Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-04
Republican Managers Preparing to
Increase the Party's Strength.
IMPORTANCE OF HOLDING THE HOUSE
New Responsibilities Placed by
Supreme Court.
SOUTHERN REPRESENTATION

The republican managers are preparing to
materially increase the partys strength IN
the House of Representatives at the next
congressional election. The decision Of the
Supreme Court placing in Congress practi-
cally the absolute control of all insular
affairs makes It question of the first i'm
portance that the republicans should not
lose their hold upon the lower house in
this formative period.
There are indications that the democratic
managers are not unaware OF the impor-
tance of the congressional elections. and
will give the opposition a battle royal for
control Of the House While it is yet early
to prophesy issues, the opinion is growing
among politicians that questions OF insular
government will form the main points Of
contention in the next campaign.
The Two Parties.
The republicans having more at stake
thap the democrats may be expected to
make a more energetic fight. With the re-
publicans, the control OF the House means
supremacy in the situation and the power
to do something. With the democrats. a
majority in the House would simply mean
an opportunity to tie the hands Of the
other fellows and prevent action.
Before the elections come on there VIII
have intervened one session Of Congress,
giving the republicans chance TO make a
rtCOEu III lllSuIdE SoNtlllhtil IbIl tut
democratic standpoint it will also afford
material for criticism and in the action
or non-action Of the Congress they can
make up their case against the republi-
cans.
The new burden of responsibility placed
vy the Supreme Court upon Congress, and
the additional opportunities for legislation,
will in the opinion of some of the political
leaders, make the congressional elections
of the future a great deal more impor-
tant that they have been in the past. While
it is true that since 1923 with the money
question and the tariff question at issue.
the congressional campaigns have at each
election received greater attention from the
hands of the managers, 1t seems likely that
in the future, with the Philippines to be
handled by Congress. the congressional
campaigns may approach more to the i'm
portance of national campaigns Individual
seats In the House Will be more closely con-
tested and there Will be a general tighten
ing OF political lines in the border states
especially.
Republican Managers.
The republican managers congratulate
themselves that at this juncture. with a
comparatively narrow margin I'm the House,
under normal conditions, their strength is
to be materially increased by the natural
growth of the new apportionment. The
republicans gain nineteen seats in the
House under this act, and the democrats
gain ten, leaving a net republican gain OF
nine This makes very good nucleus OF
increase with which to begin the next con-
gressional campaign. 1t operates practi-
cally as a clear gift to the republican coll
umn inasmuch as under the reapportion-
ment conducted by the republican legisla-
lures, existing congressional districts are
not weakened.
In some quarters II is believed that the
realization of the absolute necessity of
controlling the House will urge the repub-
licans to further consideration Of the propo-
sition to reduce the represent tation in tne
House Of those southern states that have
disfranchised the negro. 1t will be remem-
bered that the initial step in this direction
was taken in the last Congress, but aban-
doned under pressure from high sources.
Reduction of Southern Representation
1t may not be that the sentiment Will
ripen sufficiently in the next Congress 10
bring about the reform at once, but there
will certainly be increased agitation of the
subject 1t may be stated authoritatively
that the republican congressional commit
tee will take up the case for consdera-
ton next winter and there Will be some i'm
portant conferences among the leaders.
Under the new apportionment. the south
ern states get 137 seats in the House Of
Representatives and 81 Of them are ap-
portioned on the colored population that
either has been or will be disfranchised.
This situation, in the eyes of some of the
republican leaders, is intolerable, and they
propose to take steps to bring IL to the
attention Of the party, with what success,
of course remains to be seen, as there is
strong opposition in influential quarters to
tamperfng with the representation of the
southern states.