Evening star., 1898-01-11
HIS ELECTION IN DANGER
Hinrichsen's Campaign for the Congress
sional Committee Craftsmanship.
Opposition in the Illinois DELEGATIONS
of Working Against Him.

An interesting situation involving nation
al democratic politics is being upfolded at
the Capitol. For the present it centers
about the Illinois delegation in the House,
but promises to take wider scope until it
includes all of the free silver forces in the
House. = ,
For the past week or two the democrats
Of the various state delegations have been
holding caucuses to select man from each
delegation as a member. of the democratic
congressional campaign committee. Coin:
cident with this, several gentlemen who
desired to be chairman of that committee
have been pushing their interests Up to
this time Representative Buck Hinrich-
sen has been in the lead for chairman AS
announced in The Star last Saturday his
assured. As a mattereo fact, Mr.. Htnrich-
sen had received promises from a majority
of the members then e4ected Of their sup
port for his candidacy as chairman.
Mr.. Hinrichsen had, not done this without
making sure, as he Thought. that he would
be member of the committee himself. To
be sure, there Is nothing to prevent the
committee from choosing a chairman out
Hinrichsen preferred 70 have his delegation
back of him. To that end he secured an
understanding, 1t is said. with his demo-
cratic colleagues in the delegation, Messrs
Campbell, Hunter and Jet. Mr.. Campbell
wanted to represent the delegation on the
committee himself and Nr. Hinrichsen said
that he did not care to have the place un-
less he could be chairman. Mr.. Campbell
became convinced, it Is said, that Mr.. Hin
richsen could be elected chairman. and it
is claimed that he yielded to Mr.. Hinrich-
sen. Mr.. Hunter and Mr.. Jett were both
for him. and Mr. Hunter told him in person
that he would help him get the chairman
ship.
A Change in Feeling.
However change has appeared to
come over the dreams Of the Illinois dele
cation. Mr.. Hunter told Mr.. l-nrichsen
he was afraid he would have to be against
him in his candidacy for member of the
committee. Mr.. Campbell also experienced
a change of heart, it was said, and, to make
matters worse for Mr.. Hnrchsen they
concluded to invite to the caucus Mr.. Jehu
Baker. This gentleman was elected to
Congress as a populist with democratic In
dorsement. He has not taken part in the
democratic caucus, it is said, and is looked
upon more as a populist than democrat
The delegation will decide who shall rep
resent the state of Illinois on the congress
sional committee: Mr.. Hinrichsen is con-
vinced that a majority of the democrats of
the House Of Representatives favor his
election to the chairmsnship of the con-
gressional committee, and he will not aban-
don his attempts to have his own delega-
tion back hirc in that effort
National Significnnee.
Further inquiry into the matter shows
that there is a national feature to this case,
which upon the surface appears to be but (
a squabble in the Illinois delegation. The
opinion prevails among many that anti
silver interests are at work to prevent the
election of Mr.. Hinriohsen. 1t is limited
that Mr.. Croker. the New York boss, is
taking hand in the affair in order to pre-
vent the control of the congressional COM
mittee passing irrevocably into the hands
of the free coinage people
1t is said that Representative Mcclellan
of New York was originally selected as the
member Of the New York delegation on the
committee. and was known to favor Mr.
Hinrich hsen for chairman. After Mr.. Crok-
er's recent visit to Washington Amos Cum
mings was chosen to be the New York
member of the committee, and he Is op-
posed, it is said, to Mr.. Hinricnsen, and in
favor of Senator Faulkner for chairman Of
the committee.
1t is well understood among democrats
in the House that If Buck Hinrichsen
takes charge of the congressional commit
tee the campaign next fall will be fought
upon the Chicago platform. The same is
sues will be to the front. and free silver
coinage will be foremost among them. Mr..
Hinrichsen is one of the pioneers of the
national movement for free silver in the
democratic party. He was the father of
the Springfield convention, which swung
the democrats of Illinois into line for free
silver, and caused the. democrats of other