Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-03-20
ORGANIZED FOR THE
CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN.
NO DIRECT AID FROM HANNA.
CHAIRMAN BABCOCK TO BEAR THE
BRUNT OF THE BATTLE.
Special Attention to Be Given to the
Senatorial Elections in DOubt-
full States-Committeey Very
Hopeful, Despite "O6
Year, Tradition.

Washington, March 19.-(Special.) While
the campaign of 1896 on the Republican
side was waged with strong cooperation
between the national committee, under the
craftsmanship OF Marcus A. Hanna. and
the congressional committee under that OF
Representative ]. W. Babcock. the latter
| will bear the heat and burden of the bat.
| tie to be waged this fall without the direct
| aid of its powerful coadjutor. For this
| reason, perhaps. as much as that the fall
| campaign is expected to prove an unusual
| ly momentous one, special care was ex-
| ercised by the Republican members OF
| congress this year in selecting the men,
| bership of their committee, and in SO en-
| larging the powers of the chairman as to
| give him almost unrestricted right of ac-
| tion in respect to details which members
usually guard with jealous care. This was
made manifest in comforting upon him au-
| thority to select his own executive COM
| mittee. Influenced by strongly expressed
wish from the head of the administration,
Representative Babcock was reelected
chairman for the third time. and re-elect-
ed unanimously. Mr.. James S. Sherman,
OF New York. was made vice chairman, in
place Of Hon. L. D. Apsley, Of Massachu-
sets. That gentleman had twice filled the
place with distinguished ability, but de-
clined reelection and is not member Of
the present congress. The place of secre-
tary. made vacant by the resignation of
Hon. David H. Mercer. of Nebraska, was
filled by the election of Hon. Jesse Over
street, of Indiana, who is regarded as one
of the best politicians in the house. Fred
erick F. Schrader, a Washington news
paper man, who had charge Of the news
paper work of the committee during the
campaign of 1896, was made assistant Sec
retary. in place of Hon. Warner P. Sut-
ton, former consul general to Mexico.
and Hon. William B. Thompson, of Wash
ington. was appointed treasurer.
The Working Committee.
The newly appointed executive commit
tee is composed Of Representatives ]. A.
T, Hull, of Iowa. chairman; ]. G. Cannon,
of Illinois: David H. Mercer. of Nebraska;
Senators Redfield Proctor, Of Vermont; ].
H. GaIlinger of New Hampshire; John L.
Wilson, of Washington; Representatives ].
T. McCleary, of Minnesota; H. c. Loud
enslager, of New Jersey. and Richmond
Pearson. of North Carolina.
These constitute the committee entrusted
with the task Of promoting the election Of
Republican house of representatives. The
present house is composed Of 2O4 Repub-
icanS, Us Democrats, twenty-one Popu-
lists, four fusionists and three silverites,
ftepuDliCaH uIty-One. II Will
be the task of the congressional commit
tee to preserve the margin. or at least to
insure return of a majority large enough
to enable the Republicans to organize the
committee will be called upon to promote
the election Of United States senators in
a number of doubtful states where the
chances of success arc about equally d.
yided The legislatures elected in twenty;
seven states this fall choose United States
senators to succeed those whose terms ex-s
vNsrA ~16 ATovr ny,@ hos o1r 1tp
elected successor to Senator Arthur T.
Gorman-a Republican. Senator Hanna,
whose appointive term Is about to expire,
has been reelected for six years from
Ohio. Senator Money. Of Mississippi, serv-
ing an appointive term. has also been re-
elected.
Work In the Doubtful States.
The Republicans will doubtless fix their
attention on several states where changes
favorable to them may be brought about
by diligent effort. Among these is Nebras-
ka, where a successor to Senator William
tana, now represented in part by Senator
Lee Mantle, a silver Republican; Wiscon-
sin, where Republican will doubtless be
elected to take Senator John L. Mitchelrs
new senator in place Of Edward Murphy,
Jr.; North Dakota, which names a sue
cessor to Senator William n. Roach; Indi-
ana. which may elect Republican in place
l1a
where Republicans have hopes of filling
the seat now occupied by Senator Stephen
NJ. White. Democrat.
In several states the Republicans will be
put to their best efforts to prevent the
silver forces from making inroads into
their column. as for example in Washing
ton state. where successor to Senator
John L. Wilson is to be chosen and Wy
oming. which selects a successor to Sem
ator Clarence D. Clark. Michigan elects
a senator to succeed Senator julius c.
Burrows, and Minnesota, to succeed Cush-
man X. Davis. All of the latter are Re-
publicans.
Committee Very Hopeful.
This is brief outline of the task that
confronts the congressional committee. In
the light of precedent it may not altogether
be an enjoyable prospective, for the con-
elections following a national
campaign are usually held to go against
the party in power. But quite unusual
conditions enter into the campaign about |
to open. and Republicans at headquarters |
take anything but pessimistic view of the |
outlook. Time. they claim. is gradually
but surely spreading prosperity over the |
country. The Western farmers have been |
extensively cured of their blind faith in |
the sympathetic fluctuations of wheat and |
silver; The tangible result of dollar wheat |
and tho disgraceful slump in the price of |
silver have done that Moreover, they
point to the fact that the Dingley act has |
already equalized the revenues with the |
PUBIC disbursements. For the rest, they
rely upon another campaign OF education, |
leaving entirely out of sight the contin- |
gency OF war with Spain. which would |
almost necessarily enhance the chances of |
Republican victory.
When the committee gets fairly upon a |
working basis it will employ not far from |
100 persons. The majority Of these will be |
women who fold documents and get them |
ready for shipment to the various congress |
sional districts. In the campaign OF 1896 |
this committee sent broadcast % 600 900 cop |
les of congressional speeches furnished free |
70 every candidate for congress. Twenty |
and distributed. Many of these were in |
great demand. Those most called for were |
McCleary's reply to Towne on the silver |
question, Babcock's history of money, |
Judge Aldredge OF Texas on free coinage
Blaines speech against free coinage, deliv- |
cred in the senate February !, 1s7S; Sena- |
tor Sherman's exposition of the Crime of |
73." Three Evenings With Silver" a mas |
terful reply to the free coinage catechism |
of fallacies. and Speaker Reeds speech on |
the tariff. |
Work Soon to Begin.
In addition to the regular line of docu- |
ments. the committee issued a pamphlet |
editorials from the leading Dem |
ocratic newspapers denouncing the Chicago |
platform and repudiating Bryan. and also |
issued the campaign handbook for the ma |
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