The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-09-18
palladium Specially

WASHINGTON, Sept 1S.-There
will be an unprecedented number of
vacancies in the United States Senate
after March 4, and that the majority
held by Republicans, is one of the po-
litical probabilities that is command
ing the attention of politicians just at
present.
1t is even predicted that the Senate,
on the count of members actually en-
titled to sit after the next Inaugural
ton day, will likely be Democratic by
reason of the number of Republicans
who will retire without their legisla-
lures choosing anybody to take their
places.
The senate stands today Republican
by only eight majority. There are two
senators to be elected in Illinois and
two in Colorado, with prospects eX-
cellent for a huge muddle in each
state and serious chances of no cleo
tions. Each state has a vacancy at
present, and in each the term of the
March l.
The Progressive party is coming in
with prospects of holding the balance
of power in number of states. Take
Maine. The Legislature was chosen
last week. Judge Powers resigned his
seat on the bench two years ago to be
Republican candidate for the senate.
The legislature went Democratic and
he was left out. Powers is now a Pro
gressive-says he is, anyhow. The
legislature just chosen has thirty Pro-
gressive members, and it is claimed
that they hold the balance of power.
The Democrats will support Senator
Gardner, the Republicans Governor
Burleigh. They are figuring up in
Maine that the thirty Progressives
are not under any obligation to sup
port Burleigh, and that they may sup
port Powers, or divide among various
Progressives. In that event an cleo
ton may be prevented. If Governor
elect Haines, with the state patron
age, throws his influence to the Pro-
gressives-and it is intimated by the
Maine newspapers and politicians that
he is going to do just that-then the
election of anybody of the Burleigh
stripe is additionally unlikely.
New Senator in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts must elect new
senator in place of Murray Crane,
who has taken himself out of it. The
Bay Staters have been acting afraid
of the cars. Sam Mccall took him
self out of the congressional race in
his district supposedly to run for sena-
tor, but he hasn't announced himself,
and there is suspicion that he will not.
The Democrats claim they will carry
the legislature, but the Massachusetts
gerrymander is one of the most intri
cate and effective, as BELTS the state
where that institution was invented,
and it gives the Republicans such a
strong advantage that the state would
have to go for Wilson by a pretty big
plurality before the Democrats could
seize the legislature.
In a number of the rural and some
of the industrial districts, moreover,
the Bull Moose party stands a good
prospect of electing members of the
of these to tie up the whole senatorial
election is quite among the possibili-
ties. That would mean a long fight
and good chance for March to roll
around before anybody had been chos-
en-.
Rhode Islands senator, Wetmore,
has declined to be candidate to sue
coed himself, and there was talk that
Aldrich would ask to be returned if
the legislature went Democratic. He
has denied that he had aspirations,
and even moved to New York to live,
for the time being at least. There is
long row of aspirants on both the
of the party line, while the Progress
sives again insist that they are like
ly to hold the balance of power.
New Jersey will need to elect SEN
ator in place of Briggs, stand-pat Re-
publican. Governor Wilson has de-
nevertheless is determined to fight it
out. Congressman BILLY" Hughes has
resigned his seat in the House to run
for the senate, and is supposed to be
the Wilson candidate He was one of
the Wilson floor leaders in the Balti.
more convention, and back of that
wash one of the most efficient workers
for the Jersey governor in the contest
for delegates. jerseys legislature is a
problem with, once more, the chance