The Portland daily press., 1897-03-10
PRESENT SOLID PHALlNA.
Republicans Of Senate United But
Lack Majority.
d. MOCRATS HOLD A TWO
HOURS CAUCUS. /.

The Result of Gathering Fru1tless-TaiK
of Opposition Obtaining Control Oh
Committees - Republicans Confident
That This Cannot Be Accomplished
But Realize Their Impotence NOT
wlthstanding.
Washington, March 9.-Fcr more thAn
two hours this afternoon, the Democrats
Of the Senate endeaVored to reaca con-
clusion upon the question OF organl1a-
tion of the Senate. Ths conference WAS
fruitless In results. The Republicans
present solid phalanx of ~ votes that
will stand by each other through thick
and thin. Opposing these are divided
ranks of the gold standard Democrats,
silver Democrats. bolting silver Repupli-
cans and Populists. The problem
under consideration is obtaining
control of Senate committees
from ths Repu blicans. No satisfactory
answer to this has been proposed, but the
more the discussion proceeds the less
appears to be chance of definite action
by reason of the inability of these con-
tending factions TO oohere into one deter
mined party of position.
Cauouses and conferences have been
numerous since the new Senate convened.
The Populists, while holding no formal
caucus, have agreed among themselves
that they will support any plan that
may be endorsed by the Democrats. The
Silver Republican. those who bolted the
st. Louis platform-have agree to stand
by whatever policy may be inaugurated
by the stronger OF bodies in opposition
to the element now in control of the SEN
ate comittees.
When the Democratic caucus was
called for today there was no distino-
tion made between the men who en-
dorsed the Chicago ticket and those
who stood upon thu Indianapolis plat
form. Notices of caucus were sent to
every Democrat. OF thessGold men, only
MIR. Lindsay of Kentucky. attended.
Messrs. Gray Of Delaware and Caffery of
louisiana were absent. The absence
of MI Gray il not looked upon As signlf-
can't for the reason that whenever Con-
gress adjourns over, he always runs up
home.
MIR. Gallery, the second absentee, was
permanent chairman of the Indiana con-
vention. Ills absence may have some
political signifoauce. The situation was
discussed in q srather informal manner
aud the only resul5 reached was the ap-
of the old steering com m1ttee
with Senators Faulkner of West Virgin
ina and Smith of New Jersey, substituted
for Senators Brioe and Black burn, whose
terms expired Thursday.
The effort to take the committees
from Republicans is antagonized by
some of the leading Democrats for vari-
Gus REASONS. Mr.. German thinks the
scheme to consolidate all the factions in
tne Senate by combination with Silver
Republicans and Populists would be dan
gerous and would result in the establish
ment OF a precedent that might prove
en- barrassing iu the future.
Mr.. Jones Of Arkansas, chairman Of
the national committee, is understood to
lie opposed to it because the Dem ocrats
have not sufficient votes with
their allies to do what Is proposed to
be done. This conclusion is based upon
the assumption that Senators Lindsay
of Kentucky, Gray of Delaware and
Caffrey of Louisiana, each of whom sup
ported The Indiana ticket, are not Demo
Gratis.
Mr.. Jones is supported by several more
radical silver men, who thus hope to en-
phasiZe their disapproval OF the course Of
those senators. These men appreciate
the fact that if they had possess on OF
the committees, they would be handi-
capred By a Republican House and by