The times., 1898-12-29

In speaking OF Senator Morrill's success
sor it is generally conceded that an extra
session Of the Vermont legislature VIII be
called and that Representative Grout Will
be selected by it for the honor. Mr. Circuit
has been in Congress for sixteen years,
fourteen of them continuous, and has been
reelected for another term. His brother
has been governor OF Vermont and in
September last surrendered that office to
his successor. otherwise he would have
been able to appoint Representative Grout
to the Senate The present governor,
Smith. of course. has the same power, but
it is not believed that he will exercise 1t.
The people of Vermont like to retain their
representatives in Congress, seldom max
ing changes in the personnel of their dele
cation. Thus during the thirty years that
Senator Morrill, had BEEN in the Senate
he has had but two colleagues, former
Senator Edmunds and the. present, Senator
Proctor. kkA
Other candidates for the place are un-
derstood to be Representative Powers. and
DIR. Seward H. Webb, the latter q son-in-
law of the late W. H. Vanderbilt. But it
has always been understood in Vermont
that one senator should be taken, from
either side of the mountains, and while
Grout is from the right side, Mr.. Powers
is from the wrong side to succeed Mr.. Nor
rill. The Yermonters do not take kindly
to moneybags and unless DR.. Webb can
get the governor to appoint him his
chances are not thought to be bright.
Following the custom IN the Senate,
Senator Chandler some years ago filed a
claim for Senator Morrill, s. seat whenever
1t should become vacant, and will, there
fore. succeed to it. 1t is very desirable
in, ha mid Of
the Republican side. a ,tst
Senator Morrill's death will result in
some important committee changes, His
craftsmanship of the Committee on Finance
has been accorded. of recent years at least
to the senior senator OF the party in pow
er. Senator Allison OF Iowa is now the
senior senator, and he Is also the ranking
member of the committee. but, in addition,
he is Chairman of the Committee on Ap
preparations. and 1t is hardly to be sup
posed that the craftsmanship OF these, the
two most important committees in the
body. would be given to one senator.
Senator Ailison's course, however, is
hardly to be questioned. 1t Is assumed
that he will relinquish the arduOus duties
of the Appropriations Committee for the
less onerous and more desirable position OF
the Finance Committee. Senator Hale Is
the ranking member on the Appropriations
Committee after the Chairman. and would
naturally be promoted to the craftsmanship
But he is also Chairman of the Commit
tee on Naval Affairs. and may prefer to
remain at the head of that committee, in
which event Senator Cullom of Illinois
would go to the head of Appropriations.
Should Mr.. Hale abandon the Committee on
Naval Affairs. then Senator Perkins of
California would be in line for the chair
manship. Senator Aldrich Of Rhode Island
is entitled to great consideration in the
matter of craftsmanship of the Committee
on Finance. --t ~
Under the craftsmanship of Senator
Sherman in 1890 he practically framed the
Senate substitute for the Mckinley tariff
bill and conducted it through the Senate
and in conference until it became a law
In 1894, under the craftsmanship of Mr..
Morrill,, the great burden OF the work On
the wilson German act fell to his share
and his study of the legislation has made
him the recognized foremost tariff expert
in Congress and a leading authority in
the country.
In framing the amendments TO the
Dingley tariff bill in the first session OF
this Congress and to the war revenue
bill at the second session. Mr. Allison took
leading part and it is not expected th;,t
any serious effort will be made to deprive
him of the now vacant craftsmanship. Mr..
/ AIdrich is chairman of the Committee on
| Rules, highly desirable assignment. 1t
! is possible that the outcome of the re-
arranged committees will be that Mr.. AL
lison will retain the craftsmanship of Ap-
preparations and Mr.. Aldrich be made
chairman of Finance.
The vacancy in the membership of the
Finance Committee will go to an East
ern Republican, doubtless Mr.. Platt o:
New York. who was Mr.. Burrows's chief
opponent for the vacancy that was filled
last Spring.
Senator Morrill's death also leaves va
| cancies on the important Committees on
Public Buildings and Grounds, Civil Ser
vice. and Retrenchment and Additional
Accommodations for the Library. All
these vacancies will be filled and changes
made by the steering committee of Repub-
| licans. its action to be ratified by the
caucus.
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