Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1887 — THE NEXT UNITED STATES SENATE. [ARTICLE]

THE NEXT UNITED STATES SENATE.

How It Will Be Wade Up in Regard to Politics—The Republicans Will Not Be Able to Keep Out the Democrats from Indiana and New Jersey. [Washington cor. New York Star.] Now that Republican bribery is likely to fail in New Jersey, as Republican bulldozing certainly has failed in Indiana, Republicans are calling upon the United States Senate to keep out Senator Turpie and the Democrat, whoever he mrfy be, who is to come from New Jersey." No longer ago than yesterday the New l’ork Tribune congratulated its leaders that a Republican Senate could keep out these Senators as long as it saw tit. Republicans will be just as powerless to deny the Indiana and New Jersey Senators their rights as they have been to browbeat one Legislature and bribe the other. "When the United States Senate meets next it will consist of exactly fifty members, of whom twenty-five will be Democrats and twenty-five, including Mr. Kiddleberger, will be Republicans. There will be no President pro tempore unless a hold-over Senator be elected before adjournment in Sherman’s place, as the term of the latter expires with this Congress, and he will be, next December, a Senator-elect and not a Senator qualified to take his seat at once. Besides the fifty qualified Senators there will be twenty-six waiting to he sworn—twelve Democrats and fourteen Republicans. The Democrats will be Hearst, Gray, one from Florida, Turpie, Gorman, George, Cockrell, one from New Jersey, Bate, Reagan, Daniel, and one from West Virginia. The Republicans will be Hawley, Hale, Dawes, Stockbridge, Davis, Paddock, Stewart, one from New Hampshire, Hiscock, Sherman, Quay, Aldrich, Edmunds, and Sawyer. The West Virginia and New Jersey successions may be settled any day. Florida will elect a Democrat in April, and New Hampshire a Republican in June. It may be asked what difference it will make whether the Indiana and New Jersey Senators are sworn in on the first or a subsequent day? All the difference in the world. Without them there will be thirtyfive Democrats, thirty-eight Republicans and Riddleberger, a clear Renublican majority of two. This majority can keep out Turpie and the New Jersey Democrat indefinitely. What is of more importance, this majority can organize the committees and keep them even after these Senators are admitted, whereas in a full Senate tied by the vote of Riddleberger, committees could only be organized through a compromise, which would give the Democrats at least one-half. But if the Republicans first secure the committees by keeping two Democratic Senators out, a tied Senate could not change them any more than it could turn out the present Republican Secretary and clerks, such action requiring a majority of affirmative votes. There are reasons enough, therefore, why Democratic Senators should insist upon the immediate qualification of all elect at once. They can do it with half the Senators, the twenty-five whom they have. They can do it easier with the help of Riddleberger. The proposed arrangement is lawful and proper. When the Senate met at the call of President Arthur in October, 1881, to elect a President pro tempore, there were present thirty-seven Democrats, thirty-four Republicans, YVilliam Mahone and David Davis. Standing mitside, ready to be sworn, were three Republican Senatorselect, Warner Miller, Elbridge G. Lapham and Nelson W. Aldrich, chosen during the recesß to fill vacancies. The Republicans, led by Edmunds and Logan, insisted that no President pro tempore should be elected until the Senators-elect were sworn in, but they were voted down by the thirty-seven Democrats against the thirty-four Republicans and Mahone and Davis. The same vote made Bayard President pro tempore, although Davis’ going over to the Republicans later gave them the committees and made him President pro tempore. It is the duty of Democrats at this juncture, as at all times, to claim and secure their rights. The Senate Republicans, like their brethren outside, will never give up voluntarily any advantage they are able to retain, even by the most unscrupulous tactics.