, 1904-03-03
INVADE SOUTH
REPUBLICANS PREPARING TO
CARRY SOME OF THE CON-
GRESSIoNAL DISTRICTS.
Hope to Ofse Possible LOSS of Dis
tricts in the North and Retain Con-
troll Of the House-Many Districts,
Leaders Think, Can Be Swung to
Republican Side by Hard Work.

Washington, d. c., March 3.-From
the prominent republican politicians
gathering in Washington come rumors
of an active invasion on the south and
a determined effort to carry certain
congressional districts, in order to off
set possible losses in northern and
as seen from a Washington view
point, promises that the coming nj
tional election will be even more spir-
tied than that of 1902.
The democrats are laying their plans
to secure control of the house, and
their prophets are out with predictions
of a turnover in the lower branch of
congress.
The outlook, speaking frankly from
the republican side, is that the demo-
Gratis are going to give their opponents
a pretty hard fight. The present re-
publican majority is less than thirty,
and a change of fifteen members polit.
ically out of 3SG will enable the demo-
Gratis to organize the house. 1t seems
probable hat the leaders will pick out
the weak and doubtful districts and
SohSCLSioNS lhSll Slloit ~ 1 III 4C
hope Of securing the desired majority.
The organization which they perfected
in the last congressional campaign in
scores of these districts is bound to be
serviceable in the election next No
vember.
Prominent republicans are express
ing a fear that certain districts will not
return the new members and by en-
gaging in internal strife will invite de-
feat. New members are always a
source of weakness in a national elec-
ton, for the reason that their constit-
uents are prone to expect too much
during the first term, and find fault
for failure to perform many things
quite beyond their powers.
The economical streak which is pre-
vailing in congress is going to prove
rather embarrassing to the new men,
as no postoffices are to be authorized
or river and harbor improvements pro-
vided for at this session. In fact, al
most no legislation affecting individual
localities or of interest to particular
communities is to be enacted.
The individual member. especially If
he be of recent origin, who does not
succeed in extracting some appropria-
ton from the public trough during his
term, is bound to come in for a good
deal of criticism, and he has to put
up a strong fight for denomination.
The absence of pork Larrels during
this session is greatly regretted by
him.
1t is alleged by those high in author
ity that a concentrated effort is to be
made by the republicans to carry the
fight into the southern states and
make inroads in the democratic rank.
At present there are only four repub-
licans from the south, excepting Mary
land and West Virginia.
OF these, two come from the noun
tain districts of Tennessee, and one
each from the mountain districts of
Kentucky and Virginia. There are
more than a dozen districts through
the south where the democratic ma.
~iorities are small and where the re-
publicans think that by a display of
unusual energy they may be secured.
Two or three of these are in Kentucky,
one or two in Tennessee, at least two
in North Carolina, one in Alabama and
two in Texas.
The spellbinders of both parties will
soon begin to issue their propaganda
and outline the plans of the coming
campaign. Republicans will sound a
note of warning against changes in the
present list of congressman and will
endeayOr to harmOniZa the discOrdant
factions in the party in all the states.