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Show DEM. SENATORS HOLD MEETING WASHINGTON, April 5. Whether forty-one senators constituting the Democratic Dem-ocratic party in tho senate shall support sup-port a conservative or a progressive policy pol-icy du.ing the present session of congress con-gress formed the subject of an earnest and animated conference participated In today by about fifteen Democratic sen-atois. sen-atois. Tho meeting was, held In the committee rooms of Senator Stone of Missouri. The gathering grew out of the visit of William J. Bryan and was due to the prospect that Senator Martin of Virginia Vir-ginia would be elected chairman of the Democratic senatorial caucus. The Nebraska leader Is understood to have counseled his Intimate senatorial friends to select some other senator more inclined toward tho Bryan policies. Mr. Bryan offered no personal objection objec-tion !o Mr. Martin, but pleaded that the party should take advantage of Its present pres-ent opportunity. He thought this could bo done only through an aggressive policy, pol-icy, to which, in Mr. Bryan's opinion, Mr. Martin's membership would not be conducive. As many of the Democratic senators had pledged their votes to their Virginia colleague the suggestion was embarrassing, embarrass-ing, and conservative senators expressed resentment at tho Interposition. The conference occupied four hours. The only definite conclusion reached was that the Democratic senatorial caucus, scheduled for tomorrow, be postponed until Friday. There will be no session of the senate Friday, thus affording further opportunity for exchanging views. The scope of today's discussion expanded ex-panded from caucus leadership to the legislative programme. All the senators present expressed themselves as favor-ablo favor-ablo to the course of action formulated by the house Democratic caucus last Saturday. This programme embraces the- approval of the constitutions adopted by New Mexico and Arizona, including the recall provision of the latter, tho acceptance of tho Canadian reciprocity agreement: the election of senators by the people, and the ienpporlionment of the house of representatives. Some of the senators defended Mr. Martin ac in no scntc a reactionary, and declared he was entitled to support as a veteran Democrat and -old-time senator. sen-ator. Others aligned with Mr. Bryan In a plea for a bold front under aggressive leadership. They argued that the public would not he slow to Infer that the Democrats In the senate were committed to a course of inactivity If they should fail to put forward the right man as the result of tho party's first official act in the Sixty-second Sixty-second congress. " Among tho senators present were Messrs. Stone of Missouri: Gore. Oklahoma; Okla-homa; Chamberlain. Oregon; Myers. Montana: Clnrlc. Arkansas; Johnson. Maine: Newlands, Nevada: Kern, Indiana, In-diana, and I-Iltchcock. Nebraska. |