The Springdale news., 1917-01-19
BATTLE FUR HOUSE
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS TO HAVE LIVELY STRUGGLE
 FOR CONTROL.
NEITHER SIDE HAS MAJORITY
Balance of Power, as Things Now Stand, Belongs to the Six "out- siders"-Mann and Clark the Can didates for Speaker
By GEORGE CLINTON.

dIdates for Speaker.
 By GEORGE CLINTON.
 WashingtOn.-Eina there is defi nite information enough on hand to make 1t certain that there will be hard battle between the Democrats and Republicans for control of the or ganization of the next house of repre- sentatives.
 As things stand today 1t seems that 214 Republicans have been elected and 213 Democrats. majority is 21S. In addition to the Democrats and Republicans known already to be chosen there are two Independents, two Progressiyes, ole Prohibitionst, and one Socialist. There are two con gresSonal districts in which it is not known today whether q Republican or d Demoer=t hts been chosen.
 When the next house is called to or der all the members who have certiti- cates of election will participate i'll the organization of the house. It may be, of course. that after the house k organized and in the control of one party or the other. some few of the members who have certificates will be busted. It $ known that there will be six or eight contests for seats. The important fact is. however. that every man who holds certificate of elec- tion will take part in the organization of the house, and this, of course, ire spective of his chances of being al- lowed to keep his seat after organiza- tion.
 Some Opposition to Mann.
 Representative James R. Mann of Chicago is the floor leader of the Re- publieans today. Naturally enough he is d candidate. or is presumed to be d candidate, for the >peaker>hip in case the Republicans shall control the next house. Opposition already has been voiced by one CT two Republic ans to the election of Mr. Mann. With the vote as close IS il k certain to be, the defect,on of one or two men, If they stick to their detection" would prevent tke election of the present floor leader to the speakership. The Re publieans hope to overcome the op- position of the few.
 Representative Champ Clark of Mis- souri today is speaker of the house. If the Democrats succeed in organizing the next house Mr. Clark will succeed himself as speaker. IL is said that the Democrats already know they can get the solid vote of their party members to keep the speaker in his present place.
 It is a long time yet before the new congress will be called together. Mean time the Republicans will do every thing in their power to bring about har- mony in their ranks and to fix on some man who can get every Repub- lican vote Both the Democrats and the Republicans, however, will work with old-fashioned might and main to get enough votes from the ranks of the Independents, Pr0gressiveS, Prohi- bitionists and Socialists to land the man of their choice A Republican or Democratic advantage of two or three votes over the big opposing party would not be sufficient to elect q speaker of that party unless help should come from the ranks outside of both parties.
 It is of course possible, and unhap- oily perhaps even probable, that there will be death or two among the mem bers of the newly elected house of rep resentatiyes prior to its assembling next December. The ordinary insur- ance company death rate average makes it likely that at least one man will die. So it is that death itself may change matters wholly, for if a mem Der dies new election may result in the sending to congress of man be- longing to different political party than did the one whom he is to sue ceed
 Plans for Big Day.
 Washington is deep in it's prepara- tiOns for the second inauguration of President Wilson and Vice preSi-