Evening star., 1898-11-10
RELIEVED OF DOUBT
Republicans Rejoice Over Retaining
the House.
DEMOCRATS PRACTICALLY GIVE IT UP
Chairman Babcock Counts on a
Margin Of II.
FIGURES GIVEN IN DETAIL

FIGURES GIVEN IN DETAIL
Even the democrats practically give up
| hope of getting the House. though they do
| not yet concede 1t to the republicans pub
| licly. The republicans have been relieved
| of all doubt by the later returns.
| After the 4th of March both houses of
| Congress will be in accord with the admin
| istration, the Senate by a large majority
and the House by a majority which, though
| greatly reduced, will be sufficient to insure
| the success of legislation desired by the
! republican party. The power lies with that
| party to enact any financial legislation that
| may be decided on, and the administration
| during the last two years of its administra-
| ton ought to be able to carry out it's poll
| cies without dangerous opposition.
The defeat of free silver, measured by
| the result as to both houses of Congress. is
more sweeping than that actual republican
| pluralities indicate. Above thirty of the
men elected as democrats to the next
| House opposed to free silver, and the
serious losses that have prevented the DEM
ocrats from getting control of the House
! have been in localities where their candi-
dates were supporters of the Chicago plat
| form.
This means that the actual strength of
the Chicago platform democrats in the
next House is far below the nominal dem
ocrauc membership. 1t is generally con-
| ceded among democrats that if they had
carried the House by d small majority it
would have been discovered that they could
not have majority in agreement on the
adoption of policy.
The new Senate will be strongly in favor
of the general policy of the Administered ton,
without danger of embarrassment by sill
yer disaffection, and the House will be
more strongly 'anti-silver than it is re-
publican.
Opportunity for LegislatiOn.
There will be ample opportunity for the
| legislation expected of the republicans and
which could not be had during the first
two years of Mckinley's administratio on
| account of the attitude of the Senate.
There is some uncertainty as to how
| far Speaker Reeds opposition to an expan-
sion policy will influence the situation in
the next House, whether there will be
any difference of opinion between the pres
eat Speaker and the direct supporters OF
| the administration that will lead to con-
test atthe opening of the Congress over
| the speakership.
The present impression appears to be-
however. thatsuch a contest Will be avoid
ed and that Mr.. Reed will again be the
Speaker unless he decides that he does hot
desire longer to hold that position.
At the democratic congressional commit
tee this morning there was an air of
| gloomy resignation, and in manner, if not
in words, their defeat in the contest for
the House acknowledged. Acting
Chairman Kerr was very late coming
down, and in his absence no one else would
put out any claims or hold out democratic
hopes.
At the republican headquarters and
among republicans everywhere there was
general delight.
Chairman BabcOck Counts on Seven
teen Majority.
The returns received at the headquarters
of the republican congressional committee
up to o'clock this afternoon were such as
to assure Chairman Babcock that the
House of Representatives in the Fifty-sixth
Congress would have a majority of seven
teen republicans with the possibility that
this majority might be swelled to twenty
one. Mr. Babcock did not give out Of
fetal statement as his returns were not
complete and he wished to show exactly
what the political complexion of the House
would be before making a statement public.
This majority of seventeen is figured on
the basis that the republicans will have
at least 1877 members. The twelfth district
of Texas and the second California are
still in doubt, and it is considered probable
that they will be shown to have gone re-
publican before this evening There are
357 REPRESENTATIVES in the House, and 1S9
republicans would leave 16S democrats,
populists, fusionists, silver republicans and
independents. If the republicans carry
the two districts now regarded as doubt
| full at the republican headquart ters and 1s9
| members they will have lost sixteen men,
| bers, having 205 members in the present
House.
Mr., Babcock was feeling very jupiiant
| over the results of the election this morn
ing. The number of republicans elected to
the House varies very little from the fig
ures given by Mr.. Babcock in his pre- fiction
of October %, two weeks before the elec-
tiCn.
Endorsement of the President.
The result he said to Star reporter
this afternoon. "is a magnificent iudorse-
ment OF the President and the republican
| administra alton, and it will have more far
reaching effec. upon the future of the coun-
| try than any election held for many years.
| 1t intrenches il power a sound-money party
that will be in harmony with President Nc
kinley. and one which can sustain his ad-
ministration and legislate on the great
questions growing out OF the recent war in
satisfactory and harmonious manner
On national issues said MIR. Babcock,
'there never was a question as to the result
OF the election, but the danger that l saw
two months ago came from local differences
and from Over-confidence and general ap-
athy on the part of the republicans The
committee made an especial business of see
situation, and the losses suffered in the
eastern and middle states arose almost en-
tirely from local conditions or the fact that
strong democratic districts were represented
by republicans whom we could not expect
to re-elect.
I'VE lost five districts in the east that
the committee believed would be held
ramely, one in Massachusetts, and four in
New York: but we captured about the same
number of districts in the extreme west
that few thought it possible to carry, thus
lGd inc fhn
| House just about as the committee had
sestfnaa ted it fortnight before
Il feel that the most valuable result Of
the election to the country generally is that
1t stamps out the free silver and fla; money
idea for many years to come. The make
up OF the Senate will be such that sound
money control cannot be disturbed for at
least eight years. Therefore, business men
producers, laborers ard finsnctsrs can rest
assured that no disturbance of the finances
can occur during that long period. which