The sun., 1892-11-20
THE DEMOCRATIC SENATE.
AFTER MARCH & THE REPUBLICANS
WILL BE Nv MINORITY.


WASHINGTON. Nov. 1a-when the United
States Senate convenes in special session on
the 4th Of March next tor the particular pur.
poso of confirming President Clevclnnd's Cab
| inot nominations, the Republicans will. for the
first time in fourteen years. find themselves In
| minority. They will have not more than
81 OF the SS Senators. while the Democrats
Will have 43 or 40. the exact number depend
Ing upon the complexion Of the Legislatures
OF Montana and Nebraska. The Populfsts will
have four, and possibly six. Senators. one OF
them being the present rather lukewarm and
unreliable Republican Senator. Mr. Stow
art OF Nevada. In any contingency the DEM
ocrats will be able to muster more votes than
the Republicans. and with the aid OF the Popu-
list votes. which are apt to so with them. they
will have majority Of or 10. It is not like-
ly that any Of the Populst Senators will ever
vote with the Republicans on party ques-
tion. but should one OF them do so. and should
his party colleagues refrain from voting. tho
result would be tie, thus giving Vice-Presi-
dent Stevenson the deciding vote. Such an
interesting situation as this. however. is not
apt to come about, and the Democrats. with
or without the support OF the Populist Sena-
tors. will DO able to reorganize the commit
tees and the officers and enact such legisa.
tion rs they see 1T.
1t was in March. 1870. at q special session
OF the Forty-slxth Congress-. that tho Demo-
Gratis last organized the United States Senate.
The session had boen called by Mr.. Hayes and
tho Democrats had a majority Of =. They re-
organized the committees and the official
force on Democratic basis but their suprem-
acy was short lived. for at the end OF two
years. In March. 1881, another specinl session
was called. The Republicans had in the in
terval gained several Senators and were able
TO put their party again In control OF the COM
mittees They attempted also to reorganize
the Official forces. but did not succeed, as the
Democrats prevented this by dlatory tactics
until the Republicans grew tired of tho
contest and agreed to final adjournment.
1t was during this session that "Mahone OF
Virginia" entered national politics as Soma
tor. and 1t was chiefly to prevent his hench-
man. Ii. II. Riddlcberger. from being made
SerGeant-at-Arms that tho Democrats made
their fight. Mddleberger was tho Republican
caucus nominee. and failing to get tho Office
he went back to Virginia and returned in two
years a Senator. He became the enemy OF his
old-timo sponsor and remained 80 until the
day OF his death. which occurred under sad
circumstances soon after his sensational exit
from the Senate.
At the time that Malone was making his
fight for Riddlelsrger. Conkling and the Stall
warts were endeavoring to reflect the old Re-
publican Secretary of the Senate. George c.
Gorham. and it was also at this short session
that Messrs. ConklinG and Platt startled the
political world by resigning their seats In the
Senate. In July. 1881. President Garfield was
shot: in September Vice President Arthur suc-
ceeded to the Presidency. and in October
mean time Warner Miller and T. q. Lapham
had been elected as the successors to Senators
ate met the Democrats chose Mr. Bnyard Pres
ident pro TEN. before tho now Senators had
M wT thsy h taken
Rhode Island. who had been sent as the sue
csssor to Con. Burnside. Mr.. Bayard was un-
David Davis Of Illinois was ch hosen President
o,ten pro tenn; and served s sthropsa9ut tho Forty
At the regular meeting OF the Forty-elghth
Congress in Decem Der. SS;'. tho Republicans.
who had been unable during tho Forty-seventh
because Of the fact that ut each attemrt David
Davis voted with tho Democrats and tied the
com mpIishel the long, sought purpose At this
session Mr.. Ldmunds was chosen to succeed
MIR. Davis as President pro tenn. and held the
office until he voluntarily rclinquished it to
the famous but ut present quiescent Mr. In
gals of Kansas.
1t is popular saving that tho Senate Of tho
United States 10 deteriorating in point OF abil-
ity Of late years. and that the men who have
Ear below those who represented thoir States
before the war and during the years immedl.:
ate atey following; glance at at the pers9nnei OF
Democrats were last in control is therefore in
terestinG as comparison. Atterthe reorGan-
liam /. Wheeler was still yice-Pres sident and
presiding officer. the Chairmanships Of the
Judiciary, Allen &. Thurman OF Ohio; Finance.
Thomas +. Bnynrd Of Delaware: Foreign A.
fairs. y. w. Eaton Of Connecticnt: M Appr9pria;;
ffH%Iire f%rs Lseds Ss y sdisas
f"tonts, is Eransis Herman Of Now York: TsrTi:
tories. 4. II. Garland q Arkansas; ltailroads:
the Il laws G lSmf %aS S Of fssnS9
;;earcIa: Civll service and KetEsnchment, ".
tusSy: Rules, john i, Morgan Of Alabama; !;
ve o o9 enh G Gss4a G&sGrs'
Pendleton Of Ohio: Public Printing. William
Iinkney Why,e,of Maryland: Library, d. ".
Voorhees, Of indiana. and Commerce. Matt W.
Kmnsom of North Carolina.
That was galaxy OF Democratic statesmen
al
period could hardly have been their. .superors.
They were ably assisted by other Democrats
Rois . James HHlsy e TsnatsEse aH.,aS 1oW g
Jersey. since dead: Charles, w. Jones Of
Florida, Ipmes T. puGh Of Alabama; "Ieb,, >,
Vance OF North Carolina. and j, Ii. Harris OF
| Tennessee. still Senators.
The Republicans had bg men In that body.
| too. and it can be said oil them. as of the DEM
ocrats. that they REACHED N that Congress tho
| high. water mark OF ability and statesman
ship. Under the ancient and still existing
| Senatorial courtesy. few committee Chair
manships. unimportant in matters OF lcgisla-
tion. but CARRYING with them creature com, n
the list wore: George +. Edmunds o. Yer.
mont. Chairman Of the Commti"e on n, l,rivate ,Mai
Island: lieyolntionary Clnims h"s'Gs H%nn
Hamin of Maine Nicaragpnn oIaimT; ,tanGs mnS
| In hold a seat in tie nited States Senate.
Freedman's saving, and samuel j. hirkw9Hu
| OF Iowa. Certain Indian RoserNntion- IL the
list Of Republicans who were then enc, or r nave in
| fiuence but who. for lack OF long cohtinuous
service. wore not cnt;en TO Hnnrnmnnt - ,h e
wore: Geo +, il9ar; John Lean. In,t MItidd H.
John Jones' Henry L. hawss h"n,as lye'iF%n FsrrS y.
| John J. ingalls,, YIN. Pitt Kellogg Henry N.
Teller. William Window. and ,'msiIn @ ~ M9rrii,; I'LL
| tho All uf March. 1855. contains some con-