The San Francisco call., 1897-03-10
Fruitless Caucus of Demo
cratic Members of the
Senate.
Plots to Capture the Organiza.
tion of That Body C3me
to Naught.
Republicans, on the Other Hand, Are
United, but Lack Working
M jority.

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 9.-For
more than two hours to-day the Demo-
cratic members of the Senate endeavored
to reach some conclusion On the question
of the organization of the Senate. Like
the Republican conference of Friday it
was fruitless in results. The two factions
are arrayed against each other. On the
one hand the Republicans present solid
phalanx of forty-two votes that will stand
by each other through thick and thin on
the other there are the divided ranks of
the gold standard Democrats, silver DEM
ocrats, boiling silver Republicans and
Populists.
The problem before those seeking to
take the control of the Senate from the Re.
publicans is, How can these various fac
tions be solidified and made one in inter-
est? No satisfactory answer to this ques-
ton has been proposed, and the more the
discussion proceeds the less appears to be
the chance of definite action, by reason Of
the inability of the seeding factions to
cohere into one determined party OF oppo-
.sition.
Caucuses 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 indorsed by the Democrats. So, too,
the silver Repubicans-those who bolted
the st. Louis piatform-have agreed to
stand by whatever policy may be inaug-
urated by the stronger OF the bodies in
opposition to the element now in control
of the Senate committees.
When the Dem mocratic caucus was called
for to-day there was no distinction made
between the men who indorsed the Chi
cago ticket and those who stood upon the
Indianapolis platform. Notices of the
caucus were sent to every Democrat. OF
the gold men only Lindsay of Kentucky
attended. Gray of Delaware and Caffery
of Louisiana were absent. The absence of
Gray is not looked upon as significant, for
the reason that whenever the Senate ad
journs over he always runs up 10 his home
Ior the few days at his disposal. Caffery,
the second absentee, was the permanent
chairman of the indianapolis convention
and mis- absence may have some political
significance.
The situation was discussed in rather
informal manner, and the only result
reached was the appointment of the OLD
steering committee, with Faulkner of
West Virginia and Smith of New Jersey
substituted for Brice and Blackburn,
| whose terms expired last Thursday.
The effort to take the commi tees from
the Repu biicans is antagonized by some
leading Democrats for various reasons.
German thinks the scheme to consolidate
all the factions in the Senate by COM
bination with the silver Republicans and
the Populists would be dangerous and
would result in the establishment of a
precedent that might prove embarrassing g
in the future.
National Com mittee, is said to be opposed
to it because the Democrats have not suffi-
cient votes with those of their allies TO DO
what is proposed TO be done. This con-
clusion is based upon the assumption that
Lindsay of Kentucky, Gray of Delaware
and Caffery of Louisiana, each of whom
supported the Indianapolis tickets, are
not Democrats.
Jones is suppor ted by several of the
more radical silver men, who thus hope
to emphasize their disapproval of the
course of these Senators. These same
men also appreciate the fact that if they
had possession of the committees they
would be handicapped bv the Republican
House and the Republican President and
would be unable 10 consummate any of
their own plans of legislation.
The result of the two hours talk, there
fore, was concentr tr1ted on the appoint
meat OF the committee mentioned
and this committee will confer with the
other factions and possibly with the Re-
publican steering committee announced
to-day by Chairman Allison.
The Republicans do not expect any
serious result from all the tslk of setting
aside the present organization of the
committee. They have so far failed to see
just how the opposing elements in the