The Sentinel=record., 1912-11-09
HokE SMITH SAYS UPPER HOUSE IS ASSURED TO THE DEM
 OCRATIC PARTY.
CAN COUNT FIFTY MEMBERS
Republicans Already Anxious Over AffiIiation of Proeressives In Com ing Session-Would Urge Pro
 Tempore Candidate.

Washington. Nov. S.-"The reorgan- ization of the senate by the democrats on the fourth of March is assured ,v. said Senator Hoke Smith, of Georgia today, in his summing up the status Of the senate as the result of the cleo ton.
 Senator Smith was among the first lof the democratic senatofs to reach Washington and he spoke with assur- anee, due largely to his familiarity with the situation on account of his connection with the senatorial branch lof the campaign work. He spent
 month in Chicago with Senator Reed lof Missouri in looking after the legis-
 latures ia the various states We have 30 democrats who hold over and five who already have been elected, making 35 said the senator. We have democrats from Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Montana, | Oklahoma. North Carolina, South Car. olina and two from Colorado who
 have been elected in the primaries. The democrats undoubtedly have car. | ried the legislatures of New Jersey and Delaware, which insures dem- ocratic senators from each of those 1 states. Advices from Nevada and Oregon clearly indicate the election of democratic candidates for tie senate.
 This would give 49 democrats, or a
 positive majority of the senate" | MT. Smith was inclined to make ad-
 ditional claims upon states which are considered doubtful. He said that ac-
 cording to his advces, the democrats
 will have a majority of the legislature Iof Tennessee, which would insure a
 democratic senator from that state.
 He. also counted on further democratic
 accessions from Illinois and some of
 the other states which still are open to | doubt.
 We can rely safely on 30 dem ocrats in the next senate" he de- clared.
 Senator Smiths summary of dem ocratic control in the senate is sub- stantially in accord with the general view taken at the senate wing of the capital. In other quarters an 1mpar- tial survey of the returns gives totals up to the present time as follows Democrats 4S; Republicans fl; doubt ful z; total membership 96 The sev-, en seats still classed as doubtful are two from Illinois and one each from
 Michigan, Oregon. South Dakota, Ten
 nessee and Wyoming.
 Without any of these seven doubtful seats, the present assured democratic strength is 4S is half of the total
 membership and is sufficient with the vote of Vice President Marshall on a tie to control the senate. A test of the political utilization of the progressives in the senate will come soon after the converting of congress the first Monday in Decem- Der
 'If l could have my way" said Ol- iver of Pennsylvania, one of the fore most of stand pat republicans, q would determine the question at the earliest moment. With the vice pres. ident no longer with us, it will be- come imperative to elect president pro tempore of the senate as soon as we convene. As is generally known the progressives refused to support lSenator Gallinger for president pro tempore of tie last session. I would call another caucus to name can didate for this office and would make his support test of party loyalty on the part of the senators claiming to be republican"
 If the course suggested by MT. Ol- iver should be pursued. it might result in the early recognition of a .lird party in the senate. It is claimed, however, by Senator Gallingers friends that the progressive bpposi- tion to him had largely died away
 before the close of the last season. The democratic senators are mos. anxious to obtain such majority of | their membership, of the senate, so as to entirely avoid tae necessity of any dependence upon progressives after
 March 4.