The herald., 1898-07-04
CONGRESSIONAL SITUATION
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California has seven congressional dis
tricts, and therefore seven representatives
In congress. OF these Barham of the First,
Hilborn of the Third and Loud OF .hs Fifth
are Republicans; De Vries OF the Second,
Mcguire Of the Fourth are Democrats; Bar
low Of the Sixth and Castle of TIE Seventh
are Populists. To summarize the Repub-
licans have three and the Stlverites four of
the California congressional delegation.
The November election will soon be al
hand and there are many people who are
extremely anxious concerning the political
complexion of the next congressional dele
cation from California.
The First distric, has wobbled around
from one side to the other. In 1872 T. j.
Geary, Democrat beat e. w. Davis, Re-
publican and the fla d by 1000 votes. In 1921
Barham, Republican, defeated Geary, DEM
ocrat, by 1900. This chang. Is probably ac-
counted for from the fact that i.t 1892 the
Populist nominee received but 4l6 votes,
whereas In 1851 the Populist nominee re-
ceived 7246 votes IN i,.r, i;arham was again
successful over Cutler. Democrat. receiv-
ins 1900 plurality, the popui,t rominee re-
ceiv,ns 705 voteA
In the Second district the Democrats seem
to have had the best Of the fight. In 1892 A.
Caminetti, Democrat, was elected over J.
F. Davis. Republican, by 1000 plurality. In
1894, johnson. Republican. who was not
then publicly known as the Southern Pa
cific tool. fooled the people of this district
and was elected. the vote being: johnson
1e, 302 Camlnetti. 1872; Cornell. Peoples
party, S946. In 1895 De Vries. Fusionist NOM
inee Of the Democrats and Peoples party,
defeated johnson by $500 majority.
In the Third district 8. G. Hilborn. Re
publican, has had things his own way since
his first appearance In congressional poll
tics In 1892. In that year the vote stood:
Hllborn, 1871; w. B. English. Democrat,
4,493; and J. l. Lyon. Peoples party, 4S26.
In 1894, In a three-cornered fight Hilborn
again defeated English, Democrat, by $500,
the vote being: Hilborn, Is, 1876; English, 49,
1903; Vann, Peoples party 5162 In 1896 Eng
lish received the fusion nomination Of the
Democrats and Populists, but Hilborn again
defeated him by the following vote: Hill
born, 1883; English, 1875. Based on the
vote Of 1894 the combined vote Of the Demo-
Gratis and Populists In that district ex-
coed that Of the Republican by $500. In 1896
English, with a fusion nomination.. was
again defeated by 800 majority.
In the Fourth district Mcguire has walked
away with three successive elections. In
1892 he defeated c. o. Alexander, Repub-
lican, and E. P. Burman, Peoples party,
by 100 plurality. In 1894, In the same kind of
fight, he defeated Shannon, Republican.
by 5000 plurality. Collier, Peoples party, re-
ceiving 1927 votes out of total of 100000 In
1896 Mcguire was the fusion nominee Of the
Democrats and Populists and defeated
o Brien, Republican by 5000 majority.
E. F. Loud, Republican, has monopolized
the Fifth district since 1892 In that year
he beat ]. w. Ryland, Democrat, by $3.50.
the Populist nominee receiving 24S4. In 1894
the vote stood: Loud, 1873; Kelly, Demo
crat, 1884, Denman Independent Democrat,
6S11; Rogers, Peoples party, 1920. In 1896
the vote stoodt Loud, 19, 440s Kelly, Demo-
crat, 1927; Kline, Peoples party, 8009.
With the Sixth district we como nearer
home and meet at once with Hervey Lind
ley, who fooled himself with the idea that
political boss and captain general Of the
push could be elected congressman. In 1892
Hervey was defeated by Cannon fusionist
nominee of the Democrats and Populists.
the former receiving 14.2H and the latter 90
GIG votes. In 1894, McLachlan Republican,
was elected. He defeated Patton, Demo-
orat, by some 5000 plurality. Bowman, Peo
PIES party receiving 9769 of the 10000 votes
cast. In 1896 McLachlan was defeated by
Barlow, fusionist. by some 600 majority.
w. w. Bowers OF San Diego in 1892 was
elected from the Seventh district, the vote
being: Bowers, Republican, Is 1885, DIN
Welborn, Democrat. 1860; Hiram Hamil-
ton, Peoples party, 551S. and M B. Harris.
Prohibition, 1874. In 1894 Bowers defeated
Afford, Democrat, by 1900 plurality, the
Populist nominee receiving 1919 votes Of
total of 41,OOO cast. In 1896 Castle, fusionist
of the Democrats and Populists, defeated
Bowers, the vote being, Bowers 1896 and
Castle 1873
AS the congressional districts stand today
the Republicans have three districts, the
First. Third and Fifth-Barham, Hilborn
and Loud. In 1896 there was nc fusion In
the First and Fifth districts and this prob
ably accounts for the fact that the Repub-
lican nominees, Barham and Loud, were
elected. Ia that year the Populist vote of
the First district was ont large, but there
must have been something wrong with Cut
Ter the beInOCrdtlC nominee, or with the
| Populsts, for in 1894 Barham received 49,
101 votes, while the combined vote of the
Democrats and Populists In that year was
2o,S1t In 1896 Barham received 1906, Cut
Ter 1921 and Monteith, Peoples party
about 800, falling off of 5000 votes, while
in every other district in the state the COM
bined fusion vote largely increased over that
of 1894.
| The three successive elections of Hilborn
in the Third district can be explained only
on the theory of his popularity or the un-
popularity of English, who has been three
times his opponent. In 1894 the combined
vote of the Democrats and Popuists was
1926; Hilborn's vote was 1875, yet in 1896
Hilborn defeated English, the fusion nom
inee. by 1000 votes. 1t cannot justly be
said that the Populists played traitor to
English The vote Of the Populists in other
districts contradicts any such assertion.
| The better reason undoubtedly is that
English was tracked OUT" as Jockeys say.
In the Fifth district there was no fusion
in 1896. and Loud, Republican, as seen, was
elected, receiving 19,440 votes, as against
| the combined vote Of the Democrats and
| Populists of 1875. In 1894 in a three
cornered fight, the majority Of the COM
bined silver vote over the Republican was
about $500. Based upon the vote Of 1896,
the chances of election, as between the Re-
publican and fusion nominee IN this dis