El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-08

ToDAY the voters in A of the IS
states of the union will choose
3S5 representatives in conSres $
! who will with the four represe ntd-
| tives from Maine and the two from
| Vermont already elected) compose tie
| house of representatives in the SIND
| congress of the United States IF
America. Today. also, in many states
legislatures will be selected TO choose
| successors to 80 senators whose terms
expire March 3, 1911.
Was Guerilla War.
| In the campaign which ended last
| night the historic Republican and
| Democratic parties have faced each
| other in a sort of guerilla warfare AL
| though the tariff question perhaps
| has been the most prominent issue in
the campaign, neither party is unit'd
OIL that or any other pressing political
problem. In each state, and to some
extent in each congressional district.
! the issues have shaped themselves
| largely with respect to local condl
| tions, and with but little regard for
| the national party organization.
There are regular Republicans and 81
surgent Republicans; there Rre con
| sentative Democrats and radical Derl-
ccrats; there are Cannon Republicans
\ and anti-CannOn Republicans; there
| art anti-CannOn Democrats and Socle
| few Cannon democrats, There are
| progressive Republicans and progress
| sive Democrats opposed to conserTa
| tive Democrats and conservative Re-
| publicans It IS an off year and no
matter what may be the result when
| the ballots are counted tonight, wis.,
| politicians will not be astOnished.
Two Factions.
If the Republicans elect a majorit--
Of he will
| go into the organization of the next
house with two distinct factions strCg-
| Cling for ntage-regulars against
| conservatives, insurgents against
| standpaters. If the Democrats wiz.
| they also will be face to face with the
problem of recOnciling two apparently
frreconcilable factions within Their
party ranks. In any event, whether
| the victory is with the Republicans
or the Democrats. for the first time
| in many years there will be a question
as to what will happen when the
/ clerk calls the SIND house of repre-
| sentatiyes to order.
| Have Controlled Eight Congresses
| The Republican party has had dis
| tinct majority in both senate and house
\ for the last eight congresses This
| is the longest period of time in the
history of the republic in which both
|
! troled by the same political party, ard
| by the same element of that political
/ party. 1t is true that the Democratic
| party had a majority in both senate
| and house of representatives for Is
! consecutive congresses, from the s+V-
| enth to the oath inclusive. But dur
| ing the greater part of thats time
] there was no other political party AMI
the division of opinion in the country
4 60 Ts-rr,
rather than in partyism.S The contr d
of the party during that period was
/ twice changed, so that as matter Of
1 fact of those IS congresses the Jeffer-
sonian Democracy controlled, while six
were dominated by the young Repub-
! licans under the leadership of Clay,
! three were completely under the dom.
/ nation of the Jacllsonian Democracy.
and in four the senate and the house
were at variance.
| Since the beginning of the 25th con-
! gress party organizations IN congress
always have been clearly distinct
| Since that time the longest period of
Democratic control of both houses
4 lasted for three congresses-the 31st,
| 32nd and 33rd. During its entire ca
reer the Wing party was in control Of
/ both houses but for two consecutive
| congresses, the 26th and 9th. The
modern Republican party gained con-
troll Of both houses of congress begia-
ming with the 18th congress. and a
| maintained it's dominancy for seven
consecutive bienniums, the record be-
| ing broken, when, in 1874, the Demo
| crast captured the house Of repreSen-
| tatives for the 44th congress. From
that time until the 54th congress,
| which began is life on March i. 1S:;.
the two parties alternated in ono
house or the other with every bienniel
] election.
Landslide Is Repeated.
4 The Republican landslide which
buried the Democrats in 1894 was con-
| firmed two years later in the great
| gold and silver campaign between Nc
| Kinley and Bryan. In the saith con-
gress elected in 1894 the Republicans
had a majority in the house of AZ
This was reduced in 1896 to 20. and III
| 1900 it was still further reduced 10
| % During the Is years of Repubii
| can control this small majority in the
| seth congress represents Republican
| low tide In the 57th congress he
| majority increased to IS, in the 5Sth
/, IL dropped to 50, in the 59th, elected
| in 1904 it swelled to ia, only to drop
again in the Goth to So. In the pres
ent congress. elected in 1908, the Re
| publicans had at the beginning ma
| jority of Al.
During the first II years of this
| long period of Republican control
there was practically absolute unan-
unity among the forces of the major
| ity. 1t was not until the present con-
gress, the 61st, that any ascension
appeared. The insurgent movement.
although representing sentiment
long held under cover, made itself"f felt
firstb V opposition to the further con-
tinuance of the Reed rules which,
without important amendment. had
governed congress for IS years. IN
an effort to overthrow the rules a
number of insurgent Republicans join
ed with a majority of the Democrats.
In defence of the principal rules
minority of the Democrats Joined with
the majority of the Republicans and
succeeded in readopting the rules with
some unimpotrant amendments. In
surgency thus first brought into active
opposition to the regular organization
of the Republican majority afterward
made Itself the co:sJronng factor n
the affairs of the house. and on sex
eral occa sionS, by combining with tbs