The San Francisco call., 1895-10-18
PREPARING A LIST OF HOUSE
COMMITTEES AND CHOICE
CHAIRMANSHIPS.
LOUD AND HILBoRN's CHANCES.
GOSSIP AT THE PROBABLE REPUB-
LICAN REORGANIZATION OF
THE SENATE.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct...17-In less
than six weeks Congress meets again, and
nun Der of Senators and Representatives
are already on hand. 1t is reported that
Mr.. Reed in contemplation of his election
as Speaker, is already at work on his COM
mittee assignments. His work is being
done very quietly at his home in Portland,
Me-, Tor of course he cannot take counsel
with members of Congress at this time, as
this, in advance of his election would be
considered presumptuous. But some of
his intimate friends have lately visited him
In the interest of emselves-friends
who seek choice committee places.
1t is believed that two chairmanships
will go to California. Mr.. Loud is ranking
member of an important committee and is
entitled to this assignment by reason of
his service and familiarity with the duties.
He also ranks first on the Committee of
Claims, and will probably be chairman of
either one or the other. 1t is understood
that Mr.. Bowers would like the chairman
ship of the Committee on Military Affairs,
on which he served last Congress.
Mr.. Hilborn having served greater part
of last Congress before he was unseated,
cannot be regarded as new member, and
will doubtless apply for some chairman
ship. The Committee of Immigration and
Naturalization would probably suit his
taste, but in the Fifty-third Congress he
served on the District of Columbia Com
mittee, and may be so reassigned. He is a
friend of Mr.. Reed, being native of Reeds
State, and knew him in California when
Reed was a schoolteacher and law student
in the early days.
Republican leaders are divided on the
question of reorganizing, or attempting to
reorganiZe, the Senate. Senator Chandler
and others of that ultra type are spoils-
men, and want every crumb OF Senate
patronage, and oppose Senator Sherman's
conservatism. Senator Proctor said to
The CALL correspondent to-day:
1T seems to me that it will be necessary
Tor Repub ubllcanS to reorganiZe the Senate.
But there has been no arrangement, un-
derstanding or correspondence upon that
subject so far as l am aware. 1 do not un-
derstand, as has been suggested in some
quarters, that there was an agreement
among Republican Senators at the close of
the last session that there should be no re-
organization of the Senate at this session,
except by Republican votes. If there was
party to it. Republicans may not care to
resume the responsibility for reorganiza-
ton of the Senate under existing condi-
tions, but as matter of fact they cannot
avoid the consequences of their plurality.
The plurality of the Senate, for that mat
ter, practically carries control with it. Con-
troll of the Senate, of course, would give to
the Republicans power to initiate legisla-
ton, which would be an advantage. 1 do
not think that the question of patronage
is likely at all to enter into this matter.
There certainly has been no indication of
any contest upon the part of Republican
Senators on that question.
II have heard nothing of any rivalries
of that kind which are spoken of in the
newspapers. There certainly is nothing
in the suggestion that there will be an
attempt, if the Republicans shall re-
organize the Senate. to depose Senator
Morrill, from the craftsmanship of the
Committee on Finance. He is the senior
Republican of that committee, and if the
Republicans should regain control of the
Senate he would undoubtedly be given
the chairmanship. which ne held at the
time the Republicans lost the Senate.
81 certainly do not see how the Demo-
Gratis can desire or expect to control the
Senate so long as they will not have
majority which would make that control
effective. And there is no probability
that they will secure such a majority.
The only way in which the Democrats
could secure control of the Senate would
be by combining with all of the Populists.
That seems to be altogether impracticable.
1t does not appear to me to be possible
that the Populists as body will cooperate
with either party. This is only an as
sumption on my part.
II have no information as to the proba-
BILE action of the parties as a whole, or as
to any one of them. Nor do I know what
attitude Senators Jones and Stewart, of
Nevada, will take, both of whom claim to
be Populists. There have been recent re-
ports that Senator Jones has abandoned
his relations to the Populists and is likely
to return to the Republicans. 1 do not
know how that may be, or how accurate
those reports are. As for Senator Stewart
do not imagine that he is so embittered
on account of silver controversies that he
will act as a rule with the Democrats
rather than with the Republicans. He is,
of course, an intense silver man, and is the
mainstay of the silver party. But on all
questions aside from those which relate to
silver Senator Stewart / should say, is an
earnest Republican. He is certainly op-
posed at heart and by his record to most of
things for which Democrats stand except
as regards silver"