The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-20
Aud Continues to Figure the Republicans Out
of Their Victory. but the Cold Facts Show
that He Is Clearly in the Wrong.
Senator Sherman Says He Has Not Been
Invited to Visit the President-Elect
10 Satisfied with His Present Position and
Does Not Expect to Enter the Cabinet
Election Methods in North Carolina.
THEY DIE HARD.

WASHINGToN, Nov. l9-LycurguS Dalton, or
Indiana. Postmaster Of the House, who has al
ways been less sanguine of Democratic success
than anv OF his official colleagues, was seen by
your correspondent to-day and asked what his
figures show IS 20 the political complexion of
the House ia the Fifty-hrst Congress. Mr..
Dalton replied: at Seymour, of Connecticut, Is
elected, the Republicans will have l64 members
and the Democrats l6l. IL Seymour is de-
feated, the Republicans will have one more and
the Democrats one less, and the indications
now are that Seymour is defeated. ! have not
claimed q Democratic majority at any time"
Mr.. Dalton, land ! do not believe
that there will be one. Where votes are SO
close, however. IS in the present case. it may
be that the Official counts will turn
the scale ono way or the other.
/ feel confident that if I had q hundred votes in
my possession to scatter through the country
whore I saw fit, that / could give either party q
good working majority. l mean by this that
there are 30 many members Of both sides
selected by a narrow margin that q few votes
in each Of q number OF districts would entirely
change the complexion Of the House" Mr.. Dali
tons views are conservative. and doubtless he
expresses the correct situation.
General Clark. however, hates 70 give up, and
he still figures . Democratic majority. He does
this by claiming the election Of . Democrat in
the Second North Carolina district; OF two Dem
oerats in California. Ave in Maryland and four
in West Virginia The Second North Carolina
district has certainly elected Cheatham.
Republican. There 10 still doubt
about Clunies election in California. and
Maryland Democrats say that there is no chance
whatever that Rayner will receive the certificate
as tho Representative from the Fourth district
Of that State. The very latest advices received
here to-day from West Virginia indicate that
one Republican has been elected from that State
beyond q doubt, with one district still so close
that the claims OF both sides seem to be we'll
founded. according to the figures which each
presents. As far a. can be ascsrtsinsd after q
careful analysis Of the figures collated by Gen
erai Clark, as well as those which have been
prepared by tho Republican committee, there is
no reason to change tho ~rrsvicus statement
made in those dispatches, to the effect that the
Republicans will organize the House with q ma
jority of three at least, and later returns may
increase this TO five or seven. Up
to Saturday night Democrats generally.
including those who have the most
at stake, conceded that tho Republicans would
have the organization. but the report Of thu dis
covery of errors in the returns from one of tho
California districts, which give the seat to .
Democrat instead of q Republican, led every
man interested in holding his place in the House
to begin figuring all over again, aud this WAS
followed by claims in several quarters Of Demo
cratic asceudancy in the lower branch of the
Fifty first Congress. but the claims are no bet
ter founded than those upon which General
Clark bases bis estimate. and they contemplate
tina seating Of Rayner from the Fourth Maryland
district as well as the Democrat from the Second
North Carolina. together with four Democrats
from West VIRGINIA. and Seymour. tDem.h.
from Connectlcut-
1t is unerstood that Senator Quay has secured
the service If some of the best lawyefe in the
country to look after the rights of Republican
members elect, and II there 10 any attempt
made on the part Of the Governors of Demo-
cratic States TO issue certificates to Democrats
who have not been elected. stems will at once be
taken to secure restraining orders from the
courts to prevent General Clark from accepting
these certificates until the merits of each case
can be inquired into. If Mr.. German and his
crew Of heelers still intend TO steal the House.
they are keeping very quiet about it, aud it is
generally believed that the better counsels OF
the conservative element have prevailed, and
that they will now no longer oppose the seating
of a majority of Republicans.
How the louise Was Organized I'm 1880.
George U Gorham, in Chicago fines.
The whole number of the votes In the House
is 325. If either party sends l63, with certid-
Gates of election signed by the Governor or
other authorized official. containing the proper
~recitals to show that they were chosen accord
ing to law, and il no one disputes the facts thus
stated, ell will 60 smoothly. By common con-
sent General Clark, the Clerk of the present
House, will then, without challenge from any
body, call the roll he has made up and conduct
the proceedings during organization. But what
If neither party has an undisputsd majority
what if each party comes with 100 uncontestsd
members, and the other five seats are the sub
ject Of contest-it then becomes . very impor-
tsnt question whether the Clerk shall Judge Of
the elections, qualifications, and returns" OF the
five membsrs who hold the balance Of power,
and IL not. how the House can exercise its con-
stitutional power of judging before il is known
who are the members Of the House.
In 1889 just sneh a question was presen ted
fCongressiopal Globe, first session Twenty-sixth
Congress. page H. Hugh Garland, . Democrat,
was Clerk of the House. 10 accordance with
usage. he called the House to order and pro-
cesded 10 call the roll When be reached the
State of New Jersey, he declined to call tho
names of five Wing members whose certificates,
duly signed by the Governor. were in his pos
session, because he had papers presented him by
contestants disputinR the facts stated in the
Governors certificates. He insisted that the
House must act on the question Of which set
should 60 on the roll. This created intense ex-
citement, and for four days no progress was
made because the Clerk would not call the
names of the Ave Whig members who had the
cerufcat.s Of Governor Pennington and were
prima facie entitled to seats. He never did call
them. Finally. to extricate the House from it's
o resolution that John Quincy Adams
of massachusetts, be appointed chairman OF the
meeting until the house should be organized.
Mr.. Rhett put the question himself. and II Was
carried, aud Mr.. Adams took the chair. thus
cisplacing the Clerk OF the previous house,
whereupon. says the reporter. ''much confusion
and noise being heard in the galleries and SONS
kissing, Mr.. Thompson. of South Carolina. said
that he announced 10 the galleries that IL there
vas the slightest interruption to the bushes OF
the meeting he would call on the President for .
Thursday, Dec. ). The session began on Mou'
day. the %.
Then commenced one OF the most sxtraor-
binary struggles that ever engaged . dsliber-
alive body. Mr.. Adams In the chair and Mr..
Wise. the Whie leader, on the floor. insistsd
on the right OF the duly eertifsd WhiR members
from New Jersey &c vote. With every
motion came up The question whsshss