Evening star., 1916-08-13
Senator Salisbury Predicts at
Least Four Seats will Be
Gained.
NOT POSSIBLE LOSE
EVEN WITH LANDSLIDE
Thirty -Four Seats to Be Filled by
Election-Majority Might Lose
Ten and Win Same, He Figures.

CHICAGO. August 13.-1n = state
ment issued from the western head
quarters Of the democratic national
committee today Senator Willard
salisbury of Delaware. chairman of the
committee which will direct the con-
test for the various senatorial elections
opinion that democrats will not only
retain their present majority in the
Senate. but may gain at least four seats
in the upper house of Congress.
This year thirty-four United States
senators will be elected. two each in
Maine and Indiana, and one each in
Arizona, Florida. New Mexico, West
Virginia, Minnesota, Wyoming, Texas,
Delaware. Nebraska. Wisconsin, Ten
| nessee, Maryland. Rhode Island, Mas
sachusetts, North Dakota, Connecticut,
| New Jersey. Montana, New York, Penn
sylvania, Vermont. Nevada. Washing
ton. Ohio. Missouri. Utah. Virginia.
Michigan. Mississippi and California.
Personnel Of Committee.
The democratic senatorial campaigns
in the various states will be directed
from Chicago by a committee composed
! of Senator Salisbury, chairman; Sena-
tor Thomas J. Walsh of Montana. man
ager of the western democratic head
quarters. and Senator William ]. Stone
of Missouri
Interest in the fight to control the
next Congress promises to arouse pub
lie interest second to that of the cam
paign for President.
senatorial situation in the different
states, said:
The democrats now have a majority
or sixteen in the Senate and the re-
puol1cans must gain nine democratic
seats and lose none to have a majority
in the next Senate. At the last election.
although the republicans reduced the
democratic majority in the House, the
democrats gained three additional seats
in the Senate and increased their ma
1or1ty from ten to sixteen,
Thirty-Four Seats Open.
"Thirty-four United States senators
are to be elected. Eighteen vacancies
occur in democratic seats and sixteen
in republican seats. No Intelligent OBJ
server would claim that a republican
landslide would cause the democrats to
lose more than ten of the senatorial
elections in the states now represented
| by democrats.
Should they lose ten, there are lust
about ten republican seats out of the
sixteen which the democrats have rea-
sonable hope Of winning. My belief is
that tnat the democrats in the next Senate
Will number from sixty to sixty-four.
That Is. our ma aJority will be increa sed
from four to eight.
An analysis OF the conditions in the
| states where senators are to be elected.
rNh utaH4
democratic or republican, will conyince
any one with knowledge of political
history and facts. taken in connection
with present conditions, that this esti-
mate is as fair as could be made
Sure to Gain Seats.
The election Is nearly three months
away. Congress is about to adjourn.
Conditions may shift in some way to
| affect particular states They are as
likely to shift one way as another. II
we have the same results as in the last
election, we undoubtedly will gain one
| or two senators.
IF conditions in 1916 approximate
| those of a normal political year, we will
gain not less than four seats in the
Senate. Under these circumstances the
UNQUALIFIED statements of the republic
!
as to what he Will do il elected are
merely idle talk.
The democratic will control the upper
branch OF Congress for at least two
years longer. No sane republican will
venture specific prophecy as to gains
they will make in the Senate sufficient
to control the upper branch. There are
as many republican seats in danger in
the Senate as there are democratic.
"Of course the broad swing Of politi-
cal sentiment will determine whether
democrats or republicans will lose more
| seats, but taking conditions as they ex-
| ist and are likely to continue for the
next three months. knowing the candi-
| dates for the Senate, SO far as they
have been nominated. and the states
where vacancies occur. l have no hesi-
tation in saying that it is quite impos-
sible for us to lose the Senate at this
election"
! In conclusion Senator Salisbury says
the democrats expect to hold all their
present seats in the Senate and have
an excellent chance of electing their
| candidates to the upper branch Of Con-
gress in New Mexico. Wyoming, North
Dakota, Utah, Washington and Cali
| fornia.
LUNCHEON UNDER THE TREES.