The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-21

CONFERREES BLAMED.

-CODtOund those peSlzy con ereeSl II DnCJ
had tended to business, I should be &C
home tonight, and if they don't get
move On them soon this body will dis
solve without the for1nality Of adjourn
ing This is but a sample exclamation
of many heard in tho house within the
last day or two, and appearances some
times indicate that the body has almost dis
solved already. I5 is chiefly in appear
ance, however. The members are really
IN the city, some closing up their work in
the committee rooms, more attending to
their final correspondence and the ship
ment of their documents, and many mora
ranging the departments and fixing the in
terests of their appointees preparatory to
their departure. Printed matter is going
out from tho folding room by tons, and
almost every member has long lists Of
constituents to whom he wants stuff
sent-eulogies on dead members to the
preachers, agricultural reports to innuen-
tia1 farmers, animal industry books to
stock breeders. semiscientihc works to
professional gentlemen and speeches by
thousands to everybody. At the congress
siOnal committee rooms Of both parties
there is great activity. The country Is
infinitely mapped out. the storm cenuers
of political unrest are carefully noted, and
the new forces are estimated from reports
Of reliable gentlemen as carefully as a
try in which he is to carry Oh war.
The Political Situation.
The situation and its possibilities may
be summed up thus: Excluding congress
men at large, there are 21S Democratic dis
tricts, 100 Republican, 9 Populist and l
silver Republican (Nevada). This also
omits vacancies and districts, which.
owing to byelections, cannot really be
classified. Now, Of the gentlemen who
constitute the majority, if Populists and
Democrats be counted together, there are
eight whose pluralitics in 1892 were less
than 100 each. For instance, Hon.
George +. Rich ardson of the Fifth Michi-
gan only had plurality of 10, and on the
face of the returns those gentlemen who
contested successfully had plurality at
all. OF Democrats with more than 100
and less than l, 600 plurality there are 10;
of those between 1. 600 and /, 500 IS, and
of those above that mark, but still with
less than 1000 there are %. To state it
In another way, adding in the minor num-
bers, Democrats had less than 100 plu-
rallty each, p less than ], 200, 40 less than
I, 300 and 81 less than ?, 0OO-
Now, therefore, the Democrats can afford
to lose every district in the United States
where their plurality was 600 or less and
still have handsome working quorum in
the Fifty fourth congress If they lose every
district where their plurality was ], 800 or
less, the Populists will have the balance
of power in the next house-that is. if the
Populists hold their own-and if they lose
every district under tho 2, 600 mark they
are in minority. From the standpoint
of the Republicans it looks like this They
must defeat every Democrat whose plural
ity was not over ], 500 and seven others
and keep down the Populist strength to
its present size in order to have an organ
izing majority.
In the South.
For these reasons both committees have
taken 2 600 majority the line of doubt,
and the Democrats are making arrange
ments for very thorough study of every
such district On the other hand, it must
be noted that quito a mum Der Of Republic
ans came in by small majorities and in
sections where q combination of the other
two parties would overyvhelm them. Thus
on the face of the returns the Republican
victory in Oregon seems overwhelming
yet Populists and Democrats combined
have a majority there In the south. how
ever, there are several districts that could
unquestionably be carried by q union Of
Republicans and Populists, and both sides
seem to take i5 for granted that 4 thor
ough fusion OF that sort would capture
North Caroline as a state The Repub-
licans also allege that the apparent plural
ity of 1892 is not the real plurality at ALL
that, owing to the extraordinary slump
of that year Democratic maiorities are
only nominal, and that there should be a
deduction OF !, 600 from the Democratic
vote or, what is the same thing an eve-.
addition of ]. 600 to the Republican vote
for each district IN order to give the true
figures.
Reduced Indnstripl Production.
AS If to further depross their spirits the
various department. reports now coming in
show the industrial condition to be even
worse than had been expected. The bal
ance Of trade IS In our favor. it is true, to
the tune Of some $237, 600, 600 per year
but prices are so low that exports which
seem in figures but 20 per cent larger
than those of q few years ago are in prod
ucts from 80 to 90 per cent larger. The
figures also indicate that there has been
an alarming underconsumption In short
1t really looks as If our people were doing
as the psasantry i'm some parts Of Europe
are reported to do-thas Is, eating and
wearing nothing that they can sell The
geological survey shows decreased prod
uc6 OF almost everything except gold IT
1892 the mineral product of the United
States was worth S6ss GIG. 954, while il
1893 it was but $500. 82t. $40, and the ad
vanced sheets for this year show a still
greater falling off. the decline being great
est in iron. and especially IN structural
iron
In many other lines the production has
gone back to the figures Of 1887 In the
very latest bulletin. however. not yet put
IN print. the department presents some
hope in regard to the iron business based
coke has been SO reduced as to force many
furnaces, steel works and rolling mills to
suspend operations. and SO the surplus is
being worked off After a long and truly
exhaustive If not cxhausting study the
statistician declares that there are but two
places in the United States where there il
any promise OF tin At Kings Mountain.