Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-12
Possibility That Democrats May Cap
ture the House.
VERY MANY CLOSE DISTRICTS
Republican Leaders Fearful of
Overconfidence in Voters.
BOTH PARTIES ACTIVE

While no republican politician of promi-
nence can be found who will admit the
probability of Mr.. Bryan carrying the coun-
try next November. 1t is not so with re-
spect to the congressional situation. The
election of a democratic House of Repre-
sentatives for the next Congress is by no
means considered without the range of
possibilities.
1t is said that the republican leaders who
are interesting themselves in the congress
sional outlook. regard the situation as very
similar to that which prevailed in 1892.
Then the country was prosperous. as 1t is
now. Mills were running. men were work
ing, crops were good, railroads We're busy
and the country generally was moving
along. Workingmen had full dinner pals
and there was peace and prosperity
throughout the land.
This being so a condition Of apathy re-
suited on election day. The rank and file
OF the voters of the republican ticket could
not bring themselves to believe that there
was any danger and at any rate thought
that their particular vote would not count.
The great democratic landslide of that
year was attributed by republicans in large
measure to the contentment and resultant
apathy among republicans.
Danger of Apathy.
The preliminary view of the field this
year has induced many republican leaders
to believe that the same danger is now
to be apprehended. The men with the full
dinner pals have forgotten their empty
stomaohs of '93 and 81 The bland smile
of prosperity has smoothed out the wrin-
kles caused by the cares of those days.
All over the country men are at work, and
as they view the satisfactory conditions
around them see nothing to suggest the
danger of a reversal of those conditions.
In this state of mind. it is claimed, indif-
ference to politics is born and the stay-at-
home contingent is recruited.
Republican leaders who have talked to
business men of different sections say that
they discover a decided drift In this di-
rection. These persons are prone to scott
at the idea of the workingmen changing
their condition by deserving the republican
party. Gradually this spirit of overconf-
dence works down from the head of the es
Establishment through the foremen and as
sfstants to the men themselves until the
whole place is permeated with 1t.
Many Close Districts.
Greater danger is apprehended from
apathy this year than before, on account of
the large number of close districts. The
narrow majority Of the republicans in the
House includes some cases where the plu-
rality of the winners was exceedingly close.
Some districts were Won by the democrats
on margins equally narrow.
In all there are enough of these contested
districts 10 give one party or the other <the
control of the next House. II they could all
be carried. In such places the Indifference
of one or two men in each voting precinct
would be disastrous
1t Is likely, therefore that this campaign
for Congress is going to be conducted with
greater attention to detail than any pre-
vious campaign. There will be house-to-
house canvasses and heart-to-heart talks
with voters. The work will be subdvided
so that the great republican machine Will
keep tab on every voter in these uncertain
districts.
AT the same time while this work is pro-
ceeding the managers will not lose sight of
the districts where the pluralities We're
larger. Some Of these will need close at
tention, from the fact that experience has
shown the liability Of the voters to move
is particularly true in Indiana and Illinois,
where peculiar conditions of a local char
acter sometimes exist and which affect the
national ticket.
Democrats Mt Work.
that the democrats of every section will
concentrate their efforts upon the congress
sonal and local tickets. Even In districts
where the democrats may bolt Bryan and
the presidential ticket on account of the
platform there are already evidences that
they will unite upon the candidates for
Congress and the county and state offices.
These are among the reasons which
prompt the republican managers to think
at this stage Of the campaign that they will
are going into the contest with determine
ton, but, as stated will not permit them
selves to become too sangune or to lose
any tricks by overconfidence.