The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-12
SENATE COMMITTEES
DEMOCRATS CAUCUS ON PROPOSED
REDUCTION.
M'LAURIN WAS NOT THERE.
MIR. TELLER AND OTHER SILVER
TIES ON HAND.

Senator TiIlman Took Leading
Part and Urged the Importance
of United ActiOn-The Proposal of
the Republicans to Alter the Pres
ent Standing of a Number of Com
1nittees by Reducing Democratic
Proportion to BE vigorously
Fought in Important Instances.
Washington, Dec. 1.-THE Democrat
ic senators to-day held their first eau
Gus of the present session. Its purpose
was to consider committee assign
ments, but the occasion was more than
ordinarily significant because of the
general attendance upon the caucus.
All the senators elected as Democrats,
with the exception of Senator Nc
Laurin of South Carolina, were pres
ent, as were all of the senators who
were elected as Silver Republicans or
Populists. All the independents, ex-
cept Senator Teller of Colorado had
entered the Democratic caucus held
just before adjournment last March,
He was present, however, at to-day's
conference and participated. The eau
Gus was called at the instance of Sen
ator Jones of Arkansas, who stated
that he hads thought it possible that
the new senators might want to make
some change in the officers of the eau
Gus. There was, however. a general
expression of satisfaction with the
present officials. and Senator Jones was
unanimously reelected chairman of
the caucus. The old Committee on Or
der of Business was also reappointed,
and one vacancy on that committee was
filled by the selection of Senator Du-
bois of Idaho, who was the choice of
all the Western members of the eau
Gus.
During the proceedings Senator Till
man suggested that there should be
frequent conferences and continued
effort to agree upon the main features
Of all political controversies. There
was a quite general response to this
suggestion, and the opinion was fair
ly unanimous that the party should
present a united front, permitting no
more struggling than was absolutely
| necessary.
Senator Jones presented statement
from the Republican Committee on
Committees, outlining its wishes as to
the committee assignments, from
which it appeared that the Republicans
were anxious tc increase the Republi-
can membership of several committees
and to decrease the Democratic mem
bership of a few committees. The most
important change suggested by them
Lot I1eV,t hi iaat G. he
allowed to add one member to their
side of the Committee on Commerce,
while the Democrats should agree to-
surrender one of the places on that
committee held by them. The COM
mittee, as now constituted, includes
ten Republican members and seven
Democratic members. 1t was decided
to vigorously resist this innovation.
The Republicans also expressed a de-
sire to increase the membership of the
Committees on Agriculture and Census
from nine to eleven EACH the two new
members to be Republicans; to in
crease the Committee on Claims from
thirteen to fourteen, the Republicans
to have eight members and the Demo
Gratis six, as against seven and six,
respectively, as the committee is now
constituted. An increase is also proposed
in the Committee on Foreign Rela-
llOIlS. AS IL SldilQS dA plCSCiI
committee numbers eleven members,
four of whom are Democrats. The pro-
posal is to make it consist of thirteen
members, eight of whom shall be Re-
publicans and five Democrats.
change was also suggested in the Com
mittee on Irrigation, which is at pres
ent composed of six Republicans and
five Democrats. The change, if adopt
ed would give a members ship of eleven,
only four of whom would be Demo-
Gratis. The Democrats decided to op-
pose the proposed changes in the Com
mittees on Claims and Irrigation.
The Republican Committee suggest
ed no changes in the Committees on
Appropriations, Finance and judiciary.
but indicated that they will continue
Senator Jones of Nevada on the FL
nance Committee, thus practically add
ing one to the Republican representa-
ton, and taking one from the opposi-
ton representation. The Republicans
did not indicate any intention to take
care of Senator Wellington in the mat
ter of committees. nor was any sug-
gestion made in the caucus that the
Democrats should find places for him.