The National tribune., 1906-11-22
SENATORIAL
ELECTIONS
0ne=Third of the Senate to b
Elected This Winter-OnIy a
Few Cases of Interest-Number
of Multi=miIIiOnaires to Be In
creased.

The elections are over, but several
contests remain of popular interest
Those are the elections of United States
Senators by the Legislatures One
third of the Senate is elected every two
years. That means 80 Senators, for
the present membership is 80. 1t will
be 80 after Oklahoma comes into the
Union. Most of this class of 80 are
already assured of a reelection. In
times gone by it has frequently hap
pened that the Senate was stirred most
of the Winter, following a Congressional
election, by the contests in progress
before Legislatures. There are COM
paratively few such contests this Win
ter.
Two or three stand out prominently.
One is in Rhode Island. where a sue
cessor to Senator George P. Wetmore is
to be named. That he will be a Re
publican Is assured, altho the Demo-
Gratis and Independents have great
strength on a joint ballot. But it has
been charged that Rhode Island Re-
publicans are boss ridden, and that
Senator Aldrich has been able to die
tate the name of his associate The
fight there, when the Rhode Island
Legislature meets, will be whether
Senator Wetmore shall continue in Of
flee or whether some other shall have
his mantle. The State has offended in
the past quite as much as some of the
newer Commonwealths of the West in
sending multi-millionaires to the upper
branch of Congress.
The New Jersey contest for the Ser
ate is likewise of keen interest, because
multimillionaire, Senator John z.
Dryden, is seeking reelection, and the
Republicans have n majority of only
four or five on Joint ballot Senator
Dryden is well known in Washington,
ha mo slyn, -
in legislation. There is even more in
terest in the Senatorship from New
York. now held by Thomas G. Platt.
Last session he and Senator Depew
were both absent from their seats most
of the Winter, and the great Empire
State was practically without repre-
sentation in the Senate The State was
not due to elect another Senator this
year, because Mr.. Platt's term does not
expire till March 4, 1909. The rumors
that he might resign, altho apparently
with slight foundation, have attracted
attention to his case The interest is
all the keener, because it is known that
President Roosevelt aspires to be Sem
ator Platt's successor. He has told
friends more than once during the past
year that he hoped to be elected to the
Senate after he quits the White House.
Should Senator Plat resign and the
Legislature this Winter elect another,
it would be only for the unexpired
term. However, such a resignation and
election would probably make it more
difficult for Mr.. Roosevelt to secure the
seat. The new incumbent would un-
doubtedly want to be continued, and
could be relied upon to fight for a
complete term of six years. Should he
win. Mr.. Roosevelt would have to wait
for Senatorship till the term of SEN
ator Depew expires. Senator Depew's
term ends in March. 1911.
Lively Senatorial fights are promised
in Montana and Colorado, also in Mich
igan. They involve local factions and
also some millionaires but as the new
Senators will be Republicans the fights
attract less attention than certain of
the Eastern contests. where men OF
prominent personality are aspirants
AS the outcome of the November
elections there will be an increase of
the millionaires in the Senate. In re-
cent years some men of moderate
means have been coming to the Senate,
and the term that it is millionaire's
club has been coming less and less true
Now the pendulum appears to be swing
ing the other way. The biggest million
aire in the Senate, William A. Clark, of
Montana, Democrat, is going out but
another great millionaire. Simon Gug-
genheim. is likely to come from Colo
rado. He is a greater millionaire than
Senator Patterson, Democrat, whom he
expects to succeed. Senator Alger, OF
Michigan, another millionaire is retir>
ing. but there are several millionairas
vying for his place, with q likelihood
that one of them will succeed Sena-
torshiDs have been prizes for Michigan
miliionaires many times in years gone
by
With the exception of Senator Dry
den the millionaire Senators have been
doing pretty well with elections Sem
ator Elkins, of West Virginia, one of
the richest men of the Senate is as
sured of reelection by the largest ma
jority West Virginia ever gave a Re-
publican United States Senator Senator
Warren. OF Wyoming, another very rich
man, will be returned by a large ma
iority from the Legislature of that
State. Senator Crane, of Massachusetts.
who is probably the most useful and
most capable Of all the muIti-million-
aire Senators. will be reelected by a
very large vote when the Bay State
Legislature conyenes at Boston in Jam
uary.