Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-28
THE HAW Allan VOTE
The Democrats Realize That They Are
Losing Their Majority.
Angry Feeling Among Republican
COurse-Polfcy Outlined.

1t Is expected that the Intervention of
the Presidents message on the financial
situation will have the effect of detracting
somewhat fro 4 the interest in the Ha-
waiian question that was last week so
fruitful a topic of discussion in the SEN
ate. 1t is conceded on all sides that the
republicans were surprised and chagrined
at the turn of things on Saturday when Mr..
Vests resolution OF confidence in the ad-
ministr: ton as to it's Hawaiian policy was
adopted by the narrow margin of two
votes. They had not counted On the de-
fection of Mr.. Pettigrew. who voted for
the Vest amendment and so prevented a
tie.
Under the parliamentary rule a tie vote
would have negatived the Vest PROPOSE
ton, which was then before the Senate By
such a vote, likewise. any affirmative prop
osition would have followed. So that in a
measure Mr.. Pettigrew's vote in the affirm
ative on Saturday carried the confidence
resolution through, but his vote with the
republicans on their own proposition under
similar circumstances would not have pro-
duced an affirmative result, the Senate still
being tie. Therefore. the withdrawal by
Mr.. Power, which was first cast in the
affirmative with the democrats, merely
strengthened the aid given by Mr.. Petit
grew to the democrats. Had Mr.. Petit
grew voted with the republicans and had
Mr.. Power followed suit. the Vest amend
ment would have been rejected by one
vote. and consequently the republican
proposition would have been adopted.
A DVvintilinE Majority.
This close margin is bringing home to the
democrats the fact that they are losing
their majority in the Senate. The replacing
of Mr.. Jarvis by Mr.. Pritchard last week
has brought the democrats down to bare
majority of one. AS the Senate now stands
today there are eighty-fve members. Of
these forty-three are democrats, thirty
seven are republicans and five are popu-
lists. These five populists are Allen, Jones
of Nevada. Kyle, PETER and Stewart.
Senators Mantle of Montana and Clark Of
Wyoming will be here in few days, and
their arrival will deprive the democrats of
the majority which they now hold. MIR.
Mantle is expected tomorrow and it is not
certain when Mr.. Clark will reach Wash
inSton. The republicans. meanwhile. are
not pressing the Hawaiian resolution to a
vote, but are rather holding off until these
two newcomers will give them thirty-nine
voices in a total of e.ghtyseven. OF that
total majority Is forty-four, so that the
democratic forty-three will be just one
short of an actual majority over all, while
still being plurality.
Were It not for the fact that the popu-
lists are voting with the republicans on
the Hawaiian business, the democratic po-
Sition would rot be insecure. Senator
Kyle is deeply interested in the islands,
and Mr. Allen has announced himself as q
radical annexatiopist. Mr.. PETER is fol-
lowing the lead Of these men. and Mr..
Stewart is voting against the admfnistra-
ton on the Hawaiian question, largely be-
cause of his intense hatred Of the tinan-
cial policy of Mr.. Cleveland.
It is held to be significant fact that
Senator Jones of Nevada, notwithstand-
ing his letter of last summer. joining the
party is still being paired by the
republicans as one of their party. This is
thought to be foreshadowing OF an ar
to be promulgated later where
by Mr.. Jones will continue to act with the
republican party.
Opinion of Mr.. PettiErew.
With Clark and Mantle present and the
vote standing generally as it did on Sat
urday, the Vest resolution would be mega
tived by tie vote. But there is general
feeling that Senator Power will be pur-
suaded TO vote with the republicans. and
efforts are being made to induce Mr.. Petit
grew to change his position.
There is a great deal of angry feeling
to be noticed among the republican Sena-
toned. There is the greatest surprise ex-
pressed on all sides that a republican
should have gone so far contrary to the
policy of the party in the Senate as to
have voted confidence ir the present adj
mristration as to it's course toward Ha-
v ALL 1t is pointed out that he could, per-
haps, have consistently refrained from
voting to commend the policy of the late
or from voting to condemn
the present one. but it is thought to be
quite extraordinary that he should have
gone to the other extreme to vote for the
dc mocratic policy toward the Hawaiian
Islands.
The republicans are glad, in certain
sense that the Vest amendment was tenn
porarily adopted. They think that that
action will more than any other tend to
hn cIrIf oil md ir soil
what they are aiming to accomplish. They
feel that continued discussion is the surest
way to lead to a legitimate consideration of
the annexation question. They still hope
to defeat the Vest amendment by the re-
lection of the amended resolution upon
it's final passage and the adoption of a res
olution to the contrary effect and they
count on the gradual disintegration of the
democratic majority that is now going on.