Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-14
CONTROL OF THE SENATE.
Republicans Try to Have a Caucus on the
Important Subject, but Fail-No Clear
Precedent to Fol ow-The Probable Re-
enIf nf

Important Subject, but Fail-No Clear
Precedent to Fol ow-The Probable Re-
suit OF Further Conference.
IRON STAFF coRREsPoNDENr.l
WASHINGTON, Dec 13-The caucus of
Republican Senators which met previous to
the session of the Senate to-day to supple
mont the work of members of the Repub-
lican National Committee who came to-
gether last Saturday to talk over the Sena-
torships in Kansas, California, Wyoming. Me-
braska and Montana, reached no conclusion.
The session intruded or their anxious dellb-
GRAFTON, and when the Senate adjourned the
hour was tso late for the resumption of the
caucus, as had been intended. Therefore
another caucus must be held before the Re-
publican Senators will know inst what to do
with the situation. Senator Quay was not
present. Had he been there possibly his
adeptness would have served to exc out of
the confusion some positive action. AS it
was, the Senators from the doubtful States
merely stated in plain words the condition
that their apathy was transmitting a bale
ful atmosphere to the Republicans of the
states in question, and that they ought to
encourage their Western friends by at least
d show OF interest in the result
IL ID dlfncult for anyone to see just what
can De done, more than has been done.
GARRISON, Quay, and members of the
National Committee are Watching every
movements and have sent messages of advice
as TO the best course. There is to be no at
tempt to steal" anything, as has been
charged by the Democrats in their public
mantfestos. They claim that they simply
want to prevent fraud and theft on the part
OF Others, and If such fraud be perpetrated,
to counteract it when it reaches the juris-
dlction OF the Senate.
The Probable Result of a Caucus.
1t is probable that the only action of the
caucus, when Senator Sherman calls it to-
gether for final determination, will be q
manifesto denying any intention of sharp
practice on the part OF any Republicans
and setting forth the facts as they appear
through Republican eyes.
No matter how the contest in the doubtful
states may result, it is certain that great
excitement will attend the organization of
the Senate OF the Fifty-third Congress.
The Democrats have figured the whole mat
ter out, and it is interesting to know ex-
actly upon what they base their calculation.
One OF their closest arithmeticians asserts
that the hold-over SenatorS-that is those
whose terms don't expire the third of
next March, number 2S Democrats and %
Republicans, with the hodover Third
narty men, PETER and Kyle, on the outside.
They assert win good reason that Kyle will
vote with them on organization. Theretore
which elect the Republicans will certainly
loose the successors of Hiscock IN New
York and Sawyer in Wisconsin,
rms, the Democratic mathemeticians
which elect. omitting the five States above
mentloned, Al to 40, or, with the votes OF
Pener and Kyle, giving one to each party. 4s
to Al. This, they assert will be the partisan
division of the Senate when that body comes
to pass upon the election of the Senators
from the hve States in which it is assumed
the elections Will all be questionable, though
this is somewhat violent assumption.
Queer Reasoning of the Democrats.
Here, also, intrudes another assumption
which may have to be remodeled. The
Democrats assume in their calculations that
the Democrats, having a majority by omit
ting the five from rhe States named, will
organize the Senate. That this is queer
reasoning, may be seen at a glance. The
course of procedure will be that when all of
the newly elected Senators come forward
to take the oath OF oftice, those from
Montana among the rest, it is supposed that
some Democratic Senator will demand that
the Senators claiming to be elected from the
States shall stand aside, as there is doubt in
regard to the legality OF their election.
Then will come tug OF legal war In
case the Senators-elect have their crelen-
tials signed by the proper authorities it will
be insisted that they have O right to their
seats, and that the question of Legality as to
the constitution or procedure of the
Legislature which elected them shall
be settled later, in other words that proper
and legal credentials shall constitute so
plain prime 1acie case in their favor that
they shall not be deprived of their seats
upon mere assumption that the Legisla-
lures which elected them were in some way
The precedents of the Senate have never
been clear, and have been contradictory in
regard to such cases. Probably the only in
stance which could be called precedent for
the cases which are likely TO come up in the
near future is that of Goldth waite, of Ala
bama, who, iii 1871, was deprived of his seat
pending an investigation into the methods
NiaIo he oIn tnd RDf in fhof
it was plainly asserted that fraud had
been employed that the Senate could not do
otherwise.
1t cannot be safely assumed that evidence
of irregularities will be clear in the election
of Senator in any of tho States in dispute,
though it is the assumption Of the Demo
Gratis that there will be sufficient reason for
out all of the five Senators, who
will come to Washington armed with ere.
dentfals, from any participation i'll the Or
ganiZation of the Senate.
Ways and Means VIII Investigate.
The House opened to-day with sharp
contest between the Ways and Means and
Committees but it was brief
and decisive. and resulted i'll victory for
the former committee. For some time there
has been little rivalry between these two
great committees OF the House, and when
condition of the Treasury under the
operations of the Mckinley law became a
pertinent question, Immediately after the
election, this rivalry was accentuated by
the dispute as to which committee should
conduct the investigation. Mr.. Dockery, of
the Appropriations Committee, introduced
a resolution assigning this duty to the COM
mittee of which he was a member, and few
days later MI. Wilson, OF the Ways
and Means Committee, presented a
resolution directing the committee
npon which would fall the burden
of originating revenue legislation
for the RELIEF OF depleted treasury to con.
duct the inquiry. Both resolutions went to
the Committee on Rules, and that commit |
tee to-day reported Mr.. Wilson's PROPOSE |
tion, thus conierring Jurisdiction on the |
Ways and Means Committee. The members |
OF the Ways and Means Committee were at
once informally notified that a meeting of
the committee would be held this week, to |
begin the investigation.
1.-THE Investigation will be made by the |
full committee in open session." said Mr.. |
Springer, "and not delegated to a sub-com- |
mittee. 1t is important that this investiga- |
tion show the condition of the Treasury at |
some particular moment of time. AS this is |
SO near the end of the half OF the fiscal year, |
the proper time at which the condition of |
the Treasury should turn is the 3lst day of |
December-the end of the first half OF the |
fiscal year. If we know the obligations OF |
the Government on that day, the receipts |
from all sources at that time and the liabili- |
Ties of the Government for the future, we |
will know exactly how the Government |
stands financially and be enabled to devise |
l plan for meeting possible deficit" In |
The Senate the anti-option bill was discussed |
BY Mr.. George.