Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-21
Alleged Existence Of Several
Groups in That Body.
CLASSIFICATION MADE
IF UNITED MIGHT CAUSE A GOOD
DEAL OF FRICTION.
Canal Commissioners Nominations Re-
submitted to the Committee-Doubt
Of Bishops Confirmation.

Congress adjourned this afternoon to
January 4, and there was general exodus
of senators and representatives to their
homes for the holiday season. Tho few
weeks Of this session have been replete
with legislative incident and preparation for
very important session this winter and
next spring
When the two houses come back a fort
night hence the iron will be ready to strike
and sparks will fly at both ends of the
Capitol Immediately upon reassembling
the statehood question for the territories
will come UP In the House, and there will
be trouble. The most interest, however,
will center about the Senate, where there
is prospect Of friction between that body
and the executive.
Old senators today commented upon the
alleged existence in the Senate of several
groups OF what they were pleased to term
insurgents borrowing the phrase from
the House. where it has been applied in
the past to the men who opposed the ad-
minlstration. In the present instance they
are the senators who cannot agree with
the executive in all his policies.
The groups wer ethus classified:
The Santo Domingo treaty insurgents.
The beet sugar and anti-Philippines tariff
insurgents.
The railway rate insurgents - heap
plenty .ssl
The statehood insurgents.
The fsthmian canal insurgents.
A Union Could Cause Friction.
If these, separated groups should unite to
make common cause against the executive
1t is said they could produce great deal of
friction. The next two weeks are expected
to be prolific of conferences, and there will
be strengthening Of the administration
forces ,as well as some alignment of the in
surgents.
The coming investigation of isthmian
canal affairs and expenditures was forecast
ed in The Star three weeks before Congress
met, and promises to be as thorough as
threatened at that time. Congress has
given the canal commission sufficient money
and Will provide it in the future as 1t is
needed, but 1t can be set down as an abso-
lutte fact that Congress intends to watch
with hawks eye every move of the COM
mission and every expenditure and salary.
More than that there Is disposition in
some quarters in Congress to relieve the
executive of some Of the latitude given In
the past and to assume more responsibility
in the control of isthinian affairs
An interesting feature OF the situation In
the Senate for the past ten days has been
the tendency Of republican senator's to let
criticism of the executive proceed with less
challenging than usual. It Is probable. how
ever '. that . the m administration forces win be
rallied during the recess and that there will
be some pretty brisk oratorical single-stick
| play If the insurgents" come into the open.
Nominations Resubmitted.
The Senate. in executive session, this
afternoon resubmitted to the committee the
nominations OF the fsthmian canal commits
sfoners, which had been confirmed Decem-
| ber 16, but which confirmation was with
\ drawn by order of the Senate late yester-
| day afternoon. The committee will not aot
| on the nominations until after January A.
| The opposition to the confirmation Of Mr.
| Bishop, formerly literary secretary OF the
| commission. which was noted in yesterday q
+! Star, Is on the increase. Grave doubt is
| expressed today whether 1t win be pos
| sible to confirm Mr.. Bishop. The opposi-
| tion has been intensified, It was said to-
day, by the feeling OF some senators that
| the President had defied the Senate In pro-
noting Mr.. Bishop from secretary to q
commissioner at a time when Mr.. Bishops
original selection had been under criticism.
There is no doubt that there Ia at this time
considerable feeling over the Bishop nomi-
nation. although administration senators
hope to be able to assuage It within the
next two weeks. Il