The Forrest City times., 1897-03-12
THE NEW SENATE.
Rival Parties Seeking to Contro.
 in the Organization.
Combination Against Repubiicans-Gol and Silver Democrats Popuiists and silver Republicans Trying to Unite
 Against the Dominant Party.

silver Republicans Trying to Unite
 Against the Dominant Party.
 WASHINGTON. March i0.-For more than two hours yesterday afternoon the democrats of the senate endeavored to reach some conclusion upon the question of the organization of the sem ate Like the republican conference of Saturday it was fruitless in results Two factions are arrayed against each other. On the one hand the repubh- cans present solid phalanx of 42 votes that will stand by each other through thick and thin. On the other there are the divided ranks of gold standard democrats, silver democrats, bolting silver republicans and populists. The problem before those seeking to take the control of the senate from the re- publicans is, how can the various fac tions be solidified and made one in in- terest?
 No satisfac tory answer to this ques- tion has yet been proposed and the more the discussion proceeds the less appears to be the chance of definite ac- ton by reason of the inability of these contending factions to cohere 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 repub- licans-those who bolted the St Louis platform-have agreed to stand by whatever policy may be inaugurated by the stronger of the bodies in opposi- tion to the element now in control of the senate committees.
 When the democratic caucus was called for yesterday there was no dis tinction made between the men who indorsed the Chicago ticket and those who stood upon the Chicago platform. Notices of the caucus were sent to every democrat. Of the gold men, only MT. Lindsay. of Kentucky. attended. Messrs. Gray. of Delaware. and Caf- frey, of Louisiana, were absent. The absence of Mr. Gray is not looked upon as significant, for the reason that when ever the senate adjourns over he al ways runs up to his home for the few days at his disposal. MT. Caffery. the second absentee. was the permanent chairman of the Indianapolis conyen- ton. and his absence may have some political significance. The situation was discussed in a rather informal manner. and the only result reached ( Nf asxll ing committee. with Senators Faulk ner, of West Virginia. and Smith. of New Jersey, substituted for Senators Brice and Blackbu whose terms eX- pired last Thursday.
 The effort to take the committees from the republicans is antagonized by some leading democrats for various reasons. Mir. German thinks the scheme to consolidate all the factions in the senate by combination with the silver republicans and populists would be dangerous and would result in the es- tablishment of precedent which might prove embarrassing in the future.
 Mir. Jones, of Arkansas. is said to be opposed to it because the democrats have not sufficient votes with those of 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 Caf- fiery, of Louisiana, each of whom sup ported the Indianapolis ticket, are not democrats. MT. Jones is supported by several of the more radical silver men, who thus hope to emphasize their dis approval 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 repub- ican president. and would be unable to consum mate any of their own plans of legislation.
 The result of the two hours talk. therefore. was concentrated in the ap- pointment of the committee mentioned. and this committee will confer with the other factions and possibly with the republican steering committee an nounced yesterday by Chairman Ali son.
 The republicans do not expect any serious result from all the talk of set ting aside the present organization oi the committees. They have so far failed to see just how the contendine elements in the senate will be able to agree upon plan of action. At the same time the republicans realize their impotence-not having more than 4 votes, and with little hope of having the two senators from Kentucky and Oregon seated. The belief on the part of leading republican senators is that the silver democrats cannot count upon the votes of the gold democrats in any plan that contemplates the organiza- tion of the committees by the sil yer vote of the senate. They also believe that the vacancies in the various commit tees will be filled by agreement between the republicans and democrat.
 It cannot be verified. but it is stated with much positiveness that Senator Teller, of Colorado, was at the caucus. The scheme for a reorganization of the senate on silver lines contemplates the election of ofex-Senator Dubois, of Idaho.