Milford chronicle., 1924-12-05
CHANGES IN The HOUSES
OF REPRESENTATIVES

Newspaper articles which speak OF
the present Congress being controll-
ed by 'lame ducks" are misleading.
These articles give the impression
that the recent election resulted in
a great overturn of memberships in
the House of Representatives and
that the control of the remaining
session of this Congress will be in
the hands of men who have been re-
pudiated at the polls. An examina-
ton of the election returns hardly
bears out any such theory.
There are ABS Members Of the
House of Representatives, and in the
new Congress there will be put 81
new members. That is, less than ~
per cent of the Members in the new
House will be serving their first
terms.
But even these figures do not ac-
curately represent the change in
membership due to reputation of
men who serve in the present Con-
gress. Some of those who were not
returned at the recent election vol
unfairly retired before the primaries
because of advancing age, Ill
health, or because of a desire to re-
enter private business. Some OF
them retired from the House in or
der to become candidates for Vacan-
cies in the Senate. When these eX-
ceptions are made the election re-
suits indicate that only about so
members were defeated by their con-
stjtuencies and some one else elect
ed in their place. This is not a large
number considering the fact that IN
most states the incumbent must go
through two elections-the contest
in the primaries for the nomination
and then the general election.
So far as the election was a repu-
diation of members Of the present
Congress, that reputation affected
chiefly the Democrats. A summing
I'D of the result shows that as COM
pared with the present Congress the
Republicans will have 81 more
members in the next Congress while
the Democrats will have % less.
The Third Party gains 2 members.
If Democrats and Republicans
stood on an equality in the matter OF
elections, the change would undouDt-
edly be even greater to the disad-
vantage of the Democrats. AS is well
known, there is practically only one
election in the Solid South-the pri-
maries. The man who wins in the
Democratic primaries in any one OF,
the Southern States is practically
assured an election. AS a conse-
uuence, there are comparatively few
changes in membership in that sec
ton of the country. The incumbent
IS practically free from any criticism
of his official record from the Oppo-
sition party. In Alabama and Arkan-
sas, for instance, there was not a
single change in the House mem
bership in the recent elections. In
Mississippi there was only one; IN
Louisiana one; in Virginia one, and
in Texas none.
The state in which there was the
largest number of changes in mem
bership was West Virginia. Only one
of the present members will be back
in the next Congress. The changes
were not all due to defeat of pres
ent members, however, for some OF
the present members were not can
didates for reelection. In the pres
emit West Virginian delegation there
are four Democrats and two Repub-
licans, while in the next delegation
from that state there will be i've
Republicans and one Democrat. This
is of special interest because West
virginia is the home state Of Davis
the Democratic nominee for Presl-
dent.
Another state in which there were
numerous changes was New Jersey,
where the Democrats have six or
the present Members but will have
onlv two Of the twelve in the next
Congress.
The states in which there was not
a single change in House member
shin for any cause are, Alabama
Arizona. Arkansas, Colorado. Idaho
Maine. Maryland, Montana, Nebras-
Ia New Mexico, North Dakota'
Rhode island. South Dakota, Texas
Utah. washington and Wisconsin.
This record does not indicate
control of Congress by lame