Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-11-17
Republican Senatorial Gains.


the rays OF intelligence get a fair
chance to illumine the public mind,
it becomes evident that about all the
Democrats really have to crow over
is the restoration of Tammany to
power In New York. Those who re-
joice over that result should burn
increase upon the shrine of Seth Low,
whose candidacy made Richard
Croker, and not T. C. Platt, the
''easy boss" II one wants to see
the election from the standpoint of
national politics the coigne Of obser-
walton should be the United States
Senate of the Fifty-Sixth Congress.
Under our national constitution
one-third Of the Senate Is subject to
change every two years. According
to the Congressional directory, cor
rected to June "a, 1897, the Senate
consists now of forty-three Republi-
cans, thirty-four Democrats, four
silver Republicans, five Populists,
and one Independent. The latter is
Kyle of South Dakota. who is natur-
ally Republican, and who, his state
having gone Republican at the recent
election, is much more likely to act
with the Republicans In the Senate
than he would have been had his
state gone Populist last Tuesday.
The result in South Dakota has
special Significance In view of the
fact that Senator Kyle was SO nearly
ON the fence that he could not be
classified last summer. The term of
Senator Pettigrew, his silver Repub-
lican colleague, does not expire until
1901.
OF the Senators who make up the
Populistic list-also those set down
as silver Republicans-all are from
states which are still In a position
to elect silver Republicans or Popu-
lists, or the terms of the Senators
themselves extend to 1901, If not 1903.
In other words, the strength of these
two elements will not be affected by
the recent state elections, except as
explained in the case of Senator
Kyle.
Quite otherwise Is it with the Dem
ocratic party In the Senate. There
are no less than seven of the thirty
four who are morally certain now
to be succeeded by Republicans, and
still another-Lindsay of Kentucky
h<. 60, rtofr hn lot
the shelf, his place taken. however,
by a free-silver Democrat, probably
Blackburn. Lindsay fol-
lowed Carlisle in being a gold Dem
ocrat and he will have to make way
in March, 1899, for some Bryanite.
Four of the Democratic Senators
who may as well also pack their
grips and get ready to travel in
March, 1899, are Roach of North Da-
kota, Turpie of Indiana, White OF
California, and Mitchell of Wisconsin.
Their states did not hold elections
this week, however, which forms the
basis of this conclusion, but in the
case of three Senators the elections
of Tuesday may be said to have
signed their death warrants, namely,
German of Maryland. Smith of New
Jersey, and Murphey of New York.
Mr. Germans successor will be
elected this coming winter, and is
sure to be Republican. The other
two, Edward Murphy, Jr., of New
York and James Smith, Jr., of New
Jersey, each has one more chance at
the hat; but, judging from the results
on the Legislature of their respective
states, both are doomed to be sue
ceeded by Republicans in 1893. Thus
1T will be seen that there are probably
six Democratic Senators who will
give place to Republicans at that
time, three certain, and it only takes
two to give the Republicans control
OF the Senate.
Such is the showing made by the
elections of last Tuesday from the
political standpoint of the United
State Senate, and such the outlook
from the high mountain of national
politics. Clearly the Republicans of
the country have every reason to re-
ioice and be exceeding glad. These
Republican Senatorial gains are very
significant and highly gratifying
Inter Ocean.