The evening times., 1899-11-07
CHANGES IN CONGRGSS
Many Well Known Men Will Be
Missed astbe cemiag Session.
Former speaker Reed the Most
Notable AbSentee I'm the House.
Enacted - The Contest for the
Leadership of the Democrats.

:"
Leadership of the Democrats.
The approaching session Of Congress will
be perhaps the most important that has
been held since the close Of the civil war.
Many great political measures will be
brought forward. which the opposition will
claim means a revolution OF the entire sys-
tenn CT government. and they will be con-
tested inch by inch. In battling for them
the Republicans In the House will be ham
pered by the smallness OF its majority and
the loss Of some of Its most prominent
leaders. In the Senate the Republicans
will have a large majority and the Demo-
Gratis will suffer from the loss Of a number
Of their best tacticians and parliamentary
debaters. To what extent the new leaders
will be able to handle the important busi-
ness to come before them 10 pure conjecture
at present. but that new era Of legisla-
tion for the country Is about to be ushered
in is no longer q doubt. During a CONVEX
sation today "a well-informed member OF
Congress said:
when the Senate and House Of Repre-
known faces In both parties will be miss
ing. Most conspicuous In its absence will
be that OF Thomas Bracket Reed. who as
Speaker. inaugurated the quorum counting
rule and thereby changed the entire meth
cd Of procedure In the House and made
speedy business then possible. He was
not only the autocrat Of his party In the
House, but governed with an iron hand
every member that sat beneath the dais.
His will was largely the will of the
House. and by his rules he could control
the legislation not only Of the body over
which he presided. but shape. to a very
large extent: the whole legislative business
of the country.
in his place will stand the well-known
David B. Henderson, from the Third dis
trict Of Iowa. Whether or not he will ad-
here to the old system and adopt the rul-
ings OF former Speaker Reed Is an open
question. Sentiment in his party is d.
vided. and 1t is possible that he will give
more freedom to the House in the choice
of committees and thereby relinquish some
of the power possessed by his predecessor
Mr.. Henderson has as yet given no in
timation to anyone what his policy will be-
and it is believed that he will be guided
by the majority Of those who place the
gavel in his hands. He Is a strict party
man, and believes firmly in the wisdom OF
majority rule. Speaker Henderson, by vir-
tue OF his Office. will become the leader Of
his party In the House. He will have some
trusty friends Of former Speaker Reed to
choose from for his lieutenants on the
floor. but at any moment all calculations
might be upset by the appearance of some
one now unknown, who will seize the reins
and virtually become what is known as the
nr I,rh IL. cocil
developed in the rough land tumble de-
bates Of the House, and every party fight
gives an opportunity for such a man to
appear.
THE leadership Of the minority is still
an unsettled question. Since the last Con-
gress the minority has assumed additional
importance by force OF numbers. and the
post of leadership becomes correspondingly
important. The leadership of the minority
is fixed by the minority's nomination for
the Speakership.
THE fight in the Democratic ranks for
this honor will be of greater interest than
the election of Speaker. for the reason that
whoever the Republicans nominate will be
elected. and they have already decided
upon Mr.. Henderson. The Democrats will
gather in this city several days in advance
of Congress and meet in caucus to nominate
one OF their members for the Speakership
Whoever is selected becomes the leader of
the minority. There are a number Of can
didates for this honor. but there are only
three whose names. il is now thought, will
be seriously considered.
These are the Hon. James D. Richard
son. of Tennessee. Hon. ]. H. Bankhead.
of Alabama. and Hon. d. A. De Almond.
of Missouri. One OF these three will proba-
bly, be chosen. and the friends Of Mr..
Richardson confidently assert that the
choice will fall to him.
In the Senate there will be changes
which will have great influence on public
questions. In the first place, the Repub-
licans. with scarcely a plurality before
will find themselves with a majority OF
sixteen over and above all opposition.
Senator William V. Allen, who has al
ways led the Populists in that body, has
been retired. while the Democrats have
lost such men as Senators German OF
Maryland, Gray OF Delaware, Turpie Of
Indiana. and White Of California. all lead
ing men in the councils of their party and
powerful factors in the Senate itself.
THE Republicans have not suffered |
many changes. though a number of their !
members have been retired. chiefly through |
the failure OF their legislature to elect.
III the Republicans had a larger ma
Iority in the House there would be no ap-
lion as to the fate Of any measure desired |
by 1t. but the Republican majority has |
been cut down to thirteen. and while this |
nay be increased by unseating some DEM |
,crats in doubtful districts, yet there can
1ot be a sufficient number Of such changes |
o make certain any special measure.
The Republicans hold fifty-one seats in /
he Senate, the Democrats twenty-six
while the Populists and free silver Repub-
leans have only nine.
This gives to the Republicans clean /
working majority Of sixteen over any COM
,ination. More than this, there are several
Senators included in the doubtful column
Who would more often vote with the Re-
publican party than against it. Besides
his. there are four vacancies-one in
one in California, one in
Utah, and enc in Delaware.
'These States are now Republican, and
( they should elect. or IL appointees from
hem, like Quay, should be seated, il would
aise the Republican majority to twenty.
"As soon as Congress meets Speaker
henderson will appoint the committees for
he House. and before the Christmas holi-
ays much OF the routine business will be
lnder way. A number OF bills will be pre-
ented in the House as soon as it Is organ
zed, and they will pertain to matters of
he new colonies. At the very outset a
lice question will arise. and to q certain
xtent will indicate the sentiment Of Con-
ress regarding the colonies.
"The an&i-expansionists. both In the
louise and IN the Senate, will want all bills
elating to the colonies sent to the Com
nittees on Foreign Affairs and Foreign