Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-04-06
SEE OPPORTUNITY
TO wREsT CONTROL OF UPPER
HOUSE FROM DEMOCRATS.
SEVERAL CHANCES IN
SIGHT TO MAKE GAINS
Possible For Republicans to Win Nine
Seats and Thus Overeoms Slight
Democratic Marsin-Tom Taggart
Far From Sure of Election In In
diana.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, April 6--Next TO the
presidency itself the greatest contest
in the campaign this year viii rage
about the control of the senate.
Republicans have great confidence in
:heir ability to capture the next house.
If they get the presidency. the house
will probably go with It. But the sem
ate is more uncertain quantity. The
republicans may get the presidency
and the house and still leave the sem
ate in possession of the democrats. On
the other hand. unless the party in
power has control of both the house
and senate, it will be impracticable for
ii to carry its policies into legislation.
Whatever party has the presidency. of
course wants both houses of congress.
Possession Of one of the houses by the
minority party would put that party
in good position to obstruct legislation
and embarrass the majority party.
The republicans can capture the con-
troll of the senate in the next election
only If there IS an avalanche in their
direction. Unless they have especially
good poiitica! fortune. they will find
themselves una hle to take the senate
out Of democratic hands. Democratic
leaders are given to saying that it Will
not be possible for the republicans -
unhorst them from senate mastery
next November. This is an overcon
adent statement. a!tho II is patent
the chances are in favor of the demo-
Gratis.
Chance in indiana.
One recent event has been in favor
of the pubi!cans. This is the death
"f Senator Shively. which has brought
a bout situation in Indiana that VIII
necessitate election of two senator
next fall II the republicans capture
back Indiana, that will, mean the sub
s,antlal gain Of two members of ths
senate.
Recent announcement of Senator
Thomas Taggart that he would not be
a candidate for election was made with
full recognition Of the fact that the
democrats needed all the strength they
could get in Indiana and that in view
Of the opposition TO Senator Taggart
his presence on the ticket would not
only endanger democratic success in
the Housier region but might conceiv-
ably throw the senate TO the republic
cans.
The senate now stands with fffEysix
democrats and forty republicans. Tne
republicans will have 10 gain nine
seats TO reca pture il. tho they could
control ii, IL IS true. by gaining eight
seats and electing the vice president
This sort of control thru the vote OF
the vice president would obviously be
tooc lose for comfort, tho it would en-
able the republicans to organize the
body and take over the domination or
committees as we'll as TO control the
patronage.
Gain of Nine Possible.
A gain OF nine seats under the direct
election system is not impossible, tho
that much OF a gain, or even gain OF
eight, is not to be looked on as likely.
In only twelve contests for senate seats
will the republicans have more than
nominal chances to win. They Will
have something like even breaks In the
fight on Chiffon, Of West Virginia:
Hitchcock Of Nebraska; Johnson. Of
Maine: Kern, of Indiana. and the other
democratic sena torial nominee there,
Lee. of Maryland; MARITIME, Of New Jer
sey; Meyers, of Montana; O'Gorman. of
New York; Pittman, OF Nevada; Pom
creme, of Ohio. and fighting chance in
Missouri against Reed. This list pre-
surnes denomination for each of the
democratic incumbents named.
Here are twelve senatorships out of
which the republicans must get nine to
obtain real control of the senate. AS
already indicated. with gain of eight
plus the vice president, they could
squeak thru.
II will take a high rate of politicak
mortality among democrats to break
their sway in the upper house. Some
possibility, republicans hold, exists
that they may win in Arizona and in