Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-08
rcoRREsPoNDEHcE OF THE DISPATCH, 2,

@SoNets shOh noN Iley nope 10 accomplish
this object
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPArcH.l
WASHINGTON, May THE first Con.
gress in years that has been in political ac
cord with the President and the Senate is
giving a good deal of thought Just now to
the approaching canvass for reelection. All
eyes are centered on the contest, and the
hopes and fears of both political parties
are being widely discussed. Visitors to the
White House find that it interests the
President nowadays to talk OF the condition
of affairs in their home districts. They are
also impressed with the fact that the Chief
Magistrate is keeping himself well posted
on the subject, ard that he has CLEANED sorle
pretty accurate information about the Con-
gressional districts from other sources
Nor are these the only indications of a
rising tide of interest in the subject, for tons
of public documents are going out under the
Congressional frank, members are daily
leaving their seats to patch up their fences
at home, and not few votes are being cast
on both sides of the House for the purpose
of Strengthening matters out there. The
law ehah AhS oSLuOSTdNs nave already aD-
pointed Campaign Literature" Commit
tee, with bar'l in the shape of Roswell P.
Flower at its head, shows also that skirmish-
ing for the fight has already begun.
1t is going to be a hard battle. The op-
position is active, determined and stung to
desperation by the presence in the Speakers
chair of one who has tied their hands and
leads the majority into action, not talk.
They squirm and wriggle on the floor of the
House TO no purpose, but the tale of woe
they have in store for the voters is long and
narrowing in the extreme.
VERY NARROW MARGIN,
They realize that less than a dozen seats
out of $50 would turn the control into Dem
ocratic hands to-day. Enough seats could
be stolen next fall from the present Repub-
1ican representation from Southern States to
do this; Ohio, with its 16 Republican Con-
gressmen at the mercy of Democratic Leg
islative gerrymander, offers tempting field
to accomplish the same end; and Republican
danger lies all along the line of
weak nominations or local factional
quarrels in close districts, of which
there are now an unusually large
number. Sixty-fve members of this House
were elected by narrow pluralites of less
tnan l, 200, and more than half of these are
Republicans. Some failed to get majority
at all, as in all from districts from Con-
necticut. Ten districts gave the success .ul
candidate less than 100 plurality; 25 gave
less than 500 and 49 gave under !. 600,
Thirty-nine of these close districts are
located in States that gave their electoral
vote to the Republican ticket, as follows;
New Hampshire, 1. Massachusetts 1; New
York, 4; Pennsylvania, 4; Ohio. z; Indiana.
g. Illinois, 2; Michigan, 4; Nevada 4: Cali
fornia, 3, and Iowa l. Then we have three
Republicans elected on the narrowest of
margins in Connecticut-a State that voted
for Cleveland-3 for the first time from st.
Louis, and seated from West Virginia.
quote these figures to show bv what
slender thread the present majority holds
control, and how easilya few votes in GER |
tain districts next fall could return a House |
with majority against the administration. |
The best evidence at this time that this is |
not among the probabilities is, that the Re-
publicans here are alive to the danger. and /
by conscientious work OH the floor of the |
House and activity in the field are doing all |
In their power to avert it.
The feeling here is that the Republicans |
are sure 10 gain in strength with the country |
as legislation is completed. The tariff bill |
is an illustration of this, for it will be |
noticed in the interviews printed below that |
nearly all the members speak OF its strength |
with their constituents. This is especially |
true of those members representing agricul- |
tural communities. Assistant Postmaster
General Clsrkson is Of the opinion that the |
farmers are going to be more strongly Re- |
publican next fall than ever As the active |
mead of the National Committee, he has |
been directing quiet canvass OF the Con- |
gressionsl districts for some time past, and |
has had reports from all of the principal |
States. His opinion, therefore as to the |
situation and prospects is of great value. |
He said to me:
CLARKSoN'S OPINIONS.
am among those who think that tie Re-
publican party will control the next House. as
it does this, if it does even half of what it
ought to do by way Of following the honorable |
instinct of self-preservation, as a party always
ought to do. The administration has strength
ened the Republican situation, rather than
weakened it. Congress is clearing up business
rapidly. / am confident 1t will soon pass a
Silver bill which will do the business world
good, and will come just at the time that the
rising pulse of trade ALWAYS comes, in the
spring. am confident also that it will pass a
good tariff bill, one which will not pamper any
element or interest, but guard faithfully the
Interests of the people by way of making re-
ductions where they are needed, and many are
needed, as agell as maintaining the protection
necessary for American prosperity. The line
of life and duty on this is TO preserve such a
degree of protection as will continue the differ
ence between the wages of laborers in Europe
and America.
There is nothing discouraging in the outlook
for Republican success, unless it be the desper-
ate intentions of the Democratic party in some
of the States to gerrymander the districts-if
the Republican Congress does not prevent
such desperate resort, as it is clearly within
its right and power to do. Still, do not think
such plan Will very greatly benefit the Demo-
crats. Any outrageous gerrymandering of a
State drives away from any party certain fair
elements which go to the other side to help de-
feat any iniquitOus plans. As the administra-
tion and Congress have strengthened the party
in the past year, 1 think they will strengthen
1t very much more in the next three months.
The Republican party with its record of
sympathy and help for labor will. am pretty
confident show by legislation soon to be
enacted its interest and constant intention to
elevate the condition of workingmen. Other
things will contribute to this same end Dis
contented labor and depressed agriculture are
both going to feel the good effects of good
legislation.
/ take it for granted that in the present Re
and the President Republican, and with cour-
age in Congress and the White House to do
what lie right some legislation will be enacted
which will defeat the Southern plan OF disfran-
chising Republican voters by the hundred
This can be done as to all United
States elections or in elections where the inter-