The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-07-20
CONTROL OF THE SENATE
MUST GAIN TEN SEATS
EXPECT TO MAKE
THE REQUIRED GAIN-32
SEATS TO BE FILLED.


the fall election this year capture 10
seats now filled by democrats, but in
order to be absolutely sure of passing
strictly republican legislation after the
4th of March, 1917, they must make
even greater gains, unless the primar-
les in Wisconsin and Washington re-
suit in the elimination of two so-called
republican senators, whose terms are
about to expire.
Prior to the death of Senator Bur-
| leigh of Maine, there were 40 repub-
licans and Sc democrats in the senate,
democratic majority of Is. Had
this ratio been maintained, the re-
publicans, on the face of things, could
have controlled the senate by gaining
nine seats. But Maine having a
democratic governor, the republicans
temporarily lose one seat, so that I'M
til the election next fall the senate
will stand 80 republicans and 81 dem
ocrats, or democratic majority of
lis.
The death of Senator Shively of In
diana and the death of Senator Bur-
| leigh mean that two senators must be
elected in those two states this fall,
for the terms of Senator Kern of In
diana, and of Senator Johnson of
Maine expired on the 4th of March,
and those two democrats are up for
reelection. This situation means that
the campaign in both Indiana and in
Maine will be carried on with great
intensity, because of the grave impor-
lance of the senatorial result
Twelve Good Contests.
The terms of 80 senator's expire CO.
incident with the expiration of the
term of President Wilson. OF the 80,
II are democrats, and Is are repub-
licans. And of the democrats, s are
from sure democratic states Of the
solid south, leaving 10 senators whose
seats may be contested by republicans
with some chance of success. This
does not take into account the two
additional senators to be elected in
Indiana and Maine. Counting them.
there are 81 senators to be elected,
IA of them from states where demo-
cratic success is by no means assured
But getting back to the contingency,
Senator Poindexter of Washington Is
candidate for denomination, as is
T ct Of nSin at
are running as republicans, but both
have a record in the senate which
shows them voting more frequently
with the democrats than with the re-
publicans. Both these senators, for
instance, voted for the passage of the
Underwood tariff law on September 8,
1918, as shown by the congressional
record of that date. But this was on
| ly one of many votes cast by these
two senators for strictly democratic
measures.
! In view of their record, there is no
assurance that Poindexter and La
Toilette, If renominated and reelected,
would vote with the republicans In the
next senate; no assurance that they
would vote for the repeal of the I'm
derwood law, and the substitution of
republican tariff act. Therefore,
an interesting situation would be pre-
scented, If the republicans should con-
troll the next senate by an apparent
majority of one, and both PoindexteS
and LaFollette should be members of
that senate and listed as republicans.
Hold Power Balance.
In such an event, these two rena-
tors would actually hold the balance
of pewor in the senate, and II they
should vote in the next senate as they
have voted in the past three years,
they would be a source of strength to
the democrats rather than to republi-
cans, and holding the balance of the
power they could and no doubt would,
defeat every republican measure that
did not appeal to them personally.
Neither are men who care rap about
party ties.
The task of capturing the next SEN
ate is no small one at best, but the
republican problem will be greatly