The Washington times., 1902-09-14
CONGRESSMAN GAINES
ON.DBMOCRATIC CHANCES
Representative Predicts Sue
cess for His Party.
Says Republicans in Many Western
States Are Divided on Questions of
Tariff, Trusts, and Reciprocity.

Bright hopes of Democratic success In
the coming Congressional elections are
cherished by Representative John Wes-
ley Gaines. OF tennessee, who has Just
returned from an extended trip to the
Pacific Coast, and the Northwest gen
orally. Speakir< of present conditions
there, Mr.. Gaines said:
The Republicans in many of the
Western States are divided on the ques-
tion of the trusts, the tariff. and Cuban
In that fact alone there is sufficient en-
couragement for hopes of Democratic
success in the fall Congressional cleo
tions.
Labor Element in California.
There are two storm centers in poll
tics in the West in this campaign.
California and Minnesota. In the for
mer the Republicans are still in an up-
roar over the gubernatorial mix-up, in
which Dr. Pardue defeated Governor
Cages aspirations for denomination.
There is good deal of uncertainty and
solieitude as to the result of the Con-
gressional elections, because the leaders
are not yet able to tell which way the
labor vote is going to be cast.
THE organized labor element is so
strong that 1t controls the result now,
Just as it did some time ago, when a
of San Francisco. This vote the Dem
ocrats claim. and all the Indications are
that We are going to get it,
Issues in Minnesota.
F'In Minnesota. in number of dis
tricts, there Is division in the Repub-
lican camp between the advocates OF
Cuban reciprocity on the one side and
the beet sugar men on the other. Some
wellknown Republican members Of Con-
gress from that State are going to fall
by the wayside. | believe, when the
votes are counted up.
Then there Is the equally bitter di-
vision on the tariff and trust questions.
While each man is able to arrange a
position to suit himself and the local
conditions. there must still be consid-
cred the dictum of President Roosevelt
and the general party position on these
matters. The utterances of the Presi-
dent as to what he will do, without
promising the people what the Republi-
can party will do. widens the breach.
President Speaks for Himself.
"In the Presidents Fitchburg speech
recently. he used the pronoun L twenty
Ave times. / counted them. That is
very significant as showing that he is
speaking for himself only. What the
party may do is quite another matter.
Il regard the President as an able and
a sincere man. but he is stating his per-
sonal position, while the Democrats are
urging their party position.
THE Republican party has avoided
any antitrust legislation throughout
both McKinley's and Roosevelt's terms
of office. The Democrats have urged
the pSesent law, and in
the meantime giving it a vigorous en-
forcement. as far as it goes.
The outlook, judged from my trip. is
that the Democratic situation is bright
est in California and Minnesota. We ex
pect to gain in Kansas. while the con-
fusion in Iowa over the tariff revision
plank gives promise of helping our side
IF this impression of the West is
equaled by what Democrats Of the House
say they found in the East, we will have
control of the next House by all means
Bryan's Hold on the Party.
Mr. Gaines was asked as to the Bryan
feeling in the West. He said:
Mr. Bryan will be great factor in
the naming of the next candidate. He
doesn't want to be considered in the
light of candidate himself, but his