Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-02-01
A Peculiar Situation.

OF letting tho country have a rest until
she Fifty fifth congress acts-to wit. in
1895. -
A Peculiar Situation.
Everybody knows that there may bu !:
tremendous political revolution with very
little change in the senate, but the pres.
ent situation is without precedent in that
respect. All the enormous gains of the
Republicans in every northern state east
OF the Mississippi have gained them ln,t
one senator. West of the big river they
nave gained one direct and in all the sourl,
TWO. Hence, though they swept tho II
try as no party ever did before, they ar.
actually indebted for their majority tc
their new men from the three states but
half represented in this senate. If cvc;,
the Old North State had stuck to her moor.
>ngs, the next senate would have been ii
tie, and SO far as affirmative legislation is
concerned there might as we'll lave bcc:i
no election last November. The greatest.
gain for the Republicans is in states where
one-half Of the senate holds over for fnu;
years. Such things give point to that lit
terance OF Chancellor Kent q believe il
was he) that 1.-The people do not rea !,
govern themselves, but those who Vol:
this year govern those who will vot, ;
few years hence"
Youthful Senator Butler.
VI al the new senators the youngest j:
Hon. Marion Butler of North Carolina
VINO has been here n cast his own politi
cal horoscope with truly southern frank
ness. He is a very solid and dianiiic,:
looking man, neither pronounced bloni
nor brunette, but with brown hair and
beard, and is certainly a very good tnlkc.
IN private conversation and has tho ;p
pearancc OF being an orator. He is 81
years old, was elected to the state scnat..
IN lS9O>and has held some kind OF office
ever since. He is a graduate and at pres
ent a trustee Of tho state university and
is by profession set down as lawyer ANA
editor. The Democrats say he is really Il
Republican and only took the PopuliSt
chute because u combination of tho oppo:
ing clements had become a necessity il,
North Carolina. Tho Republicans say liz
1s d crank OH the silver question, and here
is what he said for himself the other da.,
II believe there will be a new alignmcu;
IN 1896 on the financial question, and thu.
the people will decide for the free coinnga
OF silver. There has got to be some sui
stantial, tangible thing to fight for, air
as the people arc opposed to the present
policy the free coinage of silver gives their
the tangible issue. Yes, l think that all
the clements of opposition to the prcscn,
system will DO able to unite in 1896" His
new Republican colleague does not seem to
have excited much interest among e
tors of that party, and North Carolina
Democrats (but we may assume that tley
are a little prejudiced) say that the river
will be perfectly safe while he is here. He
will not set it aflre.
The Same Old Senate.
OF the other newly elected senators none
has excited any particular curiosity. Mr.
Thurston of Nebraska is regarded as an
exponent Of the railroad interest. The
resurrection of Steve Elkins is supposed
to emphasize the revival of the old Repub
lican party. The new men from the late
half represented states are held to indicate
the growing strength of the silver inter
est, and we are told that the uncompro
missing free coinage men are now thor
oughly organized, with Senator Teller at
their head. I have an idea, however, that
events will hurry that issue to a settle
ment much sooner than congress is inclin
ed to act. A few in each house are so cor
fdent of this they even predict that it will
not be an issue in 1896, as it will be SC
Aoi setG1eu thaG inc peOple Will pc unWlll
Ing to have the settlement disturbed. I'm,
fortunately they are not able to tell us
which way it will be settled, each man
Drophesying according to his wishes. To
sum up, we may say that the late amaz
Ing revolution In politics has practically
wrought no revolution i'll the senate.
But, oh, what a difference in the house!
From all the 90 northern states the Demo
cratic hnvn inst ~ mon, boro lrpi,,,-
lumber And yet the SO called solid sec
lions show but little change. Let us con
trast the extremes. The 'solid south"
now consists of the eight cotton states
proper, ~ in all Of them there are but
~ changes in persons and two in politics
Alabama sends one Populist and Texas
one Republican. All else is as it wn.