Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-05-04
POLITICAL SPECULATION.
The Next COngreSs-A Lively Cam
Paign-Tbe Next Presidency
Involved.

Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore SUM-
1t is understood that several New
York members of Congress have
called on the President and repre-
sented to him that another ATTEMPT
at the present time to change the
principal officers in the New York
| cuStOm-houSe would, if successful.
very probably result i'm the loss to
the Republicans of two or three
members of the House of Represen-
tatives from that State. Such a
contingency as this is looked upon
with much dread by the Republi-
cans, in view of the hopes which
they profess to have of carrying the
next House of Representatives
Time only can tell whether the
President will be guided by the
wishes of the New York members.
They have misgivings on the sub
ject, and they do not forget that
almost Immediately following
the call of Vice President Wheeler
at the White House with the writ
ten request of the New York dele
cation for the retention of the Col
lector and naval officer, the Presi-
dent sent into the Senate new NOM
nations for those offices. The Pres
ident is understood, however, to be
also of the opinion that the Repub-
licans may be able to carry the
next House of Representatives. The
control of the next House will be of
great Importance to either party.
The next Congress will have the
counting of the electoral vote, un-
less in the very doubtful event of
some other method than the present
unsatisfactory one of ascertaining
the result of the Presidential election
shall have been in the meantime
agreed upon. 1t is also not at all
improbable that on account of the
close division of parties the
next election for President
may be thrown into the House
of Representatives. This will be
almost imminent if candidates for
the Presidency are put in the field |
by the organizations snch as the |
Nationals the "Labor party" |
&C., which are off shoots of the two /
great parties. 1t will be q great |
stake, then, for which the two par
ties will play in the Congressional
elections of next fall. A gain of
only fourteen districts would give
the Republicans control, and they
are already calculating where they
may be obtained.
One calculation which has already
been prepared includes the Fifth
district of Maryland as probable
gain. Two districts in Tennessee +
are put down as gains, and from
Louisiana, Florada and South Car
olina three or four gains are count
ed. The First district of New
Hampshire, now represented by +.
w. Jones, Democrat, is put down
as absolutely certain to return a Re
publican next fall. Several districts
in New York and PENNSYLVANIA,
and a dozen or more in the West,
now represented by Democrats, are
TO the Republican
column. Calculations worked out
)n paper can always be made to
present most alluring and plausi-
ole appearance, and unquestiOnably
n the above calculations chickens
ire counted which will never be
But there is this much about 1t
he Democrats need not delude
with the idea that they
ire to have an easy time i'm retain
ng their hold on the House of Rep
They have before
hem one of the hottest encounters }
o which they have ever been ,
n all the history of their party, and ,
yictOry can only be secured by ,
.ffOrt without ceasing. The Repub- :
leans realize very well that Ii is /,
low or never with them. If they
10 not gain the next House the
will control both branch
S of Congress, and will have the
,ower to determine the result of the
lext Presidential election. |
With a Democratic President i'm [
tailed in 1880, and that party in |
all possession in Congress, the out !
ook for the Republicans would be
,ery gloomy for the future, and the
is that the Republican d
,arty would cease to exist as a Ha- !
ional organization. The political /
ituation Is therefore one of great (
and the approaching Con- {
-ressiOnal campaign will keep both s
Darties on their mettle from the be- 2
inning to the end. Secretary Nc 7
,rary is credited with the state S
nent that he and other members of I
he Administration are of the opin- q
on that the next House Of Repre- !
will be called to elect a '
i'm default Of an election
" the people.