The San Francisco call., 1897-03-07
ORGANIZATION OF
THE NEW SENATE
A Matter of Some Concern
to the Republican
Caucus.
Uncertainty as to the Seating
OF Oregon and Kentucky
Appointees.
Hints That All Other Parties Nav
Combine 10 Capture the Com
mittees.

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 6.-The
first caucus OF the Senate of the Fifty-fifth
Congress was held this afternoon. 1t was
not productive of results. After discus
sion of one hour and half, during which
Senator Allison OF Iowa was made the
caucus chairman and Senator Wilson OF
Washington reelected caucus secretary,
a resolution was adopted authorizing the
chairman 10 appoint committee of
seven, of which he himself is to be the
head. This committee is to be known as
the committee on the situation.
The discussion this afternoon, while
largely informal in character, developed
the fact that the Republicans are not
agreed as to where they stand or how they
VIII stand when the membership of the
Senate is completed by the election of
Senators in Oregon and Kentucky TO I'LL
existing vacancies.
Senator Aldrich, a Der of the steer
ing committee of the last Senate, started
the discussion with the statement that
the caucus should decide whether it
should at this time appoint committee
to I'LL the vacancies in the Senate com nit
tees, or whether it should appoint politi-
mittee Of last session.
Senator Aldrich, who had given the sit
uation in the Senate very careful consid-
GRAFTON, was inclined 10 go slow, and sug-
gested that it would be wise for the
Republicans to know their strength be-
fore asserting it. This suggestion ap.
peared 10 meet with the CONNIE ndation of
the other leaders in the Senate.
Senator Proctor said there could be no
doubt that the Republicans would have a
majority in the Senate with the vote of
the Vice-President. He asserted that a
Republican would be sent from each of
the States of Oregon and Kentucky.
Inasmuch as this makes but a total of
forty-four votes, and as forty-five are
necessary to tie the Senate on full vote,
Proctor was asked where he proposed to
get that one vote.
Proctor evaded the question and the
conversation became general.
1t Is said that no names were mentioned,
but the lntlmatlon was very strongly con-
veyed that Kyle would supply that vote.
Kyle is the Populist recently reelected
from South Dakota by the Slid Repub-
lican vote after the greater part of his own
party had forsakeu him. Should he vote
with the Republicans and should they get
the two votes from Kentucky and Oregon,
Vice.President Hobart would be in posi-
tion TO cast the deciding vote on all con-
tested questions.
The action of Governor Bradley of Ken
lucky in appointing Mr.. Wood to succeed
Blackburn was commented upon. II was
conceded that this appoin tment would be
contested and that the creden entails of Mr..
Wood would be sent to tue Committee on
Privileges and Elections, where fight
against him would be inaugurated.
The resolution OF the eenate in the Man.
tie case was also referred to and he pre-
diction made that Mr.. Wood would hardly
be permitted to take his seat.
Senator Hoar took the ground that the
Kentucky case was controlled by the de-
cision in the Blair and Bell cases from
New Ham pshire, decision which, he OBJ
served parenthetically, ought to have been
respected in consideration OF the Mantle
case. For this reason it was believed by
many that no Senator from Kentucky
would be permitted to take his seat until
he was elected by the Legislature.
The Oregon case also came in for some
discuss ION, Senator Proctor making the
statement that the Governor OF that Stale
would also appoint Senator.
In view OF all these facts, it was agreed
that it would be the part of wisdom to
move slowly, and a resolution offered by
Cullom, and modified al the suggestion of
Hoar, was agreed 10, providing for the
committee heretofore Indicated. This
committee will confer with the Demo-
cratic leaders in an endeavor to ascertain
the situation" and will port to another
caucus VIII ch will be held Tuesday.
Senator Platt OF Connection, suggested
that the conditions in the Senate were
such that a political advisory COMMITTEES
was absolutely essential, and, temporarily
at least, the duii of the old steering COM
mittee will be performed by the committee
which Allison is authorized TO appoint.
Platts suggestion doubtless grew out of
the ruinor that has been gong the rounds
for several days that the Democrats. both
sound money and silver, Intend to COM
bine with the silver Republicans and Pop
ullsts In an attempt to capture the COM
mittees ano organizations of the Senate
This alleged combination was not referred
to this afternoon in specific language, but
was binted at in the numerous references
to "existing conditions" and phrases OF
similar i'm port.
the tariff was mentioned but incident
ally. No uneasiness was manifested on