Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-23
Chairman Babcock Talks on the Politi-
cal Situation.
NATIONAL CONDITIONS SATISFACTORY
Will Have to Work to Garry Con.
gressionaI Districts.


Chairman Babcock and Vice Chairman
Hull Of the republican congressional cam
paign committee reached Washington this
| morning in the course Of their eastern tour
of observation and spent the forenoon in
conference with Representative Louden-
| slayer, who is in charge of the eastern head
| quarters of the committee. Since Congress
| adjourned Mr.. Babcock has been in Chica-
| go, establishing the main headquarters of
| the committee, and has also visited several
| state Of the middle west, while he has been
| In communication with all the states where
congressional contests will rage this fall
| Mr.. Babcock is an old campaigner, the
| successful general of several republican con-
gressional victories. His estimates of po-
| litical situations have Invariably proven
| correct in the past, and he is regarded in
! official circles as the possessor of political
| sagacty of a high order His views there
| fore. upon the outlook at this time will be
| of value.
| Situation Satisfactory.
| 1.-The situation l have found it thus
| far said Mr.. Babcock to Star reporter
| today, lis entirely satisfactory so far as
| the national ticket is concerned. Republic
| cans are satisfied with their ticket and
| their platform. l see no reason to think
| that Mckinley and Roosevelt will run be-
| hind the vote which was given Mckinley
| and Hobart. Furthermore, the republicans
1 are contented with the democratic platform
| and ticket, If the expression can be used.
| II we had been permitted to make up the
| democratic platform and name the candi-
| dates we would not have concocted a mix
| ture more acceptable to republican prospects
| than that tumble of Organism. populism,
| free silver and other isms, with an old
| line democrat on the side.
But when it comes to consideration of
10 sell na1 7 fs,I
| usual conditions. There are the gold demo-
Gratis, for instance, who stood by us in 1896
| and again in 1898. They will vote for the
republican national ticket for they can't
| swallow the free silver heresy presented to
| them by the democrats And yet many Of
| them will support the democratic candi-
| dates for Congress and for legislative and
local offices.
The Congressional Outlook.
There are indications that in many dis
tricts the local differences of the demo-
| Gratis. while acute upon national issues,
| will be healed with respect to the con-
gressional ticket, and the republican vote
! will suffer to that extent. I find that situ-
alton to exist in the east, well in
| the west.
Many people ask, Why all this concern
about the House? If the national ticket
wins won't 1t pull the congressional ticket
through with 1t? People do not stop to
| think how the republicans are handicapped
| south, the like Of which we have not in
our party.
THE south will send 12O democratic rep
resentatives to Congress from states that
will also give their electoral vote to the
democratic candidates. That is a big nu-
cleus. a certain nucleus. which nothing can
prevent and around which the democrats
\ have in the past gathered their majorities
For cur part, states which will give
their electoral votes to the republicans will
at the same time have forty per cent of
| their congressional delegations democratic
| Just look at the democratic representa-
| tives in this Congress from New York
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and other
| strongholds of republicanism national
| from the state of New York is not going
| to pull through republican representatives
from the New York city districts
"WeSt of the Missouri river we will have
| to fight to hold what we already have
| In the northwest there some districts
which are too close in their pluralities to
| be comfortable. That will push us into
New York, Pennsylvania and Massachu-
setts to make gains to offset almost GER
| tain losses in some of the middle west dis
| tricts.
Every Vote Will Count.
'"The fight will come to a point where
| every vote will count. Take the third
Pennsylvania district, for instance. For
years they have returned gold democrat
| McAleer, the republicans voting for him
But that is a republican district and hope
they will put up a republican there and
make a hot canvass, in which event think
they can elect a republican. We will need
his vote and every other that we can get
to keep up our majority in the House. If
the negro vote in North Carolina is dis
franchised. we will never get another re-
publican representative from that state
| where we have often had two or three.
This may seem rather a discouraging
outlook to republicans, but these are the
facts which all republicans must face and
the sooner they do SO and get down to
| big fight before us that will require per
sonal efforts on the part of every man.
II am glad to find in the east an awak-
ening to the fact that the business interests
Of the country cannot afford to have the
House imperiled. 1t would be serious mis-
take and sure to work harm to business
| and the general prosperity of the nation.
Embarrassment of Democratic
House.
aside from the fact that the election
Of q democratic House would prevent the
| republicans carrying out plans for the
further prosperity Of the country, enact
ing legislation in which trade and COM
merce are vitality interested, democratic
House would work untold embarrassment
all along the line. Powerless to do any,
thing themselves, the democrats would only
succeed in preventing any one else from
doing things. and would stop the wheels of
progress.
when all these things are fully realized
by the country, and the congressional cam
paign committee will do Its share in bring
ing them to the attention of voters, when
the republicans get their coats OF and
buckle down to work with their old-time
energy. 1 have no fear of the result. With
the proper effort we can elect the House,
but, as 1 said. that effort will have to be
made"
Personal Mention.
Dr. Daniel H. Williams Of Chicago, for
merly surgeon-in-chief of Freedmen's Hos