Evening star., 1898-11-19
Democratic Senatorial Ranks Sub
stautialiS Deoimatsd.
Observation-Disclosures
Il! -, 40. Fl"
Characterlsstics.pf the Giants Who
Are'Dead. or Defeated.
S STRIKIN14; CONTRASTS

rev people realize. what an extraor.
dinary mortality there has been among
democratic senators since the beginning
OF the F1fty-third Congress- when that
party assumed. control in the Sen.
ale. of the fortyfour democrats then
| In the Senate the turn of politics or
the hand of death has retired twen-
ty-four. After the fourth of next March
ten more will be retired, leaving only ten
democrats in the Senate who were-there six
years before. This means the loss to that
party OF many, distinguished men during
the period of a senatorial term Such
depletion OF ranks Is almost appalling and
must bear a grave Significance. The party
Is left almost without experienced leaders.
During the same length of time but thir-
teen republican senators have dropped out,
and not more than four of those were men
of any particular prominence.
The Leaders Analysed.
At the opening of the Fifty-sixth Con-
gress, Bate, Berry Caffery, Cockrell
Daniel, ]. K. Jones, Lindsay, Morgan, Pasco
and Vest, If they all live, will be the only
democrats in the Senate who were there
six years before. e.;sTaae recognized leaders
will be Jones, Cockrell Daniel and Nor
gan. Four men more diametrically the op-
poSite of each other could. hardly be found
None Is a politician in the sense that Cor
man is or Harris of Tennessee was. All
except CockreH have ideas too lofty for
modern politics. Cockrell is a man of the
people and close student of modern af-
fairs, without being a demagogue. No
such politicians as Hill and German will be
found among the democrats In either house
of Congress. The democrats OF the House
are fioundering for want of leaders,; in the
Senate they will have but few men of even
experience. - -'.-
George, Harris and Voorhees,.
George and Harris of Tennessee and
Voorhees, have passed to the other shore.
Each was great in his peculiar way. They
were distinguished among men by their
marked characteristics. George was great
constitutional lawyer. ponderous and pro-
found. Harris dominated men by his tre-
mendous force OF character and will to
command supported by nigh sense of
honor which made his associates revere
him. voorhees, was an orator and poet,
whose power was over the hearts of men
He was loved.
Besides those WHOM death called, what
list is that Of thope who have gone from
the Sci ate, blackburn. Blanchard, Brice
, and Butler; Call Camden and Coke; Glib
son and Gordons fHill. Hunton and Irby;
Jarvis McLaurin of Mississippi, McPher-
son. Martin pf Kansas Palmer and Pugh;
Ransom, Viias and walsh. Some of these
were only ordinary men, who might come
or go without making a great impression
OtneFS were 4.leH WHO SGeHeu d pdit VI tllt
Senate. BlaEkburAl 'the dashng and de-
fiant, ready for a fight or for a frolic gen
erous, frank and always to the front-a
very quiet and urobtrusive man, whom few
know occupies his seat. -.
Another STRIKING Contrast.
Butler, the cavalier, one of the handsom-
est in the Senate, proud, courteous
regardful ofaan' the> requirements of the
most courtly soelsty vain perhaps. ele-
CANT to the extreme-Tillman stands in his
place with Ipttchfork. Aaggressively his
opposite in an respects Platt the poll
tician, holds the. place that Hill, the poll
tician. vacated. The shadow of Cali seems
to rest upon the walls of the Senate. Nc
Pherson was a senatorial figure whose alb
sence seems like the moving of q familiar
hanging. The Senate had not yet got used
to Blanchard when he was. retired, and
1rby. when he vanished had not got used
to the Senate.
Csmden is missed as is a silent travelling
companion when he leaves the train unob-
served at a way station.
Brice n Mysterious Energy.
Since Brice passed out a mysterious ener-
gy has disappeared. No one seems to dare
to venture upon his field of political devils
ing. planning and plotting. The Senate has
never seemed quite senatorial since Ransom
was dropped out. Pugh who retired be-
cause he thought he was getting too old.
is missed perhaps most of all. He wise
in council and had a rugged, downright
way that comported with the part he play
ed. I often see him in Washington, and he
is younger than his successor. He is still
political sege whom younger men seek for
his advice and the interest there Is in ali
he knows of public men and public affairs
The ponderosity of Palmer is remembered
in his absence, and this occasionally brings
him to mind The absence of Villas was a
less to the strength of character in the
Senate, for he was an able man, if not pop
ular with his party. ..
The Senate VIII Be Different.
The democrats who will go out of the
Senate on the 4th-of March will make
decided difference In that body. They are
all men who have figured prominently in
their party affairs. No one can look over
the list Of Senators after they have gone
ard fail to miss such names as those of
German, the ablest political leader in the
party; Faulkner. Mills, Gray, Murphy
Smith, White, Mitchell and Turpie 1t il
almost taking the soul out of the demo