The Washington times., 1902-04-07
Democrats and Republl-
cans Lining Up for
Mighty Struggle.
HOPES OF THE MINORITY
Democrats Confidently Believe That They
Will Come to the Fore in the Fall Cam
paign With Representative Griggs as
Leader-Have Hunch.

House OF represent tStlN2S VIII shortly eS
launched. For some reason. or perhaps
without any reason, the Democrats appear
to have premonition that they will have
a majority in the Fifty eighth Congress.
1t is certain that they Will make q great
effort to win. The present Republican ma
jority is forty, but there are few who
actually believe that this advantage will
be maintained by that party in the next
Congress, although the leaders do conf
IDENTIFY expect to have what is known as
safe working majority. The Fifty eighth
House will. under the new apportionment.
have more members than the present
body, yet this will give little advantage. if
any, to either party, as the Democratic
States have Jared about as well as the Re-
publican States. As matter of fact
Texas gains three new members. the larg-
est number of any State. and is, of course,
expected to send solid Democratic dele
cation of sixteen instead of thirteen. as at
present
Preparations for the campaign have al
ready been begun. md the work vaguely
outlined. Ever since the present session
opened the Democrats have been piling
up campaign material in TIE shape of
speeches to be used in the fall elections.
These indicate that they will make is
sues Of the Philippine question. the fail
ure to completely crush out the insur-
rection, and generally against the hold
ing OF the islands, the cost OF maintain
ing large army in the insu!ar posses
sions and the failure to gain anything
in trade with the Philippines. They will
also attack the Philippine tariff. which
grants scarcely more than nominal re-
ductions to the islands. and which.
cording to the statement Of Governor
Taft, should have been two or three times
as great 10 have afforded any benefit.
Boer War an Issue.
Another issue promises to be the Boer
war. and the alleged failure of the Ad-
ministration to enforce the neutrality
laws, by reason of which it is claimed
that Great Britain maintains a military
supply depot in this country. Just how
far the question of reciprocity with Cuba
will figure as an issue will depend upon
the action of Congress upon the Payne
bill granting the products Of the island
Gratis cannot with consistency, advocate
tariff reduction and reciprocity and yet 20
into the beet sugar districts and blame
the Republican party for dealing blow
to the beet sugar industry, so IL is diffi-
cult to see wha advantage, if any. they
will derive from that issue
General tariff revision, for which there
is said 10 be a growing sentiment. espc-
cially "a the West, also promises to be
for
and there viii be much talk about goods
manufactured in this country and sell
cheaper abroad than they are here. Under
this head the trusts VIII have their place
in the arguments of the spellbinder this
fall.
Sentimental issues also will doubtless
cut some figure These will relate TO the
much discussed Schiey controversy. and
the failure of the Republican majority TO
take any action expressing the thanks OF
Congress to tie naval commander or do
ing anything which would offset the YER
dict of TIE Court OF Enquiry. The Miles
matters will also doubtless be used to stir
up passions ard preiudices.
The fact that the Crumpacker scheme
to investigate suffrage conditions in the
South is now practically dead will deprive
the Democrats of an Issue which. while
it would doubtless have profited them,
they did not covet. They declare that,
while il would have been OF political ad-
vantage the disturbance and i'll feel
ing which II would have aroused would
be too injurious TO business and social
conditions to have entertained II, If the
issue could be avoided Southern members
would prefer TO sec the House continue
Republican than 10 have a season of social
disorder and racial troubles such as they
fear would result from the adoption OF Mr..
crumpacker's proposition.
Record of Republicans.
The Republicans have made very few
contributions TO campaign literature.
They will go before the people relying
upon their record, the fulfllment of their
promises and the confidence reposed in
them in the past. BY reason OF being in
power they will OF course be on the de-
fenslye. They have thus far been sue
cesstuI in eliminating any issue of ex-
travaEhnce for Uncle Joe" Cannon has
held the appropriations down to an eco
notnic basis. and in nearly every instance
the big appropriation bills have been less
than last year and materially lower than
the. estimates.
The Democrats have selected their
chairman in the person of Representative
Griggs of Georgia, although the organiza-
tion is not yet complete. II is probable
that Representative Cable of Illinois
will be chairman of the executive commit
teo and have direct charge of the work in
the Northern and Western States.
While the Democrats expect 10 make
some gains south of Mason's and Dix
on's line their principal fight will be in
New York. Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana.
and Michigan. and they hope to pick up
some scattering districts in New Jersey
West Virginia, Wisconsin. and MinnesO-
ia Under the new ballot law of Mary
land they confidently expect to elect four
and possibly FIVE Of the members from
that state, all OF whom are now RepubIi-
can. They believe that the Schley case
Will have material effect upon the re-
suit there. In Kentucky, where there are
now three Republicans the districts have
been so gerrymandered as to throw all of
the Republican majority in Representa-
tive Boreing's district, and leave the
others Democratic by safe majOrities. Mr.
Boreings majority viii reach as high as
2O. .O0O Two Tennessee districts will re-
-.ain Republican, but. in North Carolina
egbt on their hands W. ..-a ..s d .iaIu
against them. West Virginia ofers e !
field for hope in two or three districts.
Now England holds out 30 hope to the
Democrats. although some contest will be
made in Connecticut, where they used TO
win There are at present three Dem
ocrats from all New England-Messrs.
Naphen and Conry of Boston and Mr..
Thlyer of Worcester. The first two rep
resent strong Democratic districts, but
Mr. Thayer's is largely Republican, and
only his personal popularity has twice
carried him through. aud will probably DO
so again. The only other close district
IS the Fifth. represented by Mr. Knox. |
The Democrats have strong hopes Of in
crcasing their membership from New