The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-06
BRIEF SESSION
OF THE SENATE
President McKinIey's Cabinet SeIec-
tions Are All Confirmed.
SENATOR TELLER is CRITICAL
lie Questions the Wisdom of the Ap-
pointmcnt of Mr.. Bliss as Secretary
of the Interior--A Compliment to
Secretary of State Shcrman--Sena-
tor WoIcott is Welcomed Home.

Washington, March 5.-The United
btates senate being n perpetual body,
not expiring with the expiration of
congress- like the house of representa-
tives, was in session today for two and
three-quarter hours There was a very
large audience present to witness the
opening of the Fifty-fifth congress,
and the Republican side of the cham
her was made bright and full of per-
fume with large and exquisite floral
gifts in honor of several of the new
senators, and of one of the old ones.
Mr.. Quay, of Pennsylvania, was thus
remembered and favored by the bour-
geoise and the men in blouses," as the
card accompanying the structure of
flowers read. His colleague, Mr.. Pen
rose, had an elaborate but less pre-
tentiouS tribute of the same kind from
the labor union"
Governor Bushnell. of Ohio having
appointed Mr.. Hanna to succeed Sena-
Tor Sherman, now secretary of state,
Ur Hanna took the oath of office, af-
'er plauhts from the galleries; and
how the state of Ohio has two Republi-
can senators, both of them new to that
body-Messrs. Foraker and Hanna.
The craftsmanship of the committee
on foreign relations so long held by
Mr. Sherman, was conferred tempor-
arily on Mr.. Davis, of minnesota. The
only other occurrence OF note in the
opening session of the senate. was the
return of Mr. Wolcott, of Colorado.
from his recent pilgrimage to Europe
in furtheranCe of the project for an in
ternatiOnal monetary conference. He
was welcomed back heartily by fellow
senators.
Shortly after 1890 Mr. Pruden, one
of the presidents secretaries, appeared
and delivered "sundry messages in
writing" from President Mckinley to
the senate. The presidents message
consisted of the nomination of his cabi-
net, as follows:
JOHN SHERMAN, of Ohio, to be secre-
tary of state.
LYMAN j. GAGE, of Illinois, to be sec
retary of the treasury.
RUSSELL y. ALGER of Michigan, to
be secretary of war.
JOHN ID. LONG, of Massachusetts, to be
secretary of the navy
CORNELIUS n. BLISS, of New York
TO be secretary of the interior.
JOSEPH NJ MKENNA, of California to be
attorney general.
JAMES a. GARY, of Maryland to be
postmaster general.
JAMES WILSON, of Iowa, to be secre-
tary of agriculture.
At ten minutes before one the senate
went into executive session to con-
slider the nominations. and within two
hours they had all received undisputed
confirmation, and at 2.45 y. m., the
senate adjourned until Mopday.
COMPLIMENT TO MIR. SHERMAN.
The length of the executive session
this afternoon led to the circulation of
several unfounded rumors that a con-
test was being made against the con-
firmation of at least two of the mem
bers of the cabinet selected by Presi-
dent Mckinley. Rumor had it that the
opposition was aimed at Mr.. McKenna,
selected for the attorney generalship,
and Mr.. Alger, for secretary of war
The delay was not unusual. The
nomination of Mr.. Sherman was con-
1irmed Immediately without the for
mality of a reference to the committee
While this Is not the invariable rule
it is generally extended to ex-senators
as an act of courtesy. 1t was sug-
gested privately on the floor that the
whole cabinet be at once confirmed:
but this was not done, for had such ac-
ton been taken the compliment in
tended for Mr. Sherman would have
been no compliment at all.
All the other nominations We're re- |
ferred to the various committees which |
Immediately met in the cloak rooms !
adjoining the chamber and after an |
informal discussion of the nominations, |
made favorable reports in each case.
Mr.. Teller addressed the senate brief |
ly. He said he did not propose to op-
pose any selection Mr.. Mckinley had |
made. He recognized the fact that the |
cabinet was the official family of the |
executive and the president ought not |
TO be hampered by the senate in the |
choice of the men whom he desired for |
his advisers. He desired, however, to |
say that he believed that in some cases |
Mr.. Mckinley had made mistakes in
the men he had chosen. Whoever else
Mr.. Tettel may have had in mind is
unknown, for he mentioned only Mr..
Bliss, nominated to be secretary of the
interior.
Mr.. Teller emphasized the fact that
he did not criticise this nomination on
personal grounds. He knew Nh Bliss
to be a man of affairs who had been
successful and was held high in the
esteem of his fellow men. He did not
doubt but that Mr. Bliss would bring
TO the office all his business and eXecu-
tive ability. But there was more re-
quired, Mr. Teller said, than mere
business ability. The interior depart
ment was one of the most important
IN the government, affecting interests
in many of the states and particularly
those of the great west The secre-
tary annually made more important
decisions involving property than did
the supreme court. The head of this !
great department ought to be equipped
with legal ability and a familiarity
with land matters to meet the intri-
cate questions that would come there
Tor 1t, and for this reason, and for this
reason only, Mr. Teller said, the nomi-
nation was subject to criticism.
Mr.. Stewart Nevada, spoke briefly
in the same VEIN
MI Hoar, of Massachusetts, replied
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