Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1895-11-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. Nov. Is. Il

The nearer the time for congress to
meet gets the greater the interest ex
pressed in what the senate will do.
The position of president pro tenn of
that body is vacant, owing to the last
term of Senator Harris of Tennessee
having expired with the last congress.
He has been elected to another term,
but that does not affect the case. There
are also a number of vacancies on the
important committees, including that
on finance. 1t matters littls what par
ty the president pro TEN belongs to, as
he only presides over the senate in the
absence of the vice president, and any
way the presiding officer OF the senate
is very different from the speaker of
the house. The latter can, if so dis
posed, and he usually is, practically
dictate the legislative course of that
body. But the rules of the senate
leave its presiding officer little control
oyer legislation, that power being ex-
ercised by the committees, which are
not, as in the house, made up by the
presiding officer. In the senate the
committees are continuous, vacancies
being filled by caucus of the party en-
titled to them, and when reorganiZa-
tions occur by reason of a change in
the political complexion of the senate,
the chairmen of the committees are
named in the same way.
1t will thus readily be seen that if
there is to be a contest it will be over
the committees and not over the cleo
tion of president pro tenn. The un-
certain quantity in the senate is made
up of the silver senator's, including the
populists. 1t has been asserted by
silver senators that party lines we're TO
be ignored and that the silver men
would organize the senate on silver
basis, if they could muster the majority
they have long claimed and have gen
orally been credited with having. On
the other hand, it has been said that
the democrats and republicans have
made a deal to organize the senate
against silver. Still new story mad
its appearance this week, to the effect
that both democrats and republicans
would decide in caucus upon candi-
date for president pro TEN and the
Craftsmanship of all committees, and
that each party would stand by it's
caucus report and leave it to the votes
of the populist senators which should
receive majority vote. If that were
really done the party which gave the
populists the best committee places
would probably be the winner.
The politicians without regard to
party regard Vice President Steven.
sons recent statement, that President
Cleveland will be renominated by the
democrats If he desires to be, as the
most important utterance yet made or
the third term question. They know
that in speaking thus Mr.. Stevenson
did not voice his personal sentiment
which is known to be antagonistic II
Mr.. Cleveland, but his judgement as al
experienced practical politician. The.
regard it as if he had said that Mr.
Cleveland had the democratic part
where it could not do otherwise thai
nominate him if he wishes to be nomi
mated. Recent talk and action of thos
{ near to Mr.. Cleveland has caused man
f previous doubters to believe that he i
really out for the nomination of hi
party again.
The most probable ru,nor yet Sc
aaoat concerning that vacancy in tn