River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-01-05
NAME new SOL0NS
Thirty-three Members of the Up
per House Will Be Elected
by the Legislatures.
DEMOCRATIC GAIN is EIGHT
In Some States the Toga-Wearers
Have Been Selected by the People,
but In Others There Are
Bitter Contests.

Washington-The most important
stated political event of 1911 will
be the election of United States
senators by the various state legrsla-
lures to complete the upper house of
the sixty-second congress. The new
senate will be composed Of 81 Repub-
licans and IL Democrats, as against
So Republicans and 33 Democrats in
the last congress- net gain of eight
seats for the Democrats. In the house,
according to the returns of the cleo
ton of November 8, the Democrats
will have a majority of 65.
Of 80 senators whose terms Will ex-
pire on March next "a are Republi-
cans and six Democrats, and the vari-
Gus state legislatures elected on No
vember last will choose their sue
cessors. There will also be senator's
chosen to fill the vacancies caused by
the deaths of Senator Dolliver of Iowa
(Republican), Senator Thompson of
North Dakota (Democrat) and Sena-
tor Clay of Georgia (Democrat), max
ing a total of 33 to be elected. OF
the 33, II will be Republicans and 16
Democrats, representing a gain of
nine seats for the Democrats and one
for the Republicans.
Where the Changes Come.
The states where the senatorial
toga will fall from Republican to Dem
ocratic shoulders are Indiana, Ne
braska, Montana, New York, Ohio,
New Jersey, Maine, West Virginia and
Missouri.
The one Republican gain occurred
in North Dakota, where a Republican
successor will be chosen to complete
the unexpired term. of the late Sena-
tor Thompson, Democrat. The legis-
lature of this state will also elect en-
other United States senator to sue
coed Porter j. McCumber, whose term
expires in March.
Three Of the senators included in
the above count have already been
chosen. They are Isidor Rayner of
Maryland, elected to succeed himself;
John Sharp Williams of Mississippi,
to succeed Senator Money, and Carol
S. Page of Vermont, elected to sue
coed himself. The term Of the late
Senator Daniel of Virginia expires
this March, and as the regular session
of the Virginia legislature does not
convene until 1912, either a special
session will be called to elect his sue
cessor or Claude A. Swanson, who is
serving by appointment, will retain
his seat until next year.
No successor will be chosen to the
late Senator McEnery of Louisiana
until 1912. His seat Is at present be-
ing filled by J. r. Thornton, who was
appointed by the governor.
Contests in Many States.
While the people of a few of the
states have indicated their senatorial
preference through a direct primary,
there are bitter contests being carried
on in the majority of the states where
the senatorial vacancies occur. New
York is a fair sample 1t has been
many years since the Democratic par
ty of the Empire state has had mem
Der in the upper house of congress-,
and there are numerous aspirants to
the seat which will be vacated by
Chauncey M. Depew They include
Edward M. Shepard, William F. Shee-
han, Martin w. Littleton and host
of others.