The times., 1897-04-11
THE SENATE COMMITTEES
Republicans Deep in the Work
of Making Assignments.
A DEMOCRATIC CONCESSION
II is Said That the Free Silver
Republicans VIII Be Given FIRST
Class Committee Assignments in
Order to Secure Their Votes for
the Tariff Bill.

The committee on committees OF the
room of the Senate Committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia. It is expected that by
this time answers will have been received
from all the Republican Senators indicating
the committee places which they prefer
to have assigned To them This is in
accordance with the resolution adopted
at the last meeting OF the committee. Some
OF the Republican members of the Senate
are talking very bravely to the effect
that the Senate will be fully equipped
with new committees by the 10Th of
April, and that all the important commit
tees VIII at that time have Republican
ma ioTity.
There does not yet seem to be any war
rant for this assumption. The Democrats
and Popuists still hold the whip hand in
the matter of reorganization, and it should
be remembered that the somew hat fever
fish haste with which the Republicans are
now acting is a direct result Of the ;nfor-
nation given by Senator German % Chair
man Allison, of the Republican steering
committee, that the Democrats proposed
further business in the Senate.
The Democrats, PopUlists, and their sill
yer Republican allies, are extremely con-
fident that the reorganization will 60 no
farther than to provide for the filling OF
all vacancies from the membership Of the
same political party which, by the re-
tirement Of Senators, has afforded each
vacancy. If this is the result 1t will be
distinctly advantageous to the opposition.
The only gain the Republicans will make
VIII be the continuation of their present
plurality control Of most of the committees
of the Senate. The party is three short
of majority Of the Senate, and its mem
bers should be well satisfied with an
arrangement which gives them the same
advantage in the con troll Of committees as
at present.
Indirectly the Republicans secure another
important advantage in reorganization. By
taking care of some of the silver Republi
cans handsomely they expect to be able
TO gain votes for the tariff bill. For some
time Senator Allison and his associate
managers were fearful that the fate OF the
tariff bill might be seriously imperiled
by any attempt to fill the committee va
cancies at present. 1t was the fear of
danger TO this measure that Induced the
Republican Senators to abandon their
plan of reorganization which was well
matured a fortnight ago. Very likely they
would not have resumed consideration Of
the reorgani zation project, except for
the warning from Senator German that
the committees must be filled if business
is TO be transacted, and the accompanying z
clamor from unplaced Republicans for
recognition.
The Republican leaders have now decided
that il is possible TO make Judicious use of
a large number of existing vacancies, and
that favors shown to some of the silver
Republicans and Populists may result in
much-needed additions to the affirmative
vote on the Dingley bill when it comes be
fore the Senate.
There is no doubt whatever that the
vacancies ontheFinance Committee, caused
by the retirement of Senator Sherman,
now Secretary OF State, and the late SEN
ator Voorhees of Indiana, will be filled by
one Democrat and one Republican. For
the Republican vacancy there are still four
candidates, Burrows, Platt, Sewell and
hanna Senator Burrows chances of Sc
lection are believed to have improved ma
terially since the meeting ofthe committee
on Friday.
The candidacy Of Senator Sewell has
divided Eastern support, and Senator
Burrows seems to be the choice of about
all the Senators from the Middle West eX-
cept Hanna himself Hanna is very
anxious for this recognition, because he
believes a prominent place like this will
be very helpful to him in his desperate
struggle for reelection in Ohio this fall
Senator Platt is perhaps the most serious
rival that Burrows has, but the bese Judg-
ment Of well informed Senators is that
Burrows win win, and If he is chosen he
will be the only Republican member of