Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-17
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II, 1918
WHY DEMOCRATS SEEK CON-
troll OF NATIONAL HOUSE.

TROLL OF NAllcNAb HoISE.
Aside from the desire of the demo-
Gratis to keep control OF the national
house OF representatives to back up
the president in his program of win
ming the war. as they are pleased to
state the case, no doubt there is an
other and to them more important
reason for their anxiety to keep their
clutches on this branch of congress.
That the dollars and cents factor, with
the tremendous prosperity of the old
south at stake, enters into the matter
10 o considerable extent can't be dis
puted, With the southern farmers
Offered. 80 cents a pound for their cot
ton, ana actually holding 100000
bales in order to secure still higher
prices; with the south favored in the
way Of army camps and plants for
manufacturing munitions of war; with
the south the beneficiary in other
ways un ii she is enjoying such pros
peritv as was never known in that
section of the country before, it is no
wonder the southern democrats, who
outnumber their northern brethren,
are anxious to remain in the saddle.
The south has mainly confined it
self to agriculture and the great man
ufacturing and mining industries have
grown I'd in the north and west, where
the water power, transportation and
shipping have produced wealth and
population. The predominance of the
southern democrats in the house, 1877
as against "A from the north, has
turned to the southern states more
than double the amount of money eX-
pended by the government throughout
the remainder of the country since the
beginning of the war for the erection
Of training camps for the soldiers and
plants for the making of munitions.
This in spite of the fact that the south
is deficient in skilled labor and Is
largely dependent upon the negro for
common labor.
The south has received at the hands
of the government seventy camps cost
ing $215,S17,054 and muntion plants
10 run the aggregate expenditures up
20 the huge total of $500, 306,99l. The
north has received thirty seven army
camps costing s13O,9OS, sol and mu-
milton plants which run the total ex-
penditures up to $2OO,559,222. In
other words, sixteen southern states,
comprising one third of the United
States. have received at the hands Of
the federal government more than
twice as much as all the rest of the
country combined.
Republican members of the house
are pointing out that this dispropor-
ton or benefits to the south in war
expenditures becomes all the more
apparent in view of the fact that the
southern states pay but one fifth of
the taxes of the country and there
fore but one fifth of the finacial bur-
den Of the war.
With the northern democrats in the
house helpless to break this combina-
ton, due to the fact that they have
only a minority voice in the caucus of
the party which rules them, it is de-
clared by the republican leaders that
with the membership now about
evenly divided between republicans
and democrats they will, inasmuch as
forty eight seats now held by demo-
Gratis in the northern states are de-
batable ground, secure enough gains
to make substantial republican ma
jority, and thereby cause more
equable distribution of taxation and
expenditures. Vigorous in support OF
the administration in all war meas
ures, as evidenced by the unanimous
vote on the revenue bill, the repub-
licans are nevertheless determined
that fair methods of apportionins
committee assignments and equal JUS
tee to the northern farmer and south
arm planter shall prevail in the next
liouse.
1t is considered likely that with the
under surface trend to the republicans
they will carry the house by at least
thirty majority. On the senate side
the prospects of republican success in
gaining a majority in November are
thought to be splendid. The demo-
Gratis now have a majority of eight.
Republican senators in Kansas, Him
DIS and New Hampshire to succeed
democrats are believed certain. The
political sharps who have analysed
The. situation closely also figure that
gains will be made in Nevada, Colo
rado. Montana, Idaho. Nevada ana