The National tribune., 1908-10-01
THE NEXT CONGRESS.
Many Changes Will Occur in Both SEM
ale and House-The Fight Against
Speaker Cannon.

The Senate before the midday of the
coming Administration will be largely
body of men not known there two
years ago.
The class of 81 Senators who take
their oath of Office March next, COM
prising the third of the Senate that
comes in every two years, is already
certain to emphasize the change in per-
sonnel at the north end of the Capitol.
Whatever Senator Foraker's chances
were of winning a reelection in Ohio,
and whatever the justice or injustice of
charges against him for being an attor-
ney of the Standard Oil Company, it is
generally conceded that his reelection
is now out of the question. That Incl
dent of the campaign alone removes one
CT the most forceful and dashing of the
Senatorial figures since the accession Of
Mckinley to the White House in 1897.
The casualties of the preliminary
campaign have been unusually severe
upon Senators in the West. Two from
the Pacific Coast have already gone
down. Charles w. Fulton, a good old
line Republican, who had his troubles
with the Department of the Interior.
and eke with President Roosevelt, was
beaten at the primaries in June, and in
all probability will be succeeded by a
Democrat Levi Ankenny, of Washing
ton State, whose wealth was supposed
W Ut ItSpOflSiDit III COuSlutTdDle part
for his prominence in public life, has
also been bowled out at the Washing
ton State primaries. His public career
is apparently ended
The Grim Reaper has contributed ma
terially to the metamorphosis, especial
iy in taking off the late Senator Alli-
son, of Iowa. But Senator Allison would
hardly have pulled thru the primaries
except for his long and prominent
career. In the nearby States of North
and South Dakota two old-time Sena-
tors, Hansbrough and Kittredge, have
been eliminated, and new men will take
their places. In Illinois there was an
upheaval against the return of Senator
Hopkins, but it is not plain yet whether
he can be reelected. Kansas will send
a new Senator to displace Chester l.
Long, who went down ingloriously be-
cause he was suspected of being too
friendly with the railroads.
In the previous class of 80 Senators
who took their seats March 4, 1907,
there were also many changes, several
due to popular upheavals. The spirit
of impatience with Senatorial incum-
bents has been able to assert itself be-
cause of the spread of Senatorial pri-
maries. A dozen States or more have
passed primary laws within the last two
or three years. They are Western and
Southern States. The primaries have
given the voters opportunity to pass
upon the qualifications of Senators who
owed their election in the first instance
solely to the Legislature. In a striking
number of cases these Legislature-elect-|
ed Senators have failed of a primary
designation for reelection.
With some Is or 20 primary-made
Senator's entering the upper branch of
Congress there can be but marked
change of attitude toward legislation
fnr- -srtaf lie 10.
Tho Senate, altho it has not been so
Indifferent to popular sentiment as has
often been represented. will be more
responsive than ever. 1t will be more
difficult for the leaders to put in con-
troverted measures as stop gaps to pre-
vent the consideration of bills the peo-
pie want The West and the South,
rather than the East, where there is
little demand for the popular election
of Senators, will be influential in bring
ing this change of legislative attitude
about.
Casualties in the House.
But similar influences are at work
upon the House. The casualties of the
skirmishing in the Congressional cam
paign indicate the decimation of many
delegations in the West. The leading
humorist of the House, Representative
j. Adam Bede. of Minnesota, has re-
Gently been swallowed up In the vora-
cious maw of popular opposition, and
another designated at the primaries to
succeed him. Representative Little
field, of Maine, the leading lawyer of
the House, has retired. 1t was volun-
tary on his part, but was moved in
some degree by prospects of a defeat at|
the polls. Out in the Western country
several of the leading House Republi-
cans have won a denomination by bare
margins. and now have to fight for eiec-
tion. Representative Hull, of Iowa, who
is the leading spirit in the House for
large Army appropriations. is one; Rep
sasentative Tawney. of Minnesota
Chairman of Appropriations, is another
The Congressional districts that have
been shot TO pieces emphasize
still more the displeasure of the people
at the way things are going on. Mime