Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-11-11
Certainly That the Majority
Will be at Least Fifty
One.
Review of the Situation and
Estimates OH the
Result.
Alliance Backbone Seems to be
Broken Despite all Claims
to the Contrary.

| w NV. t-4ue pIODdDlS
political complexion of the next house
is the subject of good deal Of specula-
ton here. The different tables and cal
culatlOnS show an interesting state of af-
fairs.
The fact that this is presidential year
Will bring out the republican vote in
the close districts and enable that party
to reclaim some of the seats it lost two
! years ago. But that the republicans
will succeed in wiping out entirely
the majority obtained by the democ-
racy in 1890 is not expected by any
! body. The democratic leaders expect
it to be reduced more than one-half.
which would leave an ample margin.
| The republicans in their moments of
! franknesS confess that if the democratic
party is brought down to 80 they will
| feel that on the congressional ticket
| they have made an eXcellnt fight.
Th democratic majority in the present
house is more than $50 in a total men,
bership of 332. The general drift is
still against the republicans, and it is
| this fact that makes the democrats con-
| fident of controlling the next house.
| even at an election where the presi-
| dency itself is a factor.
The next house will be composed of
1856 members. The increase under the
| new apportionment is divided as fol-
lows: Alabama, Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Georgia., Kansas, Massa-
| chusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Mis-
souri,, Oregon, Washington and Wis
cOnSln gain one each, while
Illinois. Minnesota, Pennsylvania and
Texas gain two each. Nebraska gains
northern AMI to southern states and
of the a new members elected to
fill them Is will probably be republicans
and Q democrats.
Although the republicans have the
best of the additional seats by nearly
two to one. the figures are not large
enough to affect materially the general
result, which the democrats will I'M
1oubtrdly shape to their own advan-
tage.
There is substantial agreement among
prominent democrats who have canvass
ed the subject as to the probable size
of the democratic aioritv Of the next
house. TX-Congressman Kerr. clerk of
Che present house. places the figures at
about 60. and Speaker Crisp who. in
addition to examining Mr. Kerrs fig
ureS. has conferred with other authOri-
ties. makes 4 similar estimate.
Lawrence Gardner. secretary of the
democratic congressional committee n
close observer. gives no figures. hut
thinks that a comfortable democratic
majority will he secured
The republican leaders arc cautious
Only Mr. Burrows, of Michigan. anon"
fhem al is willing to oXprass q belief
that his party will control the next
house.
Fx-SpcAlI"r Reed says that tho vote
will he close but SnoculntpS about tho
matter in Il tone which bet1nys his real
discoura cement.
The best Informed man of all the re-
publicans. Edward Mcpherson. ex-clerll
Of the house. refuses to express an opi1l-
ion. He will only say that in his iude-
mcnt the farmers alliance vote in the
next house will be much larger than it
is in this house. and that it may go to
the figure of holding the balance IF
power.
This expression from Mr.. Mcpherson
as to the alliance vote could, with Ell
tire honesty. be echoed by other repub- |
lican leaders. They are all building
high hopes on that vote. They are
playing openly for it in several Of the
southern states. In Tennessee North |
Carolina, Alabama, louisiana, Virginia |
and West Virginia Alliance candidates !
for Congress are booked to receive sub !
stantial republican support. Chris Magee !
went to Alabama on that errand, and /
Huston of Indiana, spent |
a fortnight in Louisiana in similar work. |
Estimates of the probable size of the |
alliace vote in the next house are hard
to obtain from conservative sources.
The alliance leaders themselves profess
to believe that they will capture at least
forty seats. The contests are in the
south and west. and in some of the
districts the campaigns have been vigor-
ouSly conducted. But the leaders of i
that party who are in the field them
selves for election to congress seem to
be getting badly worsted. Jerry Simp-
SON. in Kansas, and Tom Watson. IN
Georgia. are both likely to be left at
home this year. and it would appear
probable therefore. that if disaster is
overtaking the leaders in the race. the
rank and file elsewhere are not likely to
win in large numbers.
The following table has been pre-
pared by one of the best informed dem
ocratic leaders here. 1t is carfully com
pild and is a conservative estimate. 1t
follows closely the figures thus far made
by the democratic congressional com
mittee:
F. 4.
Name of state. Rep. Dem. Oppn.
l. Alabama ....... l 1
. Arkansas $4,000. 6 o
r,1