The Washington times., 1915-07-01
REPUBLICANS HOPE
TOCONTROL SENATE
Fight For Majority in Upper
House viii Be Feature Of
1916 Campaign.

The Republican Congressional COM
mittee management Is giving much at
tention to the Senate situation next
year. As a matter Of fact the fight
for the control of the Senate will be a
feature of the 1915 campaign of the ut
most moment. The Republicans feel
well satisfied with their prospects for
capturing the next House. But unless
they can reverse the situation In the
Senate, they cannot control Congress.
If the Republicans should capture the
Presidency and the House, II would
be of little use to them as far as
legislation Is concerned without the
control of the Senate.
Republican Congressional committee
leaders profess to believe they will
capture the Senate next year. The
Democrats are equally positive in as
serting belief they will win.
Sweep May Do II.
AS q matter of fact. the Republicans
may capture the Senate it there Is a
big Republican sweep a year from next
November. Otherwise, they cannot. 1t
will take something like a Republican
tidal wave to change the Senate from
Democratic to Republican In the next
election.
Under the old system Of election Of
practical impossibility to make the
change. The point must not be over
looked. however. that shifts in the
Senate are more frequent now that the
direct elections system obtairI
The Democratic majority, or rather
plurality, In the Senate is sixteen. This
means that nine Democratic Senators
VIII have to be replaced by Republicans
i the Republicans control. Thirty-two
Senators are to be elected next year.
The thirty-two whose terms will end
are seventeen Democrats and fifteen
Republicans. For the Republicans to
capture nine of the seventeen Demo-
cannot be considered as "cinch'' under
any impartial method Of viewing It.
Arizona, Florida. Indiana. Maine,
MARYLAND. Mississippi Missouri, Mon
New York. Ohio. Tennessee, Texas
West Virginia are the seventeen States
now represented in the Senate by
DemoGrats whose successors must be
Texas. and Virginia are certain to re-
main Democratic.
Regarded AS Republican.
In Republican Congressional commit
tee circles the talk is that Maine, New
Jersey. New York, Ohio, and West Vir-
ginia. Judged by their latest election
results, can be regarded as Republican.
AIS Is an optiiHlstlC View VI inc con-
ditions, but on the other hand 1t may be
regarded as by no means beyond the
bounds of the political possibilities. II
such claims are granted, then where
will the Republicans get the four ad-
ditional Senators they need to enable
them to control the Senate.
They will have &c, get them out Of
the eight States Of Arizona. Indiana.
Maryland. Missouri. Montana. Ne
braska, Nevada, and Tennessee.
Whether they do 1t will greatly de-
pend on the trend OF things. on the head
of the ticket. and on the sort of Sena-
torial candidates the Republicans put
up. 1T can only be done with strong
candidates, and by a strong Republican
tide as to the Presidency. Indiana is
probably lost to the Democrats; Mis-
souri may be wrested from the Demo-
Gratis by a vigorous campaign by
strong Republican like Hadley, and in
the other six States two more seats
might be taken by the Republicans II
1t Is Republican year But at best,
1t will not be easy shedding for the Re-
publican leaders. They have one of the
hardest fights of recent years ahead II
they are to wipe out the Democratic
majority in the upper house.