New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-11
CONGRESSIONAL NOMINATIONS.

a record of candidates nominated for Con-
grcss thus far, which is not perfect but covers
nominations made within the past two months,
discloses some interesting facts. Out OF sew
cnty-nine members of the present Congress,
fifty-six have been renOminated and twenty
three defeated for denomination. But analysis
Low parties shows that while sixteen Republicans
have been renOminated and only two defeated,
50 far as this list covering seventy-nine dis
!,icis indicates, there have been forty Democrats
renominatcd and twentyone defeated. ms
indicates rather unusual degree OF dlssatls-
faction among Democratic voters with thcH
present Reprcs cntatives i'll Congicss and IL must
hc admitted by other people that their dlSsatls-
faction is excusable. In most OF the States from
which Republican members come, mountainous
arc vet to be made, but thus far the proportion
Of Republican members defeated for rcnomin-
alton is small. This again indicates degree
of confidence in the present members OF that
side of the House which, it may be admitted
Ly their opponents, is generally well deserved.
The twenty-one Democrats whose nomination
has been defeated are two from Alabama three
from Georgia, one from Louisiana, three from
Mississippi, one from Missouri, four from
North Carolina, one from Ohio, two
from Texas, three from Virginia, and
one from West Virginia, in all twenty from
former slave States, and only one from the
North. As eight Northern Democrats have
been renominated, it appears that thlrty-two
of those rcnomuated are from Southern States
against twenty eight who were defeated. This
is peculiarly suggestive because of the ancient
habit of the Democrats of that section to return
a. long as possible men who prove even dcccntly
CAPABLE III order that by experience and by
seniority they may secure influence in the
House and good places in committees II
nearly two-ffths of the present representation
from the South is to he retired, it is strong cvi-
dcncc that constituents do not think that the
present members have on the whole done credit
to their party or their districts.
But it is possible that some indication of the
meaning of this change may be found in the
records of the scvcnty-nine members on the
tariff question. Out of twenty members who
yo,ed against the Morrison bill, fifteen Re
pubhcans and two Democrats have been
renomlnated while one Republican and
two Democrats have been defeated.
But ont of ffy-ninc members who
voted for the Morrison bill, thirty-cight Dem
ocrats and one Republican have been rcnomn-
atcd, while nineteen Democrats and one Re
publican have been defeated. Remembering
that the changes have been made mainly at the
South, and that the rapid development Of i'll
dustrics in that section has justified some hope
that the old free trade traditions would give
way to a more rational sentiment, it is at least
possible that the pig headed adhesion N nearly
all Southern Democratic members TO free trade
notions has been one cause of the unusual NOR
tally among them this year. 1t docs not ap-
pear, of course, for what reason members of
the present Congress are set aside. But the
unusual disposition 10 change in the very section
where change has hitherto been most rare, re-
sulting in the defeat of about a third Of the
members who voted with Mr.. Morrison from the
districts in which nominations have thus far
been made, may perhaps serve as notice to other
Free Traders that the most active, influential
and progressive men, even of Southern districts,
arc beginning TO understand that votes for
British interests are not needed in an American
Congress-