New-York tribune., 1901-12-01
LIKE A DONNYBROOK FAIR.
DEMOCRATS CANNOT DECIDE WHAT
DEMOCRACY" MEANS-MINUP
IN THE CAUCUS
Try TELEGRAPH To THE rnIRuSE.I

Washington Nov. 3O-With a loud clatter
and bang the Democratic factions of the new
Congress came together to-day in their first
caucus The result was a 'mixup'' to which
nothing in recorded history is comparable ex-
cept the famous Donnybrook Fair. What dis
tingushed to-days affair from all other Demo-
cratic meetings of recent times that ths
struggle was not over offices. The reason for
this is that there are no offices in the LVIIth
Congress over which the Democrats can scratch
and gouge and pull hair. The tight was over
the question who is Democrat and who
is not As every one of the 126 participants i'm
the caucus seemed to have different defnition
OF Democrat. il is easy to be seen that thers
unity of purpose agreement of faith
among them There struggle for the
nomination These nominations carry with
them only a temporary expression of confdence
in the Democracy of the persons nominated,
subject. Of course. reputation whenever the
faction momentariIy strongest discovers that
the men on whom these hOnOrs were unani-
mously bestowed are recreant to the creed OF
faith then dominant. The men who bore off the
prizes to-day and who tonight are wearing
them in the full consciousness that any moment
they may be taken from them for the gratif-
cation of the whim Of some faction that may
get control. are:
For speaker-JANEs DANIEL RICHARDSON af Ten
Texas
Sergeant at Arrus-ELIJAH Y, BRooKsHIRE. Of
Po=trnaster-I X JACKSON of Alabama
Columbia '"s u
The four salaried places IN the House-aIlo.tsd
to the minority by the cnarity of the majority
We're given by the caucus to the persons who
occupied them in the last Congress. Ttev~are
Colonel Ike" Hill. of Ohio. without whose pres
ence no Democratic assembage of Importance
in any part of the country for the last fifty
years has been considered representatives; Jim
mie'' English of California: FELTON, B. Knight.
of Georgia. and Ewing Bland. of Missouri. son,
of the late Silver Dick Band.
RICHARDSON CHOSEN UNANIMOUSLY
As predicted by The Tribune there was no
opposition to Mr. Richardson's reelection in
spite of the fact that at the close of the last
Congress the Missouri Democratic delegation
held meeting and solemnly avOwed their in
tention oppose his election to the leadership
in the House this year. Mr.. De Almond. how
ever. has had the misfortune to be delayed in
his return to Washington by mishaps TO various
army transports 81 which he has been trying
To get home from trip the 'hilippine ISL
ands in time to contest the leadership honors of
the party with the Tennessean- Instead OF
sticking their man, the Missourians broke
soidly and wildly Richardson when they real
lied that De Almond could not get here time.
and one Of their number-Mycaenas Z. Benton
placed Richardson in nomination Mr. Kerr -
an ex-menber of the House from Pennsylvania.
Mi Edwards is noted in Texas as journalist
and in Washington a racontaur; Mr. Brook
shire is an ex-rlember from Indiana, and Messrs-
Jackson and Bagby are just plain Democrats OF 3
their own kind. The placing OF their names be-
fore the caucus gave innumerable orators a
much desired chance TO hear the sound Of their
voices in a hall where My on occasions like this
could they hope either for audience or oppor-
tunity to speak
FACTIONS AT 1T TOOTH AND NAIL
When these complimentary nominations had
been disposed of oratory lost its charm, and
then the factionists went at it tooth and nail
1t was the Eastern wing of the party against
the field and the field against one another
Nearly everybody had a resolution to introduce
defining the netes and bounds of Democracy,
and these resolutions were varied in defni-
tion they were numerous Every man who
offered a resolution wanted it known that he
was the party leader" and that everybody else
who set up a claim to that title was a fraud and
hunlbug What became of the resolutions OF
the young Moses from Texas. Mr. Burleson.
who seems to be quite much of boy Won ,
der as either Bryan or Bailey nobody seems to (
know AS told in The Tribune this morning.
Mr. Burleson had two carefully prepared reso-
Iutions which recited two interesting determine
tions One was that any man who dared de-
clare himself anything out a Democrat IN the
Democratic House caucus should be thrown out.
body and SOUL into utter darkness The other
one sought to define a party felony the per-
nicious habit great many Democrats Senators
and REPRESENTATIVES have fallen into of solicit
ing and accepting brides from a Republican ad-
r,fnistration in the form of patronaSe-"pie.
pe!f and plumber is what the ambitious young
Texan calls it. in his apt GIliterative phrase
oIogy-
SAD FATE OF THE MOSES FROM TEXAS.
The fact that every one of the wheelhorses on
the Democratic side of the House flew at young
Mr. Burleson's timely and well meant resolu-
tions is taken indicate that his Indictment
was generally considered entirely too PERSONAL
TO be entertained by such assemblage. In
solid phalanx the old element, led by Livingston.
of Georgia. swept impetuously down on Burieson
ant, bore him TO the earth sore. bleeding and
WINTER IN THE SOUTH
The Seaboard Air Line Railway. with lis last