratic national policy would be without
decent defense were it not for the ability
of the so-called independent press" rep
resented by the Boston Herald, Spring
q
Post. New York Herald, New York Times,
Harper's Weekly and the New York Sun.
These great newspapers are not always
thick and thin supporters of the Democ-
racy, but they are at least hostile to the
tariff policy of the Republican party, and
so far as the Democratic policy has any
decent defense it is due to this press
rather than to the Democratic brains on
the floor of the House. OF the Northern
Democrats on the floor of the House there
are not half dozen able to cope in debate
with the one Republican delegation from
the state of Maine. Among the Southern
Democrats there are only Breckinridge, an
orator rather than strong debater; Mills,
of Texas, and Crisp, of Georgia. TO con-
front such men as Lodge, Henderson,
Dingley, Reed, Milliken, Boutelle, Bur-
rows and Bingham. The Democrats have
nobody in the House of the caliber of
Hewitt, Carlisle, Randall, Wood and Nor
rison, who in years past led the party in
Congress.
AS consequence of this weakness in
the Northern Democratic representatives,
the Southern senators and representatives
will be leaders in all the party con.
gressional action. This Southern ascend
ency in Democratic legislation will be
fatal to the Democratic movement toward
so-cslled revenue reform. for the majority
of Northern men look with suspicion, II
not with hostility, upon Southern
ascendency in federal legislation. The
fear of Southern supremacy is the
strongest cohesive force in the Repub-
lican party. In the Senate the Demo-
senator, and Hill, Gordon, Palmer and
Villas are new members. Vest is fluent,
rather brilliant tslker; Voorhees, Is q
mere noisy demagogue; German is
an able man OF affairs. but not
great in debate, and George is a lawyer of
considerable ability. Against these DEM
oerstie leaders are pitted such men as
Sherman, Hawley, Hoar, Frye. Allison,
Hale. Hiscock and Chandler.
Under these circumstances, the Democ-
racy are a. deep disadvantage in q great
debate. and even if they win the mex,
administration they will lind the Repub-
hcans with senatorial majority large
enough 20 Block all repeal Of tariff legis-
lation for at less, three years to come.
The Republicans know that if worst comes
TO worst they will control the Senate. and
they know that the South will in the
House, a. IL did under Cleveland, take the
lead and bear the brunt Of Democratic
lcgislationi that the Northern Democrats
wiil be, as heretofore, either dull men or
blatant demsgogues. who will either do
nothing or worse than nothing The
Democratic party of the North has not
brains enough 10 see its opportunity with
sufficient dlstinctness 10 embrace it. The
south has all the moral courage and brains
Of the party, bar the South is sure TO get .
vote Of want of confidence from the North.
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A MONARCH OUT OF DATE.