The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-09-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON. D. C., Sept. Ii.

idea of the political situation by visit ing the headquarters of the congress ional committees of the several parties finds himself in badly muddled con- dition when he gets through listening to what is told him. Of course it would be very impolite for him to ac- cuse anybody of deliberately lying or misrepresenting things, but he cannot help thinking that the Congressional committees command the services of number of men wilb imagination enough to make them successful war correspondents or real estate boomers; also, that some of the claims made, bring to mind the boy who wasn't afraid to be in the dark, but still continually whistled to keep up his courage.
 While the democratic and republi- can managers are lighting for q major ity of members in the next House, either would gladly let the other side have a majority, if thereby they could retain for their own party the control of majority of the state delegations in the House. The House may not be called upon to elect the next president, but then again it may-many think the indications point that way-and if it should the prize will belong to the party that can control the votes of 23 states in the House, as Arizona and New Mexico will not probably get rep resentatiou in Congress early enough to be considered in this business; in fact, that was one of the reasons why the bills for their admission were not acted upon by the Senate at the last session. So far as the vote for Prcsi- dent is concerned majority of one is just as good as the entire delegation, as each state only has one vote and that is cast by the majority.
 In the present House the democrats control the delegations from 26 states, the republicans from If and the popu lists control three states and hold the balance of power in one--Nebraska. Now, the question that is bothering the politicians is what changes will be made in the state delegations by the coming Congressional elections. The elections that have been held have not thrown much light upon the subject, for nobody really expected Alabama or Arkausas to go any other way than democratic, or Oregon, Vermont and Maine to go any other way thao re- publican. To control majority of the state delegations in the next House the republicans will have to hold the If they now have and to add 2. The democrats cannot lose more than three of the states they now have without dropping into the minority, and as the states they now control include New York, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin. Wyom- ing, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Della ware and New Jersey, the chauces for losing are altogether too numerous to please members of that party. The populists figure upon controlling the delegations of at least four and possi- ply as many as eight states. If this claim should turn out to be correct the pOpulist increase would be entirely at the expense of the republicans and would probably result in giving the populists the balance of power in the House should the election of President be thrown into that body by reason of the failure of any candidate to receive the votes of Il majority of the electoral college. This prospect of holding the balance of power in the election of a President, should the House be called upon to perform that duty, is highly pleasing to the populists, but not to the old parties, each of which would prefer seeing the other win than to see the populistS occupying such an advan- tageous position.
 "Ihe younger Il man is the easier he can initiate fool when placed in q po- sition of authority" was a favorite ex- pression with wise old man used to know. It was recalled to mind by some of the actions of young Mir. Doe, the Assistant Secretary of War, who has been acting Secretary since Secre- tary Lamont went away on his vaca- tion. Mr. Doe has an idea that the chiefs of bureauX in the war depart- ment, who are all old enough to be his father and all army officers, lack the | A. f Il I