Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-26
Both Parties Striving to Secure a
Majority of Members.
FEARS ENTERTAINED OF THE POPULISFS
The Claims of Both Republicans
and Democrats.
" III \ L NJ AY II A p P E n

In estimating on the complexion of the
next House both parties put an unusually
large number of districts in the doubtful
column. Neither party claims the House
by a large majority, and both are little
anxious over the possibility of the populists
holding the balance of power. The leading
men in both parties would rather have
most anything else than this happen. the
information received at the republican
headquarters, however, as we'll as that re-
ceived by the democrats, encourages them
in the belief that populism is no. making
much headway in this campaign. In Texas
and Nebraska only is 1t said to snow any
growth of strength. In the latter place
the republicans expect to regain what they
lost at the last election, and Ii Is very gen.
orally believed that they will regain some
IL not all of their lost power In Kansas.
POpulism i'm the south.
The democrats are no longer greatly
alarmed about populism in Alabama, North
Carolina and Georgia. or in any of the
southern states. in fact. except Texas. In
the opinion of the managers of the demo-
cratic congressional campaign the demo-
Gratis will continue to hold solid delega-
ton from the lone star state, but the CON-
muncatiOnS they receive from men right
in the field are not satisfactory. The in
dicatiOns are that the populists of that
state have just walked up to genuine ac-
tiVlty ard IN TWO tnfee OF tfle
they have prospects of success.
No Definite Figures.
Neither campaign committee has any
figures as to the prospects of the election
that are of any value. A great many nomi-
nations are yet to be made, and in no dis
trict where there is any doubt at all has
the canvass advanced far enough to give
any indication as &c what Is to be expected.
The committees are figuring on the districts
her he iOr raIrI
and are putting the work in there. The re-
publicans have a list of all the districts now
held by the democrats by majorities OF
few hundred. and districts which have in
the past gone republican sometimes and of
districts which are unfavorably affected by
the tariff legislation of the Fifty-third Con-
gress. In these districts they are putting
in their v ork.
What the Republicans Expect.
To start with. they expect to regain all
those districts which are usually republican,
but were carried by the democrats in the
general landslide of the last election. With
a few exceptions. the democrats concede
these districts. but in Illinois the republi-
cans do not expect to recover all they lost
at the last election. There is a secret ap-
prehension also that they may lose some
thing in the western silver states, either by
the election of Independent silver candidates
or of democrats who run as silver men,
On this point, 1t Is very generally expected
that whatever the political complexion of
tne House may be. there Will be a very
large majority of silver men In the body
and that they Will vote together on fnan-
eial questions.
The Question With the Democrats.
The democrats. of course. understand
that they must lost a large number of the
congressional districts they now hold, and
the question with them Is as to whether
they can check the slide of losses on the
right side of the majority They were
thoroughly frightened at the start and
consequently took hold of the fight with the
energy of desperation. They now feel quite
confident of carrying the House. thanks
TO an almost solid south, but they will
thank their stars for a majority of very
moderate proportions. They find that on
t,,t1 tne stump mp they are not having as much
trouble with the tariff they anticipated
and that by preaching revival of busi-
ness they set along very well with the
crowd
Claims of MnjOrities.
Neither party makes any definite claim,
as to the majority expected. The demo-
Gratis say they will have from fifteen to
thirty. The republicans say there will be
q republican majority and that 1t NAV
run up as high as twenty-five Both sides
IN giving out an estimate take all the
doubtful districts and dump them into their
own column. In the estimates from which
they are working. however, neither has a
majority set down The districts from
llc HldJOElly Is 10 come TO one Dartv
or the other are in the doubtful column. to
be placed later on where DEVELOPMENTS of
the canvass Indicate they may be-
Some Estimates,
The democrats have In the certain list:
Alabama, o; Arkansas. 5; California, /;
Connecticut. L; Florida, 2; Georgia, IL;
Illinois. o; Indiana, 5; Iowa, 1; Kentucky,
9: Louisiana. B: Maryland, 5; Massachu-
setts. 2; Michigan. 2; Mississippi, z; Mis-
souri,, IL; New Jersey, 3; New York, 49,;
North Carolina, s; Ohio. ); Pennsylvania, g.;
South Carolina, 4; Tennessee, 8; Texas, Ii f;
Virginia. I; West Virginia, 2; Wisconsin, 8.
Total 1J7.
The republicans have on the sure list:
California, 3; Connecticut, 2: Illinois, IL !:
Indiana, s. Iowa, 10; Kansas, 4; Kentucky,
l; Maine, 4; Maryland 1; Massachusetts,, IL !:
Michigan, 5; Minnesota, 6; Missouri, 2; Mon
tana, 1; Nebraska, 4; New HAMPSHIRE g:
New jersey, 4. North Carolina, 1; North
Dakota, 1; New York. II; Ohio, IA; OREGON
2; Pennsylvania, 2i. Rhode Island, 1; South
Dakota, 2, Tennessee, 2; Vermont, q; Vir-
ginia. 1; Washington. 2; Wisconsin, 6; Wyo-
ming, L. Total. 156.
This leaves in the doubtful column. or
with the popuiists: Arkansas, 1; California,
3: Colorado. 2; Connecticut. 1: Delaware 1 ;
Illinois. 2; Indiana, 2: Idaho, 1: Kansas, 4:
Kentucky, 1; Louisiana, 2; Michigan, 2;
Minnesota. 1; Missouri, 2: Nebraska 2;
Nevada. L. New Jersey. 1; New York, 1;
Ohio, ., Rhode Island 1: South Carolina q.