The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-10


than two hours this afternoon the
members of the senate endeavored to
reach some conclusion upon the ques-
ton of the organization of the senate
Like the Republican conference of Sat
urday, it was fruitless in results.
Two factions are arrayed against
each other
On the one hand the Republicans
present a solid phalanX of AZ votes
thick and thin.
On the other there are the divided
ranks of the gold standard Democrats,
silver Democrats. boiling silver Re
publicans and Populists.
The problem before those seeking to
take control of the senate from the
Republicans is, how can those various
factions be solidifed and made one
interest. No satisfactory answer to
this question has been proposed and
the more the discussion proceeds, the
less appears TO be the chance of def
mite action by reason of the inability
of the seeding factions to resolve into
one determined party of opposition.
Caucuses and conferences have been
numerous since the new senate con-
vened. The Populists, while holding
no formal caucus, have agreed among
themselves that they will support any
plan that may be indorsed by the
Democrats. So, too, the silver Re
publicans-those who bolted the ST.
Louis platform-have agreed to stand
by whatever policy may be inaugural
ed by the stronger of the bodies in
opposition to the element now in con-
troll of the senate committees.
When the Democratic caucus was
called for today there was no distinc-
ton made between the men who in
dorsed the Chicago ticket and those
who stood upon the Indianapolis plat
form. Notices of the caucus were sent
to every Democrat. OF the gold men
only Mr.. Lindsay of Kentucky attend
ed. Messrs. Gray of Delaware and
Caffery of Louisiana were absent.
The absence of Mr.. Gray is not looked
upon as significant, for the reason
over he always runs up to his home.
for the few days at his disposal Mr.
Caffery, the second absentee, was the
permanent chairman of the Indianapo-
lis convention, and his absence may
have some political significance. The
situation was discussed in a rather in,
formal manner and the only result
reached was the appointment of the
old steering committee, with Senators
Faulkner CIV. Va.) and Smith On. j.
substituted for Senators Brice and
Blackburn, whose terms expired last
Thursday
The effort to take the committees
from the Republicans is antagonized
by some leading Democrats for various
reasons.
Mr. German thinks the scheme to
consolidate all the factions in the SEN
ate by combination with the silver
Republicans and the Populists would
be dangerous and would result in the
establishment Of a precedent that
might prove embarrassing in the
future.
Mr.. Jones of Arkansas, chairman of
the national committee, is said to be
opposed to it because the Democrats
have not sufficient votes with those of
their allies to do whatsis proposed to
be done. This conclusion is based upon
the assumption that Senators Lindsay
OF Kentucky, Gray of Delaware and
Canery of Louisiana, each of whom
supported the indianapolis ticket, are
not Democrats. Mr.. Jones is supported
by several of the more radical silver
men, who thus hope to emphasize their
disapproval of the course of these SEN
ators. These same men appreciate the
fact that if they had possession of the
committees they would be handicapped
by the Republican house, and the Re
publican president, and would be I'M
able to conSummate any of their own
plans of legislation. The result of the
two hours talk, therefore, was concen-
trated on the appointment of the COM
m1ttee mentioned, and this committee
Will confer with the other factions and
possibly with the Republican steering
committee announced today by Chair
man Allison. The Republicans do not
expect any serious result from all the
talk of setting aside the present or
ganization of the. committees They
nave so far failed to see just how the
contend1ng elements in the senate will
be able to agree upon a plan of action.
AT the same time, the Republicans re-
alize their impotence, not having more
than AZ votes and with little hope of
having the two senator's appointed
from Kentucky and Oregon seated.
The belief on the part of leading Re
publican senators is that the silver
Democrats cannot count upon the votes
OF the gold Democrats in any plan that
the organization of the
By the silver vote of the
senate. They also believe that the
in the various committees
will be filed by agreement between |
the Republicans and Democrats, and
until such agreement is reached it is |
very certain the vacancies will not be !
filed.
1t cannot be verified, but it is stated !
tonight with much DoSitivenesS, that +
Senator Teller of Colorado was at the |
The scheme for reorganiZa- |
ton of the senate on silver lines con-
templates the election of ex-senator !
Dubois oe Idaho as secretary of the |
senate in place of Mr.. Cox of North |
Carolina, and the retention of Colonel |
.ol,o 0f
alarms.
A note was sent tonight to each Re-
publican senator urging him to be in
his seat tomorrow at noon.
CHICAGO POSTAL. CT ERKS