Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-05
THE NEXT CONGRESS,
Basis Of Belief That It Will Be
Democratic,
HEAVY REPUBLICAN LOSSES,
Effect Of Disappointment Of Unsratlhed
Applicants for Pie.
CLOSE SURVEY OF THE FIELD.
Opponents of Democracy Disor-
y,uized and Divided by AIgcrism,
Hannaism, Quayism. Plattfsm, and
the Crimes Against the Soldiers.
CLOSE SURVEY OF THE FIELD.

cratic Congressional Committee, tonight
gave out the following forecast OF the
elections on Tuesday next:
THE Republicans have 2O6 members IN
the present House OF Representatives
Three of these they acquired by use OF
the machinery of the Elections Commit
tee. Therefore based on the returns or
the elections of 1886, the House of Repre-
sentatives would stand 2O3 Republicans,
l27 Democrats. % Populsts, and silver
Fusionists, the total opposition to the
Republican party in the Fifty-hfth Con-
gress being 15i, giving Republican ma
iority of forty-nine over all. or with only
twenty-five changes necessary to carry
the Republicans to the minority side
provided the Democrats should hold all
the districts they now have.
DEMOCRATIC CHANCES.
"What are the chances of Democratic
success at this time? According to the
adyices received by this committee from
sources which are very reliable. there are
only 123 districts conceded TO the Repuo'
leans as certain. Forty-eight others are
in the doubtful column, five or when are
held by the opposition in the FIFTY
fifth Congress- leaving forty-three RepuD-
Iican districts I'm which there Is close
and hopeful contest in favor of the De-
mocracy. leaving 1856 districts which the
onposition to the Republican party Is
positively certain to carry and local Re
nublican committees have admitted as
Lost So at this hour the Republicans
must concede that they have no possible
chance TO control the House.
DISAPPOINTED PIE-HUNTERs.
This committee believes the next Con-
gress will be Democratic. soma Of the
reasons for this are that shirty-two dis
tricts are held Dy Republicans on so mar
row margin as an average OF only oH
plurality. and when it is taken into con-
sideration that there is an average ot zoi
post offices in these congressional CHS
trlcts. most of them being rural and that
there were at least four applicants Tot
every post-office. 762 Republicans in each
of these districts were disappointed by
not reaching the post-ofiice pie-counter
An average of 4iO votes will lose them
grv of these districts. A loss Of per
cent. of the Republican vote will give the
Democrats n majority I'm the next House
And when IL is considered that, N addi-
tion the Republicans concede loss OF
| twenty-two districts north of Mason enc
Dixon's line. IL must be plain TO every
one how sorry plight their statlsticlaI
must be i'm TO make IL appear that they
| have any possible hope To be more ex
plicit the Republicans have twenty-sN
members at present from New England
while the Democrats have one. which VII
| he increased 10 three, and possibly hVe
| in the next House.
WEST AND SOUTH
"In the Middle and Western States tht
Republicans have 152 memoers In th'
present House. while the Democrats anC
Fusionists have only fifty-one' wnich iat
| ter number will be increased to seventy
| four. with a fighting chance In thlrty-nV'
| additional districts, leaving only ninety
| four districts certain to the Republicans
| The South sent twenty-five Republican,
| and 1O2 Democrats and Populists TO th'
| last House. The Republicans cannot Rope
| 10 retain more than eleven OF these mem
bers in the next, giving the opposition
| gain of fourteen members from the Soutf
| alone. with a fighting chance for .Ou
more. And thus is made up the state
ment which indicates that the Republi
cans are only certain OF 123 districts, an'
| il they were able 10 carry all of the re
| naming forty-one doubtful districts, the!
could not have a majority in the nex
| House.
| REPUBLICAN PARTY SINS.
| "When we consider that the Republi
can campaign has been seriously embar
rassed by the results OF Algerism, th'
charges against Hanna and his methods
4 mi
| against Quayism I'm Pennsylvania, III
| canal frauds and disgust with Plattisn
| in New York. the antics of that politica
| nountebank Pingree. who Is leading tn
! cause of the Republican party in Michl
| gan. and the dangerous demagogy o
| Tanner and his followers i'm Illinois, IN
| Republicans are indeed in Il sorry pligh
| before the country at this time. Disor
| ganized and divided almost everywhere
| under the circumstances TO believe
| were possible for them 10 succeed woul'
| he a loss of faith in the intelligence AM
| patriotism of the American people. tn
| Republican party has been weighed ii
| the balance and found wanting. liz
\ necessary for Democratic House U
| save tAe country from the Gage Dill ant
! other vicious legislation. IL Is necessar,
| IN have a Democratic House TO bring 4
| Judgment and drag TO justice the crimi
| nails who have murdered our brave boy
who volunteered to save the lives Of Gu
| ban patriots.
THE PEOPLE THINKING.
"The people are thinking; the quiet !
| hut a lull before the storm; the exten
| and the magnitude OF the peoples VIC
| tory at the polls on the sth OF Novembe
| ney, can only be calculated after tn
| vote has been cast.