Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-10-20
REGIS Err.
THE SOUTH WOULD CONTROL

The Democratic managers have
given up all hope of defeating Pres
Roosevelt but they continue to predict
hat they will control the next house
Of Representatives. They are not with
out reason in this prediction. for they
have permanent Democratic asset
in the south which amounts to one
third Of the membership of that body
leaving only one-sixth to win and
gain control There are In the present
House 1877 Democrats from the solid
south and there will he the same mum.
her of Democrats from that section in
the next House and those that follow.
80 long as the present conditions pre-
vail there The majority of these 127
Democrts are elected by ridicuously
small votes ranging from l.444 the
total vote in the district represented
by John Sharp Williams of Mississip-
pi, to about 5000 votes cast In few
Southern districts, while the majori-
ty OF members from the North are
elected after contest where from
10000 to $4,000 votes are cast In
district
The l27 Democrats from the South
represent not only one-ihird Of the to-
tai membership but they make up
two-thlrds of the Democratic caucus
Suppose the Democrats win the con
troll of the House. What chance will
the Northern Democrats have to de
eide on the policies to be adopted :?
Thnir t,t ,,,tI ln a.I,
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 and dictation and vote
with Republicans against tariff bill
like that passed by the last Democrat
ic 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 precedent
every important committee would have
Southern Democrat for chairman
members OF the present house and he
placed Southern men to the front on
all the important committees. He Sc
lected only one Northern Democrat
for member Of the most important
committees of al l. that OF Ways and
Means. That member is Bourke Cock
ran. an avowed free trader All the
~ hnr 10 mn 10 nm hn
Means Committee are from the South
and Mr.. Cochran Is at the foot of the
list
There is not single Northern Dem
ocrat on the great committee on ap-
preparations All are from the South.
The same Is true of the Committee on
Rivers and Harbors. Southern men
alone represent the Democrats on
| those great committees In a Demo
| cratic House Southern men would be
made cbairmen of those committees.
| Southern men would make the tariff
| bill to be passed by a Democratic Con
gress. and Southern men would de
eide where the big appropriations
| should go and where the millions
|
rivers and harbors should be spent
In the present organization of the
| House Southern men stand first on
| the Democratic committee lists In
| four-fifths OF the committees. There
are sixty committees in the House
and Southern men would become
| chalrmen OF iS of those committees
while Northern men would become
chairmen Of only twelve of the least
important committees.
| Can Northern men, either Repub
licans or Democrats. AFFORD to hand
over to those Southern men the alb
solnte control Of the House? That is
just what Democratic majority In
Congress would mean.