The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-26

principal feature or the congressman cuih'
palgn. Leaders OF both parties say that
the present contest Is one Of the quetest
they have ever known. Both committees
seem to be doing everything In their power
to Inject some llvcllness into the hght, but
at present there Is nothing to Indicate that
they will be more than partially successful.
The general lack Of interest is remarkable
IN view OF the Issues involved ana Of the
large number Of important Offices to be
filled. Three States have already held their
elections, Maine having selected four repre-
sentatlves Vermont two and Oregon two
Forty-two other States are to hold their
elections on November g. now only few
days less than two weeks away. These
forty-two states are to elect 37s repre-
sentatlycs. which number added to the
eight already chosen. viii make the total
membership Of 1856 This is twenty mine
more representatives than are at present
serving, the increase being due TO the ad'
dltNnal districts formed as result OF the
Increased population shown by the census
OF 1900 In addition to the representatives.
delegates will be chosen by each Of the Ter
ritories on November 4 and Porto Rico will
select commissioner on the same day.
State legislatures. which WIN be charged
with the duty Of electlng United States
senators, Will be elected In twenty-three
States and twenty-one will elect full State
tickets. Constitutional amendments Will
be voted on in several states and eleven
Will vote for minor officials.
The managers OF the two congressional
committees do not appear to know any more
concerning the reason for the general
apathy than does the public at large nor
do they seem to be able TO do anything
toward increasing Interest among voters.
The republican committee has had plenty
Of money at Its disposal all during the cam
paign aud has sent out an almost unlimited
number of speakers, who have stumped the
country far and near. Yet Chairman Bah
cock Is discouraged. OF that there Is no
vided on the tarlff-snd-trusts issue and he
finds, also. that the settlement of the coal
strike has by no means put the republicans
back on as firm n footing MS they occupied
before the beginning Of the trouble, over
1ve months ago And In addition TO nil this
be finds q degree Of apathy which is moth.
ing short Of distressing. Reports from va.
very little Interest Is being manifested ard
an unerrlng indication Of the lack Of az.
tlvity Is afforded by the fact that only
about 900 Of the government clerks en-
| ployed In Washington win 20 TO their
homes to vote. as against several thousand
who have secured leave for that purpose in
previous campaigns.
49,
The situation from the democratic stand
point is much the same except that the IN
dications all seem n point to democratic
victory despite the probable snnallness Of
the vote. Chairman Griggs' committee has
been sending ont personal letters IN an at
tempt TO get voters interested IN the cam.
paign and has probably succeeded to a cor.
siderable extent, but the fact that spirit
| Of apathy generally prevails is apparent
| The committee has all along been hamper
| ed by a lack Of funds and scarcity Of
| speakers, but It has had right on its side
| and conservative men OF both parties who
| have been watching the contest as closely
/ as possible believe that de5noeratic house
| will be elected
| One well known democrat with whom
| talked today said that the present condi.
| tlon OF affairs reminded him Of the sltua-
| lion which existed IN 1890 Shortly before
the election Roswell p. Flower, char man
/ Of the congressional campaign committee,
| wrote to Charles r. Crisp of Georgia, saw
ing that he could hold out no very alluring
| prospects THE apathy all over the coun-
/ Try is something appalling" he said in ef-
| fect, and my opinion is that the best we
I can do Is to reduce the matorities Of the
| opposluon, YET In the election which fol
! lowed 80 democratic representatives and
| only eighty republicans were elected
| Ihere is no doubt that the ill-advised
| statements Of certain prominent democrats
/ 20 the erect that nothing could be gained
| py the winning OF the next house, have
/ had deleterlous effect and have been re-
! sponslble In some degree for the general
| apathy which now exists. II is incon-
| celvable why such men as Senator Morgan
| Of Alabama, for instance, should alSMw
! themselves TO be quoted as saying that the
| democratic party would not gain and might
lose. II II succeeded in getting control OF
! tne next house. Such assertions, coming
| from such sources, have q decided tendency
| toward counteracting the Efforts of the
| camnalgn committee and, while they have
Hot so expressed themselves, II Ia likely
that the chairman and other officials Of
that committee are by no means disposed
| 70 receive Morgan's interview with any de-
gree OF competency. 1t is doubtful II
ID support Of his contention is anything
IKE sound. Mr.. Morgan has a right to HIS
opinion, OF course, but no mao who had the
oest interests of his party at heart would
hiloW tne opposition TO make capital out
~ ms uuerances, as the republicans un-
| doubtedly Will make capital ont OF the re-
| cent Baltimore interview. The insertions
iinaqe oy the veteran Albanian may go a
iong ways toward winning the elections
Tor the republicans, for democrats are not
ilkely TO reel disposed to show great activ-
ny when men Ike Morgan say no good can
result from such activity II would he nee
less to attempt to conceal the TACT thnt
Morgan has aliennted the affection Of many
OF the leading members Of his party. who
ma! improve some future occasion to show
n nal. 5hat MS hladvised interview is re-
., AS a eounterbalance to expressions sim.
llar 70 those q Morgan are the speechea OF
SissNeland and Olney. 1t is generally con
Sepeu tnat these speeches will have the
euect or Increasing the democratic vote
~ the November election and that they
s WI also encourage democrats to hope FOR
sugSssS "a the greater struggle OF 1904 The
general tendency seems Ia he reward an
una lsamation all along the line Letting
tysohea be bygones and bending ali efforts
~ party Victories In the future. The at
~ tteI h OF David B. Hin is also calculated
The rsnt me. nelpsInl tendency, It Is thought.
mas been rather disposed TO be susnicions
~ nj, put II appears that he Is now
uothg MS best for the Democratic ticket
~ ~, lis state and that the prospects OF re-
st Jiim,''s ss overthrow are bright There are
VINO contend that Hill placed ne nov "a
nous coal plank In the State piatform for
tns purpose OF embarrassing the nominee
Ut governor and that nominee-TliIi,s
thholce-was the weakest man among all
n ranse sFnllabie. This alleged action or the
successful candidate for royernor misht
o oe a formidable rlvnl In the presldenfiai
contest which the Wolfert,s Roost r,a, -ds
eNpecled to make two years hence.
~
Inc next senate will be republican. Of
course regardless OF the complexion OF the
mouse The democrats may gain a few
seats as a result Of the work OF the va.
rious legislatures this winter. but the re-.
pun'iean majority or twenty-seyen is alto.
setoer too large to overcome
Nearly onethird OF the uen,+os. IN, \.