Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-17
HOUSE WILL Be CLOSE
Complexion of Next Congress
Attracts Attention of the
Politicians
CANNON VS.. CHAMP CLARK
Race is One in Which spcakershp Is
involved - Republicans Expect to
Lose Some of the Close Districts
Carried in 1so4-More Radicals Ger
tain to Sit in Congress.

Washington, Sept 17.-The political
party which elects the president usu-
ally elects the house of representatives
also, bat there are enough exceptions
to this rule TO make the probable COM
plexion of the house a matter of great
interest in every presidential cam
paign. In this city the pre-
vailing opinion is that no mat
ter whether Taft or Bryan is elect :
ed president, the house probably will
this time be controlled by a smaller
margin than since the fifty-siX con-
gress. There is no dissent from this
opinion among the thinking men of
either great party.
The historian who writes the final
word regarding the presidential cleo
ton of 1876 will no doubt say that Til
den was entitled to the honors which
We're finally given Hayes. and as bear
ing on that situation it is interesting
TO note that both congresses of the
Hayes administration were controlled
by the democrats, Randall being speak
err. A democratic house came in each
time with Cleveland, Carlisle being
speaker in the first administration and
Crisp in the second. No president, II
will thus be seen--at least within n
generation and longer-has come into
office with a hostile house of repre-
sentatives.
There is another interesting rule In
A 30 hA nff aat ~
when there is to be a change in the
politics of the presidency, that fact is
usually shown in the off year election
two years before. But there are excep-
tons to this rule also, for the fiftieth
congress. preceding the presidential
of 1888, was democratic. and
John G.. Carlisle was speaker. 1t will
not do, therefore, to say that because
the present congress, elected in the of
year 1906. is strongly republican. the
election Of Mt. Taft is a certainty.
Democratic congresses were elected,
however, in the off years preceding the
Cleveland victories. and in the off year
preceding 1876, While there was re-
publican congress in the latter half OF
both the Cleveland administration.
Cannon or Champ Oiark!
The. foregoing and various other in
teresting facts regarding the house OF
representatives are now being mar
shalled by those who are trying to de-
eide whether Mr.. Cannon or Champ
Clark will preside over the house OF
the sixty first congress.
1t is an intricate problem this prob
lem Of how the house will stand poll
tically, and fully as interesting, even
if somewhat less important than that
other problem of who will be the occu-
pant of the White House. AS showing
something of the uncertainties which
enter into it, it is barely necessary to
say that in thirty-four northern and
western congress districts, in 1906, the
won by an average margin
of something less than 1000 votes.
I'm fifteen of those districts the margin
was less than 1000 votes each. AS
offse.ting this situation, but only in
part, there were thirty-tWo districts
in 1906, where democratic members
were returned by margin of fewer
than 1000 votes each. The most of
these districts, however. are hopelessly
democratic, being in the solid south.
and SO it is hardly worth while figur-
ing on the likelihood of any of them
being carried by republicans at this
time. In the north and west, how
ever, there is such a likelihood; or.
rather. to state it more conservatively.
which is probably only fair, a POSSIBLE
ity. If the democrats should hold
their own in the south and carry all
of the close republican districts, they
would have majority in the next
house of eleven. To secure such a
result, it is believed here that Bryan
would have to be elected president by
almost landslide, of which thus far
ther,, are no signs.
Will Be Close Politically.
The situation just referred TO sug-
gestS that the next house probably
will be very close politically. The re-
publicans can scarcely hope to carry
all of the close districts now held by
them-districts which came to them
as the result of the Roosevelt land
slide of 1904-and if they control the
next house, it seems that 1t VIII be
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