Evening star., 1898-11-11
Republican Control of the Senate.

The most pronounced result of Tuesday 5
ballCting is the large gain made by the
republicans in the Senate, the control of
which has been in question since 1893. In
that year enough democrats were elected
as result of the landslide of 1892 to wrast
the organization from the republicans. The
democrats had then A seats. the republi-
cans IS. the populists ; and there were 3
vacant, giving the democrats just half Lf
the full Senate and a majority of the oc-
cupied seats. After March i, 1875. the
Senate stood ii republicans, 81 democ-a is,
independents and l vacancy, giving the
republicans a tie of the full Senate and a
majority Of l over the Senate as organized
This majority, however, was soon lost
through the election of Kenny. democrat
from Delaware to fill the vacancy and be-
cause of the indisp1sttion of some of the
silver republicans to act with their party
Accordingly d compromise was effected lie
tween the republic ans and democrats
whereby the former secured control of the
committees and the latter retained the of
ficial organization. After March T. 1897
the Senate stood 43 republicans. "a demo-
Gratis, l. independents and l vacancy. The
republicans had plurality but lacked 3
of majority. owing to the detection Of
the silver republicans who bolted the St
Louis convention. The compromise be-
tween the two main parties as to commit
tees and organization was continued in
force According to latest estimates, the
Senate after March next will stand ~
republicans, 26 democrats and 10 ind apend-
eEts. if all The legislatures Just elected
choose senators ard no deadlocks occur
such as produced the vacancies in 1898 in
Washington, Montana and Wyoming in
1895 in Delaware and in 1897 in Oregon
This estimate is based on the assumption
that West Virginia and Nebraska have
chosen republican legislatures, which is not
yet certain. The Nebraska legislature is
in serious doubt.
Thus the republicans will have clear
majority for the control of the Senate
both in committees and organization. They
VIII also have a. sufficient hold-oVcr
strength TO give them the best chance for
control after March 4, 1901. On that date
they viii have. according to the present
showing, IS seats to Ii held over by the
democrats and by the Independents, leav-
ing 30 to be filled by the senator's chosen
by the legislatures elected in 1900. OF the
seats thus to be filed the republicans now
hold II, the democrats II and the indie
publicans will therefore have to ra-elect
only of the new men to hold a ajority,
or IL if the republicans have now lost West
Virginia and Nebraska. OF the seventeen
republicans whose terms expire at that
time . are from states which are safely to
be regarded as uniform in returning re-
publican senators, namely, New Hamp-
shire, Maine, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michi-
gan, Minnesota and Rhode Island. This
leaves l seat to be secured from such
states as Kansas, Montana, Illinois, West
Virginia, Oregon. New Jersey, Idaho, Ne
braska, Wyoming and Colorado. The DEM
ocratic senators who's. terms expire at that
time are from practically certain democ-
ratio states, except Delaware. The Iepub-
licans would have chance to secure a seat
from the indepenu ants in South Dakota
now occupied by Senator Pettigrew Thus
it is to be seen that unless another land
slide strikes the republican party in 19uO
Wlping away the landmarks as did that of
1882. the chances are very strongly in favor
of continued republican control of the Sen
ate until at least March H. 1903.