The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-24
The Elections OF
The Present Year


From the Philadelphia Press.
GpHE MOST important political
events of the year 1898 will be the
election OF the members OF the
house of representatives of the
Fifty-sixth congress and the choice
of the state legislatures which will elect
SUCCESSORS to the United States senator's
whose terms expire March 4, 1899. A full
house of representatives, numbering 357
members will be chosen to take the place
of the present house. The terms of thirty
senators will also end with the present
congress but as two seats have already
been filed and the Legislature which is to
elect a third is now in session there will
be twenty-seven legislatures chosen this
year to elect United States senators to
the Fifty-siSth congress. There will also
be twenty-eiSht governors of states elect
ed, beginning with the election in Rhode
Island April 6. and host of minor state
officers.
There is some question as TO the party
standing of a few members of the pres
ent house of representative but what
Is probably the most trustworthy diVi-
sion gives the Republicans 2O4, the Dem
ocrats 123, the Populists q and the Sill
veriteS 8; total 357 a majority of the
house is 179, and the Republicans can re-
tain that number and lose % seats. But
if they lose 26 they will be reduced to
minority. 1t is probable that there will
be changes resulting in losses and gains
to all parties. In the case of the Repub-
licans it must be remembered that
twenty-five of their number in the pres
ent house came from the southern states,
but most of them are from districts
which are likely to continue to send Re-
publicans to congress. And i'll view of
! the growing manufacturing interests of
1 Il1t. 3 1n Sif1p
the number of Republican protectionists
| from that neighborhood were increased
| in the Fifty-SiXth congress. The congress
| sional election midway between two
presidential elections often results dis
astrously to the party in power, but there
are no such decided indications that this
will be the case this year as were seen
in 1890 and 1894 There are local differ
ences but there are no divisions in the Re
publican party as to its national policy.
| With union and harmony in this respect
| the party should be able TO retain con-
| troll of the next house of representatives
and possibly increase it's present major
| ity.
1t is as important for the Republicans
to regain control of the senate as it is
| to retain "A majority in the house. There
| will probably be a little less difficulty in
! accomplishing the former than the latter.
| OF the thirty United States senators
whose terms expire March 4, 1899 eleven
| are Republicans fifteen Democrats, three
are Silverites and one is a .Populist. The
| names of these senators and the states
from which they come are as follows:
! Republicans Aldrich, Rhode Island
Burrows Michigan; Clark, Wyoming
Davis Minnesota; Hale, Maine; Hanna,
Ohio; Hawley, Connecticut; Lodge, Mas
sachusetts; Proctor, Vermont; Quay.
I Of inc
ton. Democrats: Bate, Tennessee; Cock
rell, Missouri; Daniel, Virginia. Money,
! mississippi; German, Maryland; Gray,
Delaware; Mills, Texas; Mitchell, Wiscon-
sin; Murphy, New York; Pasco, Florida
| Roach, North Dakota; Smith, New Jer-
sey; Turpie. Indiana, and White of Cali
fornia. Slverites Cannon. Utah; Man.
tie, Montana, ana Stewart. Nevada
| Populis,, Allen, Nebraska. OF these pros
pective vacancies two have already been
filed by the reelection of Senators
Hanna in Ohio and Daniel in Virginia
The legislature which is to choose Mr.
Gorman's successor is now in session in
| Maryland. This leaves twenty-seVer
seats to fiji. The senate as it now stands
with one seat vacant consists of as Re
publicans, 81 Democrats Q Silverites and
6 Popuists. A clear majority of a full
senate is 46 and TO obtain this the Re.
publicans must gain at least thgee sena.
tors.
OF the eleven prospective vacancies or
the Republican side of the senate only
two appear to be in doubt-those from
Wyoming and Washington. If Populists
or SilVentes are elected from both those
states the Republicans will then neeC
to gain five senators to give them a ma
jority in the senate. They have already
gained one in Maryland and the pros
poets are bright for them to gain severa
more. The states which now have Re
publican legislatures and in which q
Democratic senator's term will expir,
with this congress are California Indi
ana New Jersey, New York, North Da
kota. West Virginia and Wisconsin. IL
all of these states the election of Repub
lican legislatures and the choice of Re
publican senators are highly probable
If all of them are carried the Republi
cans will gain with Maryland eight sena
tors increasing their number in the sen
ate, If Wyoming and Washington ar,
lost. to 49, or three more than Is neces
sary to majority. There is gooC
chance also of gaining a Republican sen
ator in Delaware. SO the prospects of oh
tanning a majority in the next senate ar,
bright And with harmony in the part!
and good nominations a majority i'm III,
house should be elected also giving Pres
ident Mckinley full congressional sup
port during the last two years of hi
present term
III IL AT HAND.