The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-08-22
The Political Horoscope.

The Political Horoscope.
How THE NEXT HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIvES AND SENATE WILL STAND.
That the control of the House Of Repre-
sentatives will be returned to the Republic
cans there is strong reason to believe. The
indications now point that way, and there
is probability that the Developments OF the
next two Or three months will assure re-
versal of the present majority. The Wash
ington correspondent of the Baltimore SIN,
strong democratic authority, makes the fol-
| lowing survey of the situation in his letter
of the 10th:
| Letters received at the rooms of the re-
publican congressional campaign committee
convey some interesting information in re-
gard to politics in the Southern States. For
| many years, fever, there has not been such
| rivalry in the South generally to obtain the
nomination in the different districts. The
| local papers have been for weeks filled with
| the cards and the personal platforms OF the
numerous ambitious gentlemen who are
anxious to come to Washington and receive
| So, 900 per annum for the pleasure of hearing
themselves talk nonsense.
| The animated contest is in numerous in
stances not likely to stop wheE the nomina-
| tions are made, as the envy and chagrin OF
| the defeated ones will, it is anticipated, pro
duce plentiful crop Of independent candi-
dates. It is this information which causes
| the strong hope in the minds of the republic
can managers here of making break in the
solid South. Therefore both brains and
money will be actively employed from this
centre to induce the running of independ-
ent candidates in all districts in the South
ern States where there is any reasonable
ground to expect success. The republicans
here appreciate the fact that in majority of
| instances, at least, the gentlemen who may
| run as independents will, in the event Of
| their election, act with the democrats, but
| the calculation is that here and there a re-
publican in disguise may slip in. If the
| next House should be close. as some seem
| to think very probable, a few republicans
| more or less from the South may make vast
difference. The States of which the repub
| licans have the greatest hopes are North Car
DINA, South Carolina, Tennessee and Mis-
| sissippi. In all of these States there is a
very formidable republican vote, and in two
| or three or four districts in each of them it
| is claimed that slight democratic dsatfec-
| ton and detection will be sufficient to Sc
| cure the success of an opposition candidate.
1t seems to be generally understood here
| that whatever influence may be pos
sessed by Postmaster General Key will be
| e2erted in behalf Of republican independent
candidates for congressman in Tennessee.
In Tennessee the national and greenback
party has developed such strength that the
| republican politicians who write here claim
| it will be the balance of power, and through
| its vote they expect to get two or three re-
publicans elected to Congress. In South
| Carolina, where threats have been made that
persons heretofore considered out-anG-out
party men will run as independent candi-
| dates for the Legislature and for Congress. a
| most excited condition Of public feeling ex-
| lists, which may lead to grave consequences.
Even so conservative and cautious man as
Governor Hampton, as is learned here, has
been moved publicly on the stump to de-
nounce in unmeasured terms those members
of the democratic party of South Carolina
who contemplate arraying themselves against
their own party. In South Carolina aud in
Mississippi it seems that there are not few
individuals who, to crafty their greed for
station, are willing to iinperil all that the
South has now secured, and which it has
been struggling for in all the long, weary
years which have elapsed since the close of
the war.
1t seems rather extraordinary that the
Southern people should think it such big
thing to come to Congress, yet we have the
news that in every district in Georgia there
are from five to twenty gentlemen who
want to be members of the next House of
Representatives, and what is true OF Geor-
gia in this respect will apply to every other
State in the South. No better advice was
ever given to the people of the South than
by Senator Carpenter in his great speech in
New Orleans in 1878. when he appealed to
them to let politics alone and bestir them
selves in building up the material prospect
ty OF their section.
Senator Carpenter did not mean by this
that the people of the South should not eXer-
else the right of freemen, and labor to put
good, honest and capable men into positions
of public trust, but he did mean to arouse
them to realization of the fact that iJ was
impossible to supply every man in the South
with an office. If the control OF the next
House of Representatives passes from the
democratic party, it can only be Que to the
folly Of the people of the South, and if upon
them rests the anguish, upon them only can
rest the blame.
The Senate will undoubtedly be democrat
ic, as the following estimates from the New
York Times of the 18th shows:
1t is morally certain that Southern Sena-
tors will have at least % out of 81 Chairman
ships, not less than - of whom have
served in the Confederate army, and
all of whom, with perhaps three or four ex-
ceptions, sympathized with secession cause.
Nine or ten Chairmanships constitute the
whole number which the Northern, Eastern
and Western States combined can possibly
obtain. Delaware will have 2; Maryland 2;
Virginia, 2; West Virginia, 2; Georgia, 2;
Tennessee. 2; Texas, 2; and possibly, North
Carolina, 2. in the event of Merrimon's re-
election. OF the Northern States. New Jer-
sey will have 2; Connecticut, 2, should Sem
ator Barnum be re elected, and Indiana. 2,
should Senator Voorhees, be chosen.
OF the outgoing Senators in 1879, 1G are
republican and democrats. The politi-
clans here calculate that five republicans are
reasonably sure Of election, to wit: from
Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, Vermont, and
New Hampshire, with four doubtful-Penn-
sylvania, New York, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Seven democrats will succeed seven repub-
licans. from Florida, Arkansas, Ohio, Ore
gon, South Carolina, California, and Ala
bama. OF the eight democrats who retire,
six democrats are certain to be returned,
from Missouri, Maryland, Louisiana. Geor-
gia, Kentucky, and North Carlina. leaving
Indiana and Connecticut doubtful. The fol-
lowing summary will show the condition of
the Senate now and after March 4, 1879,
from present standpoints
Republican Senators, 1879. 80
Democratic Senator's, 1879. ..................36
Independent Davis, OF Illinois) .............. l
Total Observation-Disclosures. .76
outgoing Republicans Observation-Disclosures
Outgoing Democrats. 8
Total. Observation-Disclosures. "a
Number of Republicans likely to be returned 5 |
Number OF Democrats likely to be returned. 13 |
Doubtful Republicans ...............,,.......
Doubtful Democratic. Observation-Disclosures. 2 !
Total ........................... "a |
No. OF Repub. Senators conceded as above -. 30 |
No. OF Deme. Senators conceded as above..... al |
Doubtful Republican Observation-Disclosures.
Doubtful Democratic. Observation-Disclosures. Q /
Independent. Observation-Disclosures. i |
Total. -.................... ...........76
At best, the Republicans can only muster
"a Senators, should all the doubts be deter