The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-02
POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP.
senate Republican Cnmcus.-The R

v
publicans of the Senate will hold caucus
tomorrow afternoon for the supposed pur-
pose Of making practically clean sweep
OF the Democratic employees. 1t is under
stood that Secretary William r. Cox is to
be supplanted by the Hon. James S.
Clarkson, of Iowa. and that Sergeant-at-
Arms Richard ]. Bright must give way to
Alonzo Stewart. who is also an Iowa man,
though he has for so many years been
an employe of the Senate 40 to have yir-
tually lost his identity with the Hawkeye
State. This is rs far as the programme
has been definitely arranged. Senators
Allison and Lodge are said to be the lead
ing spirits in the movement to supersede
the two old Democratic officials with Re
publicans. Secretary Cox has been an
officer of the Senate for more than twenty
years. He is n North Carolinian. and
protege Of the late Senator Zebulon Vance.
Colonel Bright has been in Office nearly as
long as Mr.. Cox, and owed his good for
tune originally to the late Senator Noor-
hees. The friends of Colonel Bright have
not despaired of his retention OF the Office
despite the positive predictions of Repubii-
can TO the contrary. Secretary Cox. how
ever. seems doomed. His proposed success
scr used to b. one of the acknowledged
Republican leaders of the country. For
years he welded big influence as the
Iowa member OF the Republican National
Committee. Since his defeat for re-elec-
tion to the committee he has lived most
of the time in New York. and it is said that
he is to be credited to that State in the
present contest. Friends of other candi-
dates are charging the main part Of the
re. pc visibility for the projected upheaval
,,,I .ts.aN zinc h a
Iowa is getting more patronage in the
Fifty-sixth Congress than any one State
ought to have. 1t is not believed. how
ever. that this argument will save either
Secretary Cox or Colonel Bright. The fiat
has gone forth that these two must 30 at
last and their Democratic supporters are
too weak numerically to save them How
far the reorganization OF the stalls OF the
Secretary and Sergeant-at-A Arms will DO
prosecuted along partisan lines is not
known though several of the Senate mi
nority are known recently to nave biuntiy
informed clamorous constituents looking
for berths in the Senate that there were
likely TO be no berths reserved for them.
At the same time it is thought the traJi-
tional courtesy of The Senate will not be
so completely ignored as to deprive the
minority of the i,ivilege OF each naming
a messenger
To Dine Brynn.-0. II. z. Belmont is
preparing to give Col. W. J. Bryan not
able dinner at the Democratic Club when
the Nebraskan arrives in New York about
January 10 Only two of the guests whom
Mr.. Belmont is to invite to sit at the
festal board with Colonel Bryan have yet
been announced. These are State Chair
man Elliot Danforth and Representative
Suzer. II is supposed. however. that the
host will not limit his invitations to so
small a group of statesmen. even though 1t
is stated that Mr.. SulZer has suggested this
course TO Mr. Belmont. II the GossiDs are
TO be believed. It appears that Suffers am
bition was not cursed by his recent defeat
for the Democratic leadership of the House
and is now vaulting nimbly toward the
Vice Presidency. The report has II that he
has calmly informed Mr.. Belmont that the
contest for the second place on the ticket
is rapidly narrowing down to two men-the
Hon William Sulzer and o. II. p. Bel
mont. This being the case. Mr.. Suffers
desire is said To be to meet Colonel Bryan
with Mr.. Belmont and. with Mr.. Danforth
as the only witness to the transaction. have
Colonel Bryan decide definitely whether
he wants the tail of the ticket to read
Sulzer or Belmont. Mr. Belmonts prof
ected dinner therefore, is regarded as
an event of the future full Of grave in
port of course IL remains to be seen
whether or not Mr.. Belmont will agree to
the Sulzerian proposition. And II he
should agree to -. then It is presumed shat
| Colonel Bryan S consent would have 10 be
| obtained as further condition precedent
to the proposed arrangement. This proba-
biIity. however. does not detract from the
| growing interest in the dinner Mr.. Bel
mont is arranging for Colonel Bryan.
| Drawing The Lines Around Ro"sc-
veIt.-ominous news comes out Of New
York regarding the fine game Senator Plat
and the Republican State organization are
playing on Governor Roosevelt. The
premonitory rumblngs OF large sized
| rebellion against the Governor are said &c
! be plainly audible in certain western coun-
! ties of the State. The Rough Rider has
made some judicial appointments In thai
| section which appear to have started th'
/ threatening revolt. not unimpOrtau
feature of IL is that the Governor is said t.
have made the objectionable appointment
under pressure OF the Platt machine
and now that trouble is brewing, this self
same machine is not being employed 10y It's
adroit manipulation to preserve the peace
This is taken as an indication Of Platte
determination to make things so warm fol
Roosevelt between now and the meeting
OF the Republican National Convention
that the Rough Rider will be only too eia,
to accept the second place on the tickc
with Mr.. Mckinley as the only safe refuge
from political humiliation. This Woui,
make the way clear for the State OrganiZa
ton to work out its scheme to place tn,
Hon. Timothy J.. Woodruff in the Guhcr
material harness which Roosevelt is know
to very greatly prefer for another TIVE
years to the comparatively inconsequentia
| Vice Presidential chair. \. the same tint
the Plat machine would perform the much
coveted feat OF killing two birds with on'
stone, for with Roosevelt on the ucke
with Mr. Mckinley, the Hon. Elihu Roo
would be left to gnaw a file to the deliriou
delight of the willy Mr.. Plat.
senator Vests Succcssor.-The Mis-
souri, colony interprets the untime!y re
vivaI of Senator Vests three-year-old dec
laration not to again stand for recollection
as meaning that the gentlemen who hop
TO succeed him have stirred up the sublec
in order to start a lively discussion Of it Il
home for obvious reasons. Senator Vest
friends are at loss to understand 1t
meaning if this is not the correct surmise
There are known TO be four avowed candi
dates for Vests mantle, to say nothing o
a long list of self-supp0sed eligibles. Tn
quartettc known TO be already at work ar