Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-10
THE NEXT HOUSE.
Review of the Political SituatiOn-A Cam
paign of "SOap."
WashinQton Post.


The fair inference from the present indi-.
cations is that the next House will be Demo-
cratic. If the elections were to be held TO-
day there would be large Democratic gains
throughout the North, with no compensat-
ing Republican gains In the South.
The Republican party is seriously de-
moralized In New York, Ohio and Indiana.
In each Of these States Democratic gains of
congressman are expected, and this ex-
pectation appears to rest on substantial
basis.
The tone Of the Independent Republican
press is such as confesses defeat in advance
The tone Of Republican organs is still more
significant Its i'll temper towards all who
do not submit to its dictatiOn and its desper-
ate appeals to the voters Of its own faith
show that hope is fading into despair.
But while there is no doubt that the conn
try is Democratic to-day. and that vote
taken now would elect Democratic Con-
gress, 1t is not safe to conclude that a Dem-
ocratic victory is won. The Republican
party has shown In the past wonderful
capacity to harmoniZe discordant elements
and bring warning factions into united
effort. In great emergencies Republican
factions have shown that they could for a
time smother their mutual hates and march
IN solid column to the polls TO win triumphs
which their opponents counted as already
their own.
In more than one instance the din and
discord Of factional strife have been hushed
on the very eve Of an election, and leaders
have taken their hands from each others
throats to lock arms in seeming amity, and
march on to victory.
In the history of parties in this country
there has been nothing more noteworthy
than the facility with which the rival Re-
publican factions have bridged chasms and
closed gaps when such action has been ne
cessitated as the only means of preventing a
great disaster. What has been NAV be.
Experience should not utter its admonitions
in vain. 1t is more than possible that MANY
batteries on the Republican side now en-
gagged in hurting hot shot at each otheSs'
caissons will wheel into line before Noven-
Der and throw all their proiectiles at the
Democracy, the common enemy of both
factions.
Had the election of 1880 been held two
years ago, Gen. Hancock would have been
elected beyond a doubt. At that time the
Republican party was demoralized and dis
heartened. It was then, as 1t is now in no
condition to meet the opposition. But the
tremendous efforts Of a few weeks, efforts
that were made successful by the command
OF almost Unlimited financial means, turned
the tide, and the victory which had been al
most gained by the Democracy was grasped
by the other side.
We have little doubt that, If It were as
important for the Republicans to carry the
next House as 1t was to carry their Presi-
dental ticket two years ago, they would
find means to buy up few close Democratic
districts and thus carry their points. Money
is tremendous force in politics. In dis
tricts where the Democratic margin Is mar
row, that margin can be removed by the use
of that which the gentleman of the Dorsey
banquet called fsoap."
But there is not now the commanding
necessity that then existed. The control Of
the next House does not carry with It the
hundred thousand offices of the Executive
Department. The party that carries this
election may be defeated in 1884. II the
Republicans lose in this they will not be
eEipRled for the next and far more import
Under these circumstances It is highly
probable that the Republicans will not use
the extraordinary means that would be re-
quired to overcome public feeling so far as
to elect Republican House in opposition
to the dominant Democratic sentiment of
the country.
On the whole the chances are that the
indications OF this date will be realized, and
that, when all the returns are in next month,
1t will be found that the public purse Is to
be In Democratic control during the two
years succeeding the fourth of March, 1888.