Evening star., 1895-10-19
SENATE REORGANIZATION
The shrewdest Republican Leaders Oppose
Any Combination.
Western Senator's Can't Afford to
Have Anything to Do With
the POpulfsts.
REORGANIZATION

A lively interest seems to have been
aroused in the question of the reorganiza-
tion Of the Senate. The democrats, not hav-
ing majority of the body, but having the
organization already, are saying nothing.
On general principles, most Of them would
like to retain their nominal control of the
orga nization, but the practical politicians,
like German and Hill, would little rather
the republicans would come in by some
combination and take possession of the
small offices, and with them the big re-
spo visibility and no power. 1t is not likely,
however, that the republicans will fall into
such an obvious error. AS far as heard
from. the republican Senators appear to be
about equally divided on the subject. The
principal leaders and all those noted for
their shrewdness and foresight prefer that
matters should be allowed to stand as they
are, and there are some who declare that
they could not be induced to vote to assume
the responsibility of the Senate, without
power TO control its action. Some, like
Sherman. favor an arrangement with the
democrats to divide favors and response
bilities, and this policy may prevail, but
there is no probability that the republicans
will attempt reorganization.
Can't Mix With the Populists.
One thing not generally taken into con-
sideration in the discussion of the question
Is the attitude which most of the western
Senators, whether silver or anti-silver men,
must Of necessity occupy toward the mat
ter. There is not Senator in any of the
agricultural CT mineral states who can af-
ford to be, directly or indirectly, imme-
diately or remotely, associated with the
populists. 1t would be political death to
most any of them for it to be understood
at their homes that they have voted to
enter a combine with the populists, and
that they owned their positions on the
committees to the assistance of these third
party Senator's The stronger the popu-
lists are in his state the worse 1t would be
for the republican Senator suspected Of
training in such company. In every state,
except in certain parts of the south, where
the populists have any strength, republi-
cans and democrats make common cause
against them. In some sections it is
tattle for life, and there the term popu-
list has terror for all who are not pop
ul:sts. 1t is believed in both parties that
for either to give them the least recogni-
ton would be fatal to the interests of the
public and utterly disastrous to the party.
This is particularly the case in all the new
states. Both parties are engaged in Wig
orous denunc.ation of populism
Western silver Senator's.
1t can be understood therefore. why Sem
ators frcm that section cannot afford to
recognition to the populists in the Senate.
Some of them have warned their eastern
colleagues of this and declared that under
70 circumstances would they vote for re-
organization which was dependent upon
populist assistance The republican silver
men are even more alarmed at the idea Of
being associated with populists than are
the Senators from the banking centerS.
The democrats are not confronted with any
proposition to combine, since all they need
to have control is for things to go on as
they are The conservatives of both sides
recognize that the politics of the present is
a war on populism in its various forms,
and this establishes comfy between the
managers of the two old parties. squab-
BILE over small offices, which the populist
Senators would be called in to settle. is not
to be thought of.
Vacant Committee Chairmanshfps.
The losses the democrats have sustained
leave q number Of important committee
chairmanships vacant. These will have to
be filled, and it will probably involve some
shifting about, independently of any idea
Of reorganization. 1t is most probable that
there will be an adjustment between the
two parties, and the republicans will come
in for share Of the chairmanships with
out having to take the responsibility of a
Senate which they could not control.
Buffers retirement leaves vacant the
Craftsmanship of the interstate commerce
committee, Camden's that of contingent ex-
penses, Martins that of railroads, Ran
SONS that of commerce, Jarvis that of
civil service, Coke's that of fisheries, and
McPherson's that of naval affairs. Be-
sides these chairmanships there are a num-
Der of other committee assignments thus
made vacant 1t is intended, moreover, to
increase the membership of some of the
committees, conspicuously that of finance
on which it is designed to place Don Came
ron and Platt, and to distribute the ap-
preparation bills among number of ap-
propriate committees. All this offers an
opportunity for the distribution and an
portionmert of committee favors without a
partisan reorganization.