The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-10-15
THE SOUTH WOULD CONTROL.

Roosevelt but they continue to pre-
diet that they will control the mex
house Of representatives. They arr
not without reason in this prediction
for they have a permanent Democrat
ic asset in the South which amounts
to one-third Of the membership OF
that body, leaving only one-sixth tt
win and gain control. There are IL
the present house 121 Democrats
from the solid South and there will
be the same number Of Democrats
from that section in The next house
and those that follow, so long as the
present conditions prevail there
The majority Of these 1877 Democrats
are elected by ridiculously small
votes ranging from 1,444, the total
vote in the district represented by
John Sharp Williams of Mississippi,
to about 5000 votes cast in few
Southern districts, while the major
itv of members from the North are
elected after a contest where from
10000 to $4,000 votes are east in a
district.
The 127 Democrats from the South
represent not only one-third of the
total membership, but they make up
1wo-thirds of the Democratic caucus.
Suppose the Democrats win the con-
the Northern Democrats have to de-
eide on the policies to be adopted Z?
Their representatives will be only
small minority of the Democratic eau
Gus. The South will dictate to the
Democratic caucus and dominate the
congress. No one of them would
dare bolt the caucus dictation and
vote with Republicans against a tar
if bill like that passed by the last
Democratic congress ten years ago.
The control by the South would be
more marked in the committees than
on the floor Of the house. John
Sharp Williams of Mississippi, would
be elected speaker because he is now
the acknowledged leader of the party
in the house. BY the rule of prece-
dent every important committee
would have a Southern Democrat for
chairman. Mr.. Williams selected the
minority members of the present
house and he placed Southern men to
the front on all the important COM
mittees. He selected only one
Northern Democrat for member of
the most important committee of
all. that of WAYS and Means. That
member is Bourke Cochran, an avow-
ed free trader All the other Demo-
Gratis on the Ways and Means COM
mittee are from the South, and Mr..
Cochran is at the foot of the list.
There is not single Northern
Democrat on the great committee on
the Appropriations. All are from
the South. The same Is true of the
committee on Rivers and Harbors.
Southern men alone represent the
Democrats on these great committees.
In Democratic house Southern men |
would be made chairmen Of those
committees. Southern men would |
make the tariff bill to be passed by a |
Democratic congress, and Southern
men would decided where the big APP
preparations should go and where the |
millions appropriated for the inn
provement of rivers and harbors !
should be spent. In the present or
yaniztion Of the house Southern men |,
stand first on the Democratic COM
mittee lists in four-ffths of the COM !,
mittees. There are sixty committees
in the house and Southern men
would become chairmen of forty-eight |
of those committees. while Northern |,
men would become chairmen of only
Twelve of the least important COM