The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-31
PoPULISTS HOLD THE POWER.
THE SENATE COMMITTEES TURNED
OVER TO THE REPUBLICANs.

plains the Attitude Assumed by
the P1puIists-Mr. German scores
the Republicans and MIR. Allison
Attempts 10 Defend Them.
Washington, Dec sO.-In the Senate
to-day Mr.. Mitchell. rep, of Oregon, Of
fered his resolution in relation to the Sc
lect committees Of the Senate and it was
agreed to- This was followed by the offer
ing, also by Mr. Mitchell. Of a resolution
providing for the reorganization by the
republicans of the standing and select
committees Of the Senate from and after
Jan. ], 1896.
The proposed committee membership,
having been read at the clerks desk. Mr..
German said that IL was the universal
custom in the Senate for the party Ia the
majority to control the committees To
that there was no objection. II was the
proper and orderly way Of conducting
the business affairs of the Senate But,
owing to the fact that II was well known.
prior to the assembling of this congress,
that neither of the great parties repub-
liean or democratic, was likely to have
clear majority in the Senate, a resolution
was adopted by the Senate continuing
the old committees until otherwise or
| q perfectly
aware" Mr.. German continued, that the
democrats are in a minority in shis body.
We have not a clear majority of all the
senators elected. We do not know as yet
that Ehe republicans have clear ma
jority. That can only be decided by a
vote on the proposition. II they have,
| they are unqestionably entitled to the
| adoption of the resolution and to the en-
| tire charge of all the principal commit
| tees OF this body Then the country will
| understand perfectly who are TO be held
responsible for the conduct Of the bust
| ness of this body. With a view of ascer-
! tanning that fact l shall demand the yeas
and nays on the adoption OF this resolu-
The vote was then taken and the resolu-
| ton liking the membership of the COM
| mitees was agreed to: Yeas 30, nays
| q. Five of the six popullsts reserved
| thier votes namely Messrs. Allen of Ne
braska, Jones and Stewart of Nevada,
| Butler OF North Carolina, and PETER Of
Kansas. Senator Kyle Of South Dakota
| voted no.
Mr.. Allen declared that the populist
| party had no affil.ation with either OF
| the old parties. The popullsts had real
| lied, before the meeting of this con-
| gress, that there was a clear majority
/ of the Senate in favor of the free and
] unlimited coinage of silver: and they had
/ been perfectly willing 10 unite in bring
| ing about the passage OF a free silver
/ measure. They had sent out invitations
TO the free silver senators, but, with the
| exception of two or three OF them, they
| had not met with the populists; and there
| fore the populist party had resolved, as
| a matter Of policy, 10 take no part what
| ever in the organization of the Senate.
| The populists felt that the republican
| party was, as between itself and the dem-
| ocrdtic party, In the ascendancy, and
| that the responsibility for legislation
| should belong to the republican party in
/ both houses as speedily as possible
The populists have felt that II Yas due
| to themselves as a party that they should
| take no hand whatever In the organiza-
| tion Of the Senate, and should refrain
| from voting, thus leaving the republicans
/ and the democrats to settle the question
| OF organization among themselves. The
1 populist party in the Senate and in the
| House and in the country was a distinct
| political entity, having its organization in
/ every state and territory and having a
popular vote within 10000 of the number
| which had landed Mr.. Lincoln in the pres
| idency in 1851 The populists were a dis
| tinct organization, and they proposed to
maintain ii in this, and future congresses.
Mr.. Harris asked Mr.. Allen whether. the
| populist senators-an annex OF the repub-
| lican party-had not deliberately deter
| mined to allow, by their silence, a repub-
/ lican organization of the Senate, and
whether therefore, the senator from Ne
| braska did not understand and know that
| the populists were as responsible for the
! result of the vote as IL they had cast
| their votes for the resolution instead of
| sitting silently.
Mr.. Allen replied that when the popu-
| realized that they held the balance OF
power in their hands; and he added with
much emphasis, that they were going to
/ utilize il to its fullest extent as they
went along. The democratic party, he
/ continued had proven itself absolutely
| incapable of legislation. daughter on the
| republican side of the chamber and in
| the galleries) 1t had claimed to be in
| favor of tariff reform, as he himself was /.
| but when its tariff bill came before the
| Senate last session 1t proved to be loaded.
10 mid Fnf.
| protection. Uaughter) He had no faith
| In the democratic party, in its capacity
/ or its disposition to relieve the country
/ not the slightest. (More laughter.) He
wanted the responsibility for legislation
/ to begin now, so that the people would
see that the do-nothing policy Of the re-
publican party rNsulted in about the
same thing as the policy Of the democratic
/ party; daughter on both sides of the
/ chamber)
Mr. Mitchell, rep. Of Oregon, remark
! ed that the republicans were not in a
/ majority in the Senate when he offered
| his resolution, and were not in major
| ity now. The Senate was composed when
'full' (the double meaning of the word
| in that connection excited some laughter)
/ Of 88 members; but it was not "full' now
| (more laughter), having only 81 members,
! there being one vacancy from Delaware.
| OF these 81 the republicans had 42, the dem
/ ocrats 80, and the populists 9. If that state
OF the case gave a majority to any polit-
! ical party in the Senate, 1t would re-
/ quire some kind Of figuring which he had
| no knowledge of.
Mr. Butler, pop, Of North Carolina.
/ broke into the debate and made an i'm
/ petuous speech in defense of the position
/ taken by the populst senator's. Address
! ing his remarks to Mr.. Harris, who had
/ asked him whether he did not hold his
I seat by cooperation with the republican
I party in his state, ne said: Il hold my
/ seat by such cooperation for the simple
] reason that the party to which you be-
] long had got to be so corrupt IN my state
/ that all decent men condemned it. Your
u party could be to-day in power In North
] Carolina If It had stood by its pledges
\ and promises. The populists had either
/ to vote to-day with the democrats to or
I ganize the Senate or they had to vote with
/ the republican party. They preferred 10
/ vote with neither, but to stand alone"
! Mr. Hale remarked that the republi-
l cans in the Senate were IN a plural
| but had no power Of carrying any meas
! ure. by their own votes alone He re-
/ ferred TO the vote on Mr. MitchelPs res
\ olutiOn and said that n the popuists had
/ voted with the democrats fOnly one OF
/ them-Mr Kyle-having done 80. the vote
\ was 20 yeas and 80 nays) the republican
4 programme would have tumbled 10 pieces.
/ The same thing that had occurred to-
/ day would occur again and again-the
4 popullst senators having the balance Of
! power. All discussion ~ 10 whether the
/ responsibility for legislation lay with
/ the republican party was outside of ihe
domain of discussion and was ~ the do