Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-19
THE CONTROL OF CONGRESS-.

! 4A0 WIN SVNUAsAA'As
Odds in Favor Of Another Republican SEN
ate and Democratic House-Ths Margin
in Each Branch Likely to Be Narrowed
Whore Republicans Will Mako Gains.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.1
! WASHINGTON, April 18-Unless polit-
| ical tidal wave OF most unusual proportions
sweeps the country this fall the complexion
| OF Congress bids fair to be the same as at
present. without regard to which party is
successful in the Presidential contest The
Democrats may reduce the Republican ma
| jority in the Senate, and big inroads are GER
tain to be made on present unwieldy major
| ity in the House, but there is little prospect
that either side will entirely wipe out the
lead OF the other in their respective strong
holds.
The six new States, with their 10 members
of the Senate, II Of whom are Republicans,
| have preserved that body to the party of
protection, even in the crash of 1890. The
present status of the Senate Is AZ Republf
| cans, SO Democrats and the two indepen-
dents, PETER and Kyle. There is very little
chance of the Republicans making any gain
over these figures this year. There are sew
eral Republican States, like Ohio and Illi-
nois, now represented by Democratic -Sena-
tors, but their six-year terms have jus COM
menced The only States in the doubtful
list which elect successors to Democratic
Senators next winter are Indiana, New Jer-
sey and West Virg inia, and in all three the
legislative districts are so arranged that even
If the Republica ms secure a plurality for
President their chances of capturing the
Legislatures are cry remote. Indiana Dem
ocrats had a two-thi rds MAJ jority of the law
making body even when Harrison carried
the State in 1885, and the situation in New
Jersey and West Virginia is similar.
Whore the Democrats Have Hopes.
There are just three States in which the
Democrats may hope to mako Senatorial
gains-New York, Wisconsin and Montana
in all of which successors to Republican
Senators are to be chosen by the Legislatures
elected this fall. In New York the Demo-
Gratis are now in control in both brenches,
and between this and November will redis-
trict the State in such manner that they
fondly believe defeat in the Assembly will
be impossible, and they expect to replace
Mr.. Hiscock with a colleague of Hills faith.
The Republicans, though, anticipate gen.
eral revulsion from 'Tammany methods in
the Empire State which will sweep the
present regime out of power.
In Wisconsin,, too, the Democrats are in
control and have gerrymandered the State.
The Supreme Court has knocked out the
gcrrymander on technical grounds, but the
Democratic Governor will undoubtedly call
a special session OF the Legislature to try it
over again before November. Senator Saw
yer will make a vigorous fight to obtain his
reelection while Villas will try to secure a
Democratic colleague. Montana has always
been close, and the present Republican
Senators were only seated after a lengthy
contest which was carried to Washington.
The Democrats ire now in complete control
In the new mountain State, and confidently
claim they will elect the successor to Sena.
tor Sanders. Republicans depend on the
tight drawing of lines in, a Presidential year
to regain the ascendancy.
Some Democrats lay claim to Connecti-
cuts Legislature, but the advantage of the
and Senator HawIey is confident he will
succeed himself. To barely tie the Senate,
therefore the Democrats will haye to carry
all the three doubtful Legislatures of New
York, Wisconsin and Montana, hold their
own elsewhere, and secure the votes of the
two Independents, PETER and Kyle, unless
gains are made in some entirely unexpected
quarter The odds are largely in favor OF
continued Republican control.
Sure to Cut Down the Big Maioritv,
The present majority against the Repub-
licans in the House of Representatives in
round numbers is 15o, and onlya most COM
plete political convulsion can entirely wipe
out this lead, secured, as it is in many in
stances, by gerrymanders of doubtful and
Republican States. But the Republicans e1-
pect, and with good reason, to make big
gains. and if the Alliance should secure any
considerable number of seats in the South
the result may be interesting.
In Ohio the Republicans will make their
greatest gain, as under the rediStricting act
the complexion of the delegation will be re-
versed. insuring change in eight seats and
net gain of twice that number. Harter,
johnson. Warwick. and a.host of other we'll
known free trade disciples have been placed
in hopeless districts, and their rConsressional
r,<an rfYf ffr Tt1nro ron
possibility that johnson may purthrough.
as he is personally very popular in the city
of Cleveland, but otherwise the Republican
slate will be unbrOken..,. .--.
In Pennsylvania, too, there will be gain.
The two additional Congressman under the
new apportionnientf who are elected at
Beaver Valley district lost in 1890 by the
bribery war between Phillips and Mcdowell
will be redeemed. The increased vote of
Presiden tai year. with protection the issue,
normally Democratic districts in the Key
stone State. In New. York the Democrats
now have large majority of the delegation,
and have passed redistricting law which
is intended to insure that they will retain
control The Republicans, though, conf
IDENTIFY expect to regain several seats.
Mugwumps Who May Be Missing.
In New England several of the Mug
wumps now representing Republican con-
stituencies are likely to be among those left
in the cold in November Both OF the Rhode
Island Congressman are now Democrats, but
the Republicans expect to choose the sue
cessor to at least one of them. The same is
true of New Hampshire, and in Connections
the present representation of three Demo
Gratis and one Republican may be reversed
by hard work. The Massachusetts, Legisla-
ture has redistricted the State, and the Re-
Dublicans expect to make quite q change in
the present tree trade representation.
In Indiana the Democrats have an IRON
clad gerrymander in operation, and only o
complete rout can lose more than seat or
two. Illinois, though, where the Republi-
cans lost more heavily than almost any
other one State in 1890. will show the effects
of the rebound in many sections. Michigan
and Wisconsin have both been redistricted
by Democratic Legislatures in the endeavor
to hold on to most of tie places secured two
years ago, but slight Republican gains are
probable. Iowa will surely show quite u
craze in Kansas and Nebraska should nearly
restore the old-time Republican representa-
tion in those States. .,
In the South. with the exception of Vir-
ginia and West Virginia, there is little pros
pect of more than the election of Republi-
can Congressman here and there. In the |
Virginias it is expected that several seats
will be gained. Any other changes in this
section are more likely to be in the direction
of the third party.
In summing up. therefore, even SAN |
guine Republicans do not expect to secure |
more than 60 or IS of the seats now occupied by |
their opponents. making a net gain of alb out |
l25. This would leave the Democrats still a |