The San Francisco call., 1897-03-29
Republicans and Allied
Opponents Disagree as
to Committees.
Democrats of the Minority Hope
to Force an Acquiescence
to Their Pans.
Mcjority Leaders Will Hold a Caucus
to Hear the R port of the Steer.
ing Committee.

There is strong probability of clash
between the Republicans and their allied
opponents in the Senate this week on the
question OF The committee vacancies. The
Democrats have attacked the VALIDITY OF
the action OF The committee on postoffices
and postroads in taking under considera-
ton nominations when the committee
was not more than half filled, despite the
fact that a resolution was passed at the
close OF the last session Of the Fifty fourth
Congress continuing the Senate commit
tees and authorizing them to transact busi.
ness until the vacancies were filled. By
attacking the legality of the committees
as at present constituted the Democrats
hope to force the Republicans to agree to
their programme of permitting the total
membership of the committees TO remain
as at present constituted; the Democrats
hereafter to name Democrat for every
Senator of that party whose term expired
on the fourth of March last.
The 4 publicans will hold q caucus
Tuesday afternoon for the purpose OF
hearing the report of their steering COM
mittee and solving the difficult problem
that now confronts them. The demand
of the Democrats is understood to be that
they shall have precisely the same minor
ity representation which they granted the
Republican minority when the Repub-
licans were solid body and did not have
the present conditions of free silver disin-
tegration to contend with. The Republi-
cans. on the other hand. contend that the
Senators who bolted the St. Louis conven-
tf<~ To-, ID
lican party. They acknowledge that by
the former action OF the Republican party
some of these Senators have received very
valuable committee assignments, but they
insist that these positions cannot now be
charged up against the straight Repu bli-
cans. The Democrats refuse to recognize
any division in the Republican party. Ac-
cording to this contention the Republi-
cans, if their demands were granted, al
though holding the chairmanships, would
be in the minority on all the important
committees.
This is particularly true of the Com
mittees on appropriations and Finance.
The Democrats insist upon the appoint
ment OF a Democrat to succeed VOORHEES,
on the Finance Committee and also in.
sist upon counting Jones OF Nevada (Sil-
yer Republican, as Republican to help
make up the Republican membership of
the same committee. The Republicans
have offered TO accept Jones as one OF
their assignments if the Democrats will
agree to assign a Gold Democrat to the
committee, but this has been declined.
The situation has been quietly can
vassed and the Republicans, failing to
bring the Democrats 10 terms on grounds
W ich tney consider reasonable, will prob
ably try new tactics this week. They
contemplate offering a resolution declar-
ing the membership of the various com.
mittees shall consist of certain mum Der
OF Senators belonging to each party, the
nun bsr TO be designated in the case OF
each ommittee.
This resolution, introduced by the Re-
pubicans, will DC carried either by the af-
firmatlve votes of the PopuIists or their
refusal o vote as they did when the Re-
publicans reorganized the Senate and
took control. 1t isexpected that the gol /
Democrats will decline to vote, and this
will give the Republicans clear majority
OF the quorum of the Senate and carry the
resolution that will be offered.
II this programme can be successfully
carried out the Republicans will then feel
free to caucus and designate their assign
ments to the various committees and then
TO ask the Democratic committee 10 fl II in
turn their various as ssignments. This will
bring the matter to a square issue. Re-
publicans who have the matter in charge
profess their belief in the success of the
plan.
So far as the business Eof the Senate
proper is concerned it looks as if the gen.
eral treaty OF arbitration with Great
Britain would take up the major part of
the week. An agreement has been
reached TO take vote Wednesday after
noon on all the amendments then pend
ing.
The treaty as then amended is to be
printed and laid before the Senate the
next day, when the debate will be con-
tinued under the ten-minute rule. If fur
tner amendments are offered they are all
to be voted upon at CLOCK Thursday,
the day following. After that hour the
offering of amendments will not be in or
der and the debate on the treaty will con-
tinue until the final vote is taken, Davis
has pressed for an agreement for time
when this final vote shall be taken, but
his appeals have not vet been successful.
The House of Representatives has moth
ing ahead of 1t but the tariff. Up to
Wednesday next at P. NJ. the five minute
debate on the bill by sections will con.
tinue. Then Bailey OF Texas and Dingley
of Maine, the recognized Democratic and
Republican members. will be accorded an
hour each to close the debate and the vote
on the passage of the bill will be taken at
8 P. N. on Wednesday, March 81.