Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-26


THE NEXT HoUsR-A LONG CONTEST PROBABLE
IF THE UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES YEAR.
Congress will reassemble week from to-
day. Final preparations for the event are be-
ing made at the capitol. Clerks and officials
who have been off on vacation are appearing
on the scene, but few Senators and Representa-
tives have as yet put in an appearance. The
appropriations subcommittee of the House and
the joint committee investigating the aqueduct
tunnel are the only fragments of Congress that
have got together yet. The only suggestion of
the approaching session about the Honse this
morning was the appearance of Representa-
tives Bliss and Buchanan, hard at work on
their correspondence at their desks in the hall.
During the session Mr.. Buchanan is always one
of the first to reach his seat, and he is con-
stantly at work.
MR.. BUCHANAN ON THE ORGANIZATION OF THE
NEXT HOUSE.
The only thing he had to say about politics
to-day was that if a majority of the republi-
cans were elected they would certainly organ
ize the House, whatever sharp practice the
other party might resort to. Each House, he
said, had right to judge of the election Of its
own members, and the announcement Of the
ClcEh WOuu uOt Dluu tutIu IL III WAS huOWu "
be based on false returns. The House would
be judge of its own affairs. He said there
would be no play about it.
THE DOUBTFUL DISTRICTS.
Very little but the possible complexion of the
next House is talked of at the capitol. The
employees are struggling with the hope of a
democratic majority, with all the indications
against them. 1t now appears that the repub-
icans have all the districts in dispute, upon the
face of the returns, and that it is only
recount or mandamus proceedings that they
can be deprived of the certificates. The
face of the returns, as is understood,
gives the republicans the one dis
puted district in Tennessee, the one
in North Carolina, that in Louisiana, that in
kentucky. and threes in West Virginia, besides
Rayner's district in Maryland. 1t is not thought
likely that there can be such wholesale over
throwing of apparent majorties as to reverse
these returns or enough of them to change the
complexion of the House. If democrats shonld
be certified from the disputed districts Of Ten
nessee and North Carolina that would not give
the majority to the democrats.
SHOULD rE4uNcERTArsrY CONTINUE.
1t is very probable that if the dispute and un-
certainty should continue up to the time of the
meeting of the next Congress, it is most likely
that the returns of the clerk, if showing a
democratic majority, would be disputed and the
question of the admission of certain members to
their seats be put to vote of the House composed
of members whose election is acknowledged.
Having been sworn in they would properly con-
stitute the House, with the hOld-Over clerk act
ing as chairman, and motions could be made
and voted OH. Resolutions could be offered
declaring this set or that set OF members enti-
might be, excluding the members whose ad-
mission was objected to, there would prob
ably be
LONG STRUGGLE.
Such state of affairs is not without prece-
dent in the House. The returns presented to
the House by the clerk, as they are made to him
by the certificates of election, need not Of ne
cessity be accepted by the House for the pur-
pose of organization.
THE TENTH KENTUCKY DISTRICT.
There is rather an odd state of affairs in the
10th Kentucky district, now represented by Mr..
Taulbee. By the face of the returns, Wilson,
republican, is elected by clear majority of
five or six hundred There is no dispute on
that point, and the governor will have to give
him the certificate. unless the courts are in
duced to interpose. But is claimed by the
democrats that frauds have been perpetrated
in three of the strong republican counties
so as to increase their majOrities. Speak
ing Of the matter, Mr.. Taulbee
told STAR reporter to-day that he had just re-
ceived letter from one of the elections Of
cials stating that in two of the counties the in
creased vote was extraordinary, and that in
one of them, where the census, which is taken
every fall. showed only $40 voters. Wilson got
by the return majority of $50 or thereabouts.
They can always count on $50 democratic votes
in this country, MIR. Taulbee said. He added, how
ever, that if there is fraud he is confident that
Mr.. Wilson is not party to it and knows moth
ing about it, as he knows him to be very hon
Orable gentleman.