Evening star., 1900-09-19
CONGRESS CAM PAiGN
CHAIRMAN BABCOCK SHOWS THE
DANGER OF A DEMOCRATIC HOUSE.
Republicans Have Few Chances to
Gain. Owing to the Solid
south.

| Representative Babcock, chairman OF the
| republican congressional committee, yester-
! day addressed the convention of the State
| League of Republican Clubs of Pennsyl-
vania at Philadelphia. After reviewing the
| national issues he pointed to the danger
| that even though President Mckinley may
| be reelected. the democrats may elect
| majority of the House of Representatives.
| He said:
THAT the contest for the control Of the
! Fifty-seventh Congress Is doubtful and
close no one can deny.
In ten of the southern states, or what
| is known as the solid south proper, hav-
| ing eighty representatives in Congress. the
/ republicans can practically make no cam
! paign. They are barred by the laws and
! methods that are used to defeat the will
( Of the people and to return a democratic
majority. regardless of the votes cast.
| THE total of this class Of districts is
| about hundred. where il is impossible.
! first. to pol! the republican yot- and, sec
( ond to count it IL cast.
t There is a total OF 357 seats in the
! House. Deducting this 100. it leaves 257
/ seats that are in debatabe territory and
! out of these 257 districts the republicans
! must elect 40 members to organize the
House.
! Need Of Republicans.
4
/ to the methods and laws to which I have
referred, will lose number of republ-
I can districts in the south that we carried
| in 1928. and our representation from the
! south will be less in the Fifty-seventh Con
/ gress than it has been for many years when
( the republicans have had a majority in the
] House.
! ''On the other hand In the states of Cali
! fornia, Iowa. Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota,
! North Dakota. Oregon, South Dakota.
| Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming We
| have solid republican delegations with the
| exception of two districts-one I'm California
! and one in Kansas
/ I'm this territory there ara only these
| two seats that be added to the
publican column or that we have any
/ chance to gain; while in this territory there
are thirteen districts represented by
| republicans which are debatabe, or where
we stand a chance to lose more or less of
them.
New England has solid republican del
! egation, with the exception OF three dis
| trict5 In Massachusetts. showing that the
! opportunity for gains In that section is
! very small
1.-The difference between the presidential
| and congressional campaigns fs illustrated
/ best perhaps by the present membership Of
the House from the four largest states.
namely. New York. Pennsylvania. Ohio and
! Illinois, having a total membership of 107,
/ of which AZ are democratic
| I'VE believe that President Mckinley will
/ carry every one of these states by de-
| cided majority, giving him the entire cleo
toral vote. while. on the other hand. we
! have only G5 out Of the 1eI congressional
| districts
This great difference between the congress
| sionai representation and the presidential
] vote I'm these four states may be the means
of giving the President a decided ma jority
| in the electoral college. and still enough
democrats be elected, to control the next
/ House.
| I'VE expect to cut down and make in
! roads into the present democratic repre-
/ sentation from these states. and we turn to
! New York and Pennsylvania especially for
| help.
"tt stands every republican in hand to
consider well this situation. All differ
/ enceS and dissensions should be thrown
! aside and a united front presented to the
| enemy for without an increase in the re-
| publican representation from these states
| success Is doubtful.
Democ rats in Congress.
1T has been stated by some that in presi-
Dental years the House follows the Pres-
| dent-that is. IL republican President Is
| elected there will be republican House.
| IL democratic President is elected there
will be a democratic House. There Is no
| question about the latter part of the propo-
sitfon In this campaign, for il MIR. Bryan
| should be elected. there would be a very
| large democratic majority in the next Con-
| gress.
! But Mr.. Mckinley can be elected by a
| PoOu ifIaJoTltS anu the House De lost to the
| republicans, owing to the solid south and
the conditions existing In the four large
states | have mentioned.
| In the campaign of 1876 when republi-
can President was elected, there was DEM
ocratic majority of nineteen In the Forty
| seventh Congress.
| In 1880 President Garfield had a majority
! of ffty-seyen votes in the electoral college.
while the republican House was short Just
one of majority.
I'm 1883 President Harrison had major
ity of sixty-five in the electoral college,
while there was a republican majority of
only three In the House and want to can
your attention specifically to the fact that
at this time there were sixteen republican
members from the southern states. This Is
more than We can hope to elect In the pres
ent campaign. loss of two districts In
| the south In 1883 would have given the DEM
! ocrats the organization of the House. and
still President Harrison had a majority of
| slxty-ffve.
| 1--WE cannot depend upon as many dis
tricts in the south electing republican men,
bers in 1860 we did in 1893 or lS9S and
this loss must be made good by the middle
| states. for the reason that the south Is SOL
| idly democratic and the extreme northwest
| ern states solidly republican.
| A Dangerous Situation.
| 81 do not believe that the democracy will
elect a majority In the Fifty-seventh Con-
gress. but I have endeavored to show you
the facts as they exist. This is the situa-
tion. which believe to be dangerous In the
| extreme. and the great business interests
| OF the country should realize and know the
conditions OF this campaign.
! The loss OF the House would snbarrass