Mohave County miner., 1916-12-30
INDEPENDENTS REAL POWER IN
 LOWER HOUSE
From wednesday,e Daily MinerI

II WASHINGTON, Dec 26.-Revlsed l figures on returns of the last election show definitely that neither Demo- crats nor Republicans will have a ma jority of the next house necessary to elect a speaker and that handful of independents will determine which ] side will control the organization.
 Conceding seats to candidates in possession of certificates of election, because they are certain to participate in the organization of the house, the ! personnel now stands:
 Republicans PA; Democrats 213; | Independents 2; Progressives 2; Pro hibitionists 1; Socialist 1; contested 2.
 A majority is 218, hence should either Democrats or Republicans win
 both of the contests they will still be
 short of majority. All of the inde- pendents are maintaining strict silence i regarding their attitude on the speakership. Kelley of Pennsylvania, a Progress sive who formerly was a Democrat member, is listed as a Democratic probability. So are Randall, Prohibi- tionist of California, who voted for Il Speaker Clark the last time, and Lon
 don of New York, Socialist, sit on the Democratic side now and have ] been shown favors by Democratic
 leaders.
 Schall of Minnesota, Progressive, leaders agree, probably would lean to- ward Republican candidate if con . vinced of his progression. He cam , paigned for the national Republican . ticket during the last campaign, al- though opposed by the regular organ ization in his state. Fuller, Independ- ent, Massachusetts, also is classed as Republican hope.
 Martin, Louisiana, Progressive, comes from a large sugar district of Louisiana and has indicated that as- surance of protection of the sugar in- terests would be his first concern in voting on the organization. He form erly was a Democrat however, and Democratic leaders hope to get his ! vote.
 Contests in which certificates have not been given are in the 32nd Penn sylvania district, where Representa- tive Barchfeld, Republican, is contest ing the election of Guy E. Campbell, | Democrat, who on the face of the re- turns won by 46 votes and the 3rd New Jersey district, where Represen- tative Scully, Democrat, is opposing the election of Robert Carson, Repub- lican. Scully now is reported to have lead of 125 votes on the recount but there still are 5000 votes to be passed upon by the courts. At least 20 seats, it is said, will be contested in the house after it is organized.
 Should the Republicans seat both of their contestants and hold other mem berships solid for their candidate, they would need only two in six votes to win the speakership, while the Demo- crats would need five. On the other hand, should the Democrats win the contested seats, the Republicans would need four in six votes while the Demo- crats would win with three.
 There is no question about the Democrats voting solidly for Speaker
 Clark, but there are some signs of strife among the Republicans. Rep resentative Gardner already has an- nounced his opposition to Representa- tive Mann. Every effort will be made by leaders, however, to have the solid support of Republicans assured in con- ference before voting starts.
 Representative Gardner, who an
 nounced yesterday he would seek to obtain a Republican conference to formulate policies" for the future ac- tivity of the party in the house, did not visit the capitol today. MT. Mann was there, however, and tonight he ,. expressed the view the Republicans
 would stand united at least in the or ganization of the house. uI q have nothing to say about the speakership matter or the Gardner | episode" he said, "except that still | hope the president, through some way
 in Gods providence may aid in bring ing about peace which will be lasting and permanent and provide for dis armament and the removal of the | heavy burdens of military and naval | preparedness and if I can in the slightest degree assist to bring about
 such result I would rather do that than to be speaker.
 "The charge of MT. Gardner that l am for Prussia and Prussianism is,
 of course, utterly untrue. I am for
 America first, last and all the time, | and do not take sides in the European
 war. In Mir. Gardner's opinion, that