Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-15
HOPE NOT AS BUOYANT
Democrats Have a Big Fight
on Their Hands
TOWN THENEXT HOUSE
MANY WILL REFUSE TO BUN ON
PARKER's GOLD PLATFORM.
Silver Sentiment Is Still Strong
Throughout the West-Districts
Now in Doubt-Changes.
WIN THENEXT HOUSE
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

special Dlspdtcn 10 Inc Evening Star.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. July 15-Political
echoes from various parts of the country
indicate that democratic hope of electins
majority of the next House of Repre-
sentatives in Congress is not as buoyant as
1t was prior to the st. Louis convention.
1t is well known that Representative Cow
herd of Kansas City, chairman Of the par
tvs congressional campaign committee, and
Charles A. Edwards of Washington, secre-
tary Of the committee, were grievously dis
appointed over the action of the nominee
for President in injecting the gold standard
into the platform.
Cowherd, who Is cautious man, has re-
Trained from expressing his views publicly.
but Edwards declared emphatically the
night the party turned from free silver to
the gold standard that it would be impos-
sible for his party to win the House of
Representatives on such n platform. At
that moment he was willing to predict that
dc mOcratic candidates for Congress In some
of the close districts would refuse to run
on the Parker gold-standard platform.
In making preliminary plans for the DEM
ocratfc congressional campaign the COM
mittee had decided to press the fight in
about thirty close districts in the central
west and the northwest 1t was the orig
1nal belief of the committee that with the
| tariff as the issue it might be possible to
get In enough members In the central west
and in the northwest to give the control of
the House to the democrats.
Silver Sentiment Still Strong.
1t so happens representatives of the party
say that the silver sentiment Is still strong
in these districts which the party had
chosen as places in which to push the fight
Ing, and the managers are now fearful that
1t will be impossible to make Roadway with
many members Of the party displeased over
the turn the national convention took on
the money question.
The impression among the party leaders
seems to be that the gold standard will he
OF great advantage to the presidential tick
ct e east OF the Allegheny mountains. but
they doubt that 1t will help the party to
win members of Congress even there
Throughout the western country where
the party had hopes of making the gains
necessary to insure control Of the House,
the disposition is not to become enthusiast
tic over the outcome of the national con-
vention.
Indiana Districts In Doubt.
A month ago the democratic national
congressional campaign committee had set
down the four democratic districts in this
state as safe. 1t was said today by demo-
Gratis who are in position to know that the
committee will now put the twelfth dis
trict on Its list as one needing attention,
and may be obliged to add the second dis
trict to this list. Up in the twelfth dis
trict, according to the information received
here, the old silver crowd is not well
pleased.
Whether 1t will decide to give vent to it's
displeaspre by voting against Representa-
tive Robinson remains to be seen. For
some unexplained reason the twelfth dis
trict, 1t is pointed out, was one of the la st
in the state to have a change of heart on
the silver question.
Indeed, the silver sentiment is about as
strong in Dekalb and one or two other
counties in the district as 1t ever was,
democrats say. Down in the second is an
other colony of Silverites that refused to
be comforted over the turning from silver
to gold.
Republicans E1ated.
The republican congressional campaign
committee is elated over the prospect.
Chairman Babcock, who is now in the east,
gives out an interview in which he says
the republicans are now certain to control
the next House. He seems to believe, as
do some of the democrats, that the gold
business will injure the minority party in
a good many western districts where the
democrats have not yet been cured" of
the silver mania.
Within the next month each of the con-
gressional committees will make up its
in the tentative plans originally adopted
will be made, it is said. Representative
Overstreet, secretary of the republican
committee, Is preparing to meet Chairman
Babcock in New York next week. The
members of the democratic committee have
been invited to a meeting in Washington
on the 25th Of this month.