Evening star., 1898-10-12
TO CONTROL THE HOUSE
The Struggle for a Majority is Being Vigor-
ously Waged.

AS the campaign progresses it becomes
more apparent every day that the coming
struggle for control of the House of Repre-
sentatives is to be one of the most intense
congressional fights for many years. One
reason which operates to bring about such
a condition is the fact that in many dis
tricts the majorities in the last elections
were so close as to render those districts
uncertain ground for the victors and hold
ing out a good fighting chance for the de-
feated party of 1896
Many congressional districts were carried
in the last elections by majorities of less
than 1000. A great many elected represen-
tatives in Congress by majorities of from
1,30o to LOO. In those districts the
two parties are conducting a campaign
where the vote of every man is being
nursed and watched. The vote of a town
ship may make a difference of a vote in
the next I1ouse of Representatives
Some Close Districts.
In the greater number of cases the close
districts are those now represented by a
republican, and could be classed as nor
mally democratic. There are some excep-
tions, South Dakota for instance where
freeman knowles, one of the representa-
tlVes-at-large, populist, was elected by a
majority OF COS out Of total vote of 81 SCS
ana his colleague, j. +. Kelley, received a
majority of barely over 1,0O0. In a few
cases democratic representatives are hold
ing their seats by majorities as slender.
In illinois the republicans hold four seats
by maJorities considerably under 600, and
where the total vote is large. In the third
district Hugh Belknap's plurality was only
o9o In the sixth district II. S. Boutell' S
majority was S52 over his democratic op-
ponent In the fifteenth district Benjamin
r MARSH ran only 3O9 votes ahead of the
democrat, and in the seventeenth j. A. Con-
molly peat the democrat by 80 votes.
indiana sent three members of her repub-
mean delegation In the house by small ma
3erltles: In the first district Hemenway
scraped through by barely 1000. If the
populiStS and democrats had combined thcy
would have beaten him. In the fifth dis
trict George w. Faris won by 300 over the
IL sion candidate. Charles Lands of the
ninth had majority of 249 over Cheadle,
the fusion candidate.
Two in Iowa.
Iowa has couple of very close districts
In the sixth John F. Lacey received ma
jorty Of 1,201 in total vote of about AZ, !.
CO. In the eighth MIR. Hepburn won by
SIG against complete fusion of the demo-
Gratis and populists
In the fourth Kansas district Charles
curtis OF Topeka beat John Madden, the
fusion candidate, by 754 In a total vote of
over 5000. Kentucky from the ninth dis
.tS' ScHt d republican by majority OF
423 Marylands first district is represented
by republican, Mr.. Barber, whose major
ity was 575. In Minnesota Page Morris,
the republican from Townes' old district,
pulled through by 7O7
In the first Nebraska district the major
ity OF Jesse B. Strobe, the republican, was
Nv, In total vote Of nearly $1,000. New.
YORK had two districts. the sixth and the
eighth, where the majprities ran below
1,30O. Pennsylvania shows three districts
where the republican majorities were re-
spectiveiy 800, 726 and 1,205.
Both the republican seats in the Virginia
deiegation are held by slight majorities,
Mr. walkers being not quite LOO and Mr..
Yosts 141. In the fourth West Virginia
Warren Miller's majority over Walter Pen
dieton, the democrat. " as 11S0.
These are some of the most conspicuous
cases of the close distr cts where the fight
this fall is hottest.