The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1916-11-16
LATEST ETURNS INDICATE
SMALL PLURALITY OVER DEM.
OCRATS-CONTESTS MAY
CHANGE LINEUP.
MANN, PRESENT MINORITY
LEADER, OUT FOR SPEAKER
New Senate viii Be Democratic by
Safe Working Margin-Leaders to
Rush Legislative Program Be-
fore Sixty-fourth Con.
gress Ends.

Washington, Nov. 14.-The Repub.
licans will have PIT votes in the next
Congress, according to the latest re-
turns available.
This is an increase of one in the
total Republican membership previ
ously reported. The change is based
on reports from the sixth New Jersey
district showing the election of John
H. Ramsey, Republican, by a plurality
Of about 1900 over Robert Heath,
Democrat.
Democrats Have PIP Votes.
1t does not take into account a prob.
able contest in the tenth North Caro-:
lima district; the third New Jersey dis.
trict where Thomas J.. Scully, Demo
graf, claims to have been elected by
a plurality of II votes or the eleventh
Iowa or third Louisiana districts
where the pluralities are 80 small that
recounts are considered possible.
Tia election Of Mr.. Ramsey from
Nvv s77757 ana mo sczssque1s jose
Of n Democrat from that state leaves
the Democratic membership of the
House at PIP, as indicated by returns
thus far received. All other parties
have elected six members. According
to present figures, the Republicans fall
one short of the 21S votes necessary
for a working majority.
No Certain Working Majority.
On the face If the unofficial returns
the political division Of the House is
so close that an effective and certain
working majority does not exist. In
view of the situation it is regarded by
Democratic leaders al improbable that
President Wilson will call an extra
session Of the new Congress next
spring. In that case the organization
fight will not come until the regular
session in December, 1917, which will
mean m~aneuvering for more than q
year in the contest for speakership
Mann Candidate for Speaker.
AS matters now stand, the candi.
date of the Republicans for speaker
will be James R. Mann, present minor.
ity leader. Speaker Clark generally
ls regarded as the Democratic choice
to succeed himself. Already, how.
ever, there are rumblings of uncer.
tainties because of the close political
division.
On metropolitan side there are re-
ports Of disaffections against the min.
GRITTY leaders and candidate for speak.
or on the part Of members, who, it is
suggested, might vote for Clark in.
stead.
Clark May Not Run.
Some interesting and lively party
conferences on both sides before any
organization tickets are finally launch.
ed, Is assured. AS the Democrats ar.
%parently will be in the minority, some
friends Of Champ Clark are not Ger.
tain he will be a candidate to sue.
coed himself. Unless he can be elect.
ed speaker they prefer that he aban.
don the rae and become a candidate
for minority leader, the post he held
Tor many years before the Democratic
as%cendency in 1912. Such a develop
ment might precipitate a lively con-
test within the Democratic ranks with
Claude Kitchin, the present majority
leader, and Speaker Clark as rival
candidates for the minority leader.
ship.
Soldier Vote May Change Figures.
The congressional result in New
Mexico is doubtful, the chances now
eavoring the Democrats. In Pennsyl.
vania there are two districts and pos.
sibly three where the soldier vote,
when counted, may change the results.
In two Of these Republicans, and in
one a Democrat, have been elected by
small majorities on the face of the
returns thus far reported. In the
Tenth North Carolina district, Britt, a
Republican, is claiming the election
over Weaver, Democrat, by 10 MAORI,
ity.
Senate Safely Democratic.
Whatever happens, Republicans can.
not control legislation in the next
Congress because the. new senate will
be- Democratic by a safe working ma
jority of IL. In this situation little
partisan legislation can be looked for
during the first part of the. new Will.
son administration. Because of this
administration leaders will exert every
possible effort to complete the Demo.
cratic legislative program before
March 4 next, when the Sixty-fourth
Congress will end.