The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-06

New York. Jan. 4.-Senator James T.
Edwards, the ciergymsn-professor who
defeated Commodore Perry Vedder In the
Chautauqua district, is today the biggest
link in the political conoatenation which
engages the attention of political leaders
OF this state on both sides. His power
is larger than that of Senator Hill,
for he is an elected element in the situa-
tion. He is more powerful than Governor
Flower, for he is able to render helpless
and inactive the otherwise democratic
legislature on which Governor Flower
relies. He is bigger than the legislature
ITSELF for without him the senate cannot
organize with q legal quorum to give itself
positive force.
Here is the curious situation Of the
state governmental machinery ready to
operate but lacking the wedge-pin to
fasten its gearing and make all parts move
effectively.
The democrats have sixteen senators
ready to sit in the leather chairs in the
onyx chamber tomorrow, but there must
be present the body of one more elected
senator to constitute the quorum number
members. That one other senator may
remain silent; he may read Mother
Goose or the bible; he may engage him
self with peanuts and conversation with
the senate orderlies; he may even slum-
Der and snore-all these inattentions would
be pardoned by the other sixteen in the
personality OF any seventeenth-elected
senator. They would eYeR be welcomed
as condition of his presence, for they
need him, and need him much.
With the seventeenth senator present
only the law OF quorum would be full
filed AM the sixteen democratic senators
might 90 forward with their purposes.
Mr. Edwards, by reason of the inde-
pendent character of his election ard of
his devotion to his personal conscience as
a political guide, is the only available
wedge to hold the legislative gearing from
slipping when the power shall be turned
on tomorrow. Senator Edwards designates
himself an Independent republican. He
has been quoted as saying that he would
sit with the sixteen democrats to organize
the senate tomorrow. The fifteen out-and-
out republican senators are said to favor
plan of absenting themselves tomorrow
from the senate chamber to prevent quo
rum and when the morning dawned today
the republican leaders were doubtful as
to Mr.. Edwards alleged purpose not to
act with them.
The Out-and-outs came down TO this
city to confer with Mr.. Platt and other
leaders as to what should be done. They
conferred last night and have conferred
more today as to how best to act to deprive
the democrats of a senate quorum tomor-
row. The meeting place of the chieftains
was the Fifth-ave. house Senators
O'Connell, Mullin and Derby were seated
on one side OF the richly upholstered
benches which line the hotel corridor.
They were speaking in undertones, and
presently U. s. Senator Hiscock ap-
preached the group. Alter a minute or
two Senator Derby LETT to consult with
Senators Donaldson and Parsons, who
were seated on the apposite side of the
hall. This group was reinforced by Sem
ator George Erwin and later was Joined
by Senator Hiscock. Senator Erwin ex-
changed views with all and then held q
consultation with Senators Smith, Van
gorder and Saxtor, The groups were
continually changing, and IN this manner
there was obtained a general interchange
of views, which made the formal confer
ence to be held this afternoon of brief
duration.
The senators conducted their little talks
so quietly that a stranger could not notice
anything unusual happening. The con-
ference, for such it was, had ali the APP
pearance of the usual interchange of cour-
tesies between acquaintance who meet in
hotel. All the senators seemed at the
outset agreed on one point, and that was
that unless the Rev. Mr.. Edwards refused
TO aid the democrats in organizing the
senate, it would be useless for the other
republican senators to remain away from
Albany. Senator Edwards had been in
vited to meet his fellow republican sena-
tors in New York this morning and his
failure to respond to the invitation Is re-
garded as ominious. The republican sem
stors, however, were 10th TO think that
Edwards would help the democrats, and
up to noon had hopes of hearing from him.
This hope failed, however, for Edwards
came not. There was only one senti-
ment to he gathered from the group of
twos and threes about the corridor. 1t
was that anything was justifiable TO pre-
vent the democracy in its effort to seat
enough democrats TO control the senate.
Collector Hendricks 'The republican
senators. in my opinion, are justified in
anything they see fit to do. They are
especially justified and to be commended
if they decline to sit with the men whom
Hill has seated as senators. l am for any
thing that will show Hill that he cannot
make senators at will and in defiance of
the people"
y. S. Senator Hiscock said everything
depended upon the course Senator Ed
wards would adopt. Until he wac heard
from the other senators would decide upon
nothing.
Ex-u. S. Senator Warner Miller passed
along the hotel corridor without speaking