Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-09
Tho Senate.

4
Kinley will endeavor in so far as 1t Il
POSSIBLE for the chief executive t
shape such matters. to have the bust.
ness of the special session limited r
amount and disposed of as quickly az
may be compatible with the public wei.
fare. Whether this shall be done de-
ponds upon the Senate, in all probabil'
lily. In many respects that is an un-
certain body. While it is expected tina,
the Republicans will be able to or
ganize it. nevertheless they lack at the
present time three of a majority, there
being, as they are classified. AZ straight
Republicans, five silver or independent
Republicans, six gold Democrats. q
silver Democrats. eight Populists or in
dependents and two undetermined
Just what will be the outcome Of gu
bernatorial appointments of senator in
Kentucky, Oregon and Florida, re-
mains to be seen. But at best there
are not and will not be enough straight
Republicans to organize unaided.
1t is too much to expect that the
Senate can be shaken out of it's anti
quated customs right away. Vice
President Stevenson's valedictory indi.
Gated that he understood the sentiment
of the Senate as well as Vice President
Hobart's address indicated that he un-
respecting the ridiculous rules that gov
ern the Senate's deliberations. We
have already alluded to his remarks
and our readers will recall that Mr..
Stevenson said on retiring, that those
who clamOr against the present meth
DDS of procedure in that body know not
what they do. That is rubbish. These
rules are a hand down from those who
did not quite dare to trust to popular
government but along with them have
not descended the decorum, dignity and
courtesy that were their accompani-
ments 100 years ago, when the sena-
tors appeared richly attired. with hair
powdered. and to quote Schouler. IF a
loud whisper disturbed the member
who had the floor Vice-Presdent Adams
would restore order by gently tapping
with his silver pencil case upon the
little mahogany table which stood in
front of him." Those were the days
when a man ambitious for political
preferment desired some other Office.
and Trumbull resigned in order to ac-
cept the lieutenant governorship of Con-
necticut. How little remains of that sena-
torial courtesy dignity and placid calm
can be inferred by anyone who follows
the newspaper reports.
But there are ways in which the Sem
ate may be reached and Speaker Reed.
whose rules have wrought such
transformation in the House. is in
position to do this. probably more eff
fectually than any other individual and
is said to be disposed to exert his pow
er. Members of the Senate as well as
of the House are interested in some of
the items included in the sundry civil
and general deficiency, two of the four
appropriation bills which did not re-
ceive President Cleveland's signature.
1t lies in the power of Speaker Reed to
hold back these bills until after the
Senate has c9pcluded its work upon the
tariff. To delay the tariff and by so
doing delay the pet measures Of sena-
tors themselves and excite two-fold the
clamOr of constituents for prompt ac-
ton will be very unwelcome task.
Moreover under such conditions, if it is
decided to adhere to that policy, it
would be possible for the Senate to dis
lose of the arbitration treaty while
awaiting the action of the House upon
the tariff. Some such means as this
for stimulating action will probably be
resorted to at this special session rather
than to any attempt at radical revision
of the rules in the Senate