The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-10
SENATORS IN
 NEW ENGLAND
Four Vacancies to be Filled Political Faith Not Yet
 Known
Speculation Rife as to Outcome of Mixed Party Situation in
 Maine and New Hampshire

Whether the senatorial elections next month in Maine. New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will change the makeup of the New Eng land delegation to the upper branch of Congress which now stands 10 Re- publicans and two Democrats, is daily becoming a matter of increasing in terest and speculation. The ReplIb- ncans maintain that the fall elections gave them control over all four of the states which will elect senators in 1913 and that Obadiah Gardner df Maine, a Democrat, and the three Re- publican senators who are retiring. Henry D. Burnham of New Hamp- setts and George F. wetmore of Rhode Island. will all have Repubn- can successors. The terms of Sena- tors w. P. Dillingham; of Vermont. Ja- and Frank B. Brandegee of Connectt- cut do not expire until 1915. while the other five New England senators
 The Republican legislative margin Is the largest approximately in Rhode Island, is slightly less in Massachu- only one or two in New Hampshire, with the progressives claiming to hold the balance of power In the last two states. The senatorial contest in Rhode Island is the least com plex. The Legislature is admitted to be Repubn- can by 35 majority on a joint ballot, and as yet no candidate has come for ward in opposition to Judge Lebaron M. Colt of the United States court of appeals.
 In Massachusetts, where the Repuf- HcanS have 8 clear majority Of 40, and with no progressive movement in ev- idence, there Is lively contest be- tween former Gov. Eben s. Draper and ana opa GIpngreysmsn ] samqe and Wi,,;a " Mecan Plunkett. Half a dozen other party leaders stand ready to enter the race in case of a deadlock in the caucus.
 It was not until recently that the probable election of former Congress- man Edwin c. Bur1eigh by the Maine Legislature on the first ballot was atorial preference primary last June, and when the September election gave the Republicans Is majority in the Lagisiature on Q joint ballot hts suo- ever. the progressives, who took no part as 8 separate party in choosing the Legislature, have become inter ested in the senatorial contest. and the leaders have requested those Re ptblicanS having progressive fehden- cies to act independently. The mum in the Maine Legislature Is not dean- ite1y known, but it Is admitted that they may hold the balance Of pow CT.
 It is in New Hampshire that the sit uatton Is most perzzlfng. The Legis- lature is noninally Republican by margin of Il. with four state Senate vacancies to be filled by that body At present the Senate stands 10 Re- publ1cans, nine Democrats and a Dem ocrat elected on a Republican ticket. Republican members and II progres- sive-republicans of the Legislature a,t- tended a meeting at Manchester last week and pledged themselves to act Independently on the senatorshfp The avowed Republican candidates are former Gov. Henry B. Quinby and R. W. Ptllsbury; the Democratic candi- dates, Henry F. Hollis and Clarence B. Carr. Gov. Robert P. Bass is a prospective progressive candidate All four Legislatures will vote for seu- ator on January 14