The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-11-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON LETTER.
frron ear Regular os5sspssdsst1
WAsHINaroN, Nov. Is, 1895.
The nearer the time for Congre1s
to meet gets the greater the interest
expressed 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 q number Of vacancies on the
important committees, including
that on Finance. It matters little
which party the president pro tenn.
belongs to, az he only presides over
the Senate in the absence Of the
Vice President, and anyway the
presiding officer of the Senate is
very different from the Speaker of
the House. The latter can, if so
disposed, and he usually is, prac-
tical1y dictate the legislative course
of that body. But the rules of the
Senate leave it's presiding officer lit
tie control over legislation, that
power being exercised by the COM
mittees, which are not, as in the
House, made up by the presiding
officer. In the Senate the commit.
tees are continuous, vacancies be-
ing filled by caucus Of the party
entitled to them, and when reor-
CARNATIONS occur by reason OF q
change in the political complexion
of the Senate, the chairmen of the
committees are named in the same
way.
It will thus readily be seen that
if there is to be a contest it will be
over the committees and not over
the election of president pro tenn.
The uncertain quantity IN the Sen
ate is made up of the silver Sena-
tors, including the populists. 1t
has been asserted by silver Senators
that party lines were to be Ignored
and that the silver men would or
ganize the Senate on a silver basis,
if they could muster the majority
they have long claimed and have
generally been credited with hav-
ing. On the other hand, it has
been said that the democrats and
republicans have made a deal
to organize the Senate against sill
yer. Still a new story made its ap-
pearance this week, to the effect
that both democrats and republi-
cans would decide in caucus upon
a candidate for president pro tenn.
and the chairmanships of all
committees, and that each party
would stand by it's caucus report
and leave it to the vote of the pop
ulist Senators which should receive
a majority vote. If that were real
~ 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 alleged statement, that Presi-
dent Cleveland will be remoninated
by the democrats if he desires to
be, as the most important utterance
yet made on the third term ques-
ton. They know that in speaking
thus Mr.. Stevenson did not voice his
personal sentiment, which il known
to be antagonistic to MIR. Cleveland,
but his judgment as an experienced
practical politician. They regard
it as if he had said that Mr.. Cleve-
land had the democratic party
where it could not do otherwise
than nominate him if he wished to
be nominated. Recent talk and &C.
ton of those near to Mr.. Cleveland
has caused many previous doubters
to believe that he is really out for
the nomination of his party again.
The most probable rumor yet
afloat concerning that vacancy in
the U. S. Supreme Court is that say
ing President Cleveland proposes
giving the place 70 Secretary Car
Isle. There are several reasons why
this rumor is the most probable Of
its kind, but the legal eminence of
Mr.. Carlisle isn't one of them. AL
though he has been lawyer for
nearly forty years, office-holding
has been his real occupation. But
no one denies that he is a much
ADLER man than some of those who
have held seats upon the Supreme
Court bench. President Cleveland
ought to give Mr.. Carlisle some
thing in return for the sacrifices he
has made for him. According to
those who ought to know, Secretary
Carlisle's substitution of Mr.. Cleve-
lands financial ideas for his own
has made it certain that his politi-
cal career is closed, and it has
alienated the support of many OF
the very men who had previously
stood by him. That he is poor
man is we'll known, and creditable
to him, too; therefore, it is alto
gether probable that Mr.. Cleveland
should think Of repaying his devo-
ton by anchoring him in q lifetime
position.