The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-01
The Biennial Election Cam
paign Gets Under Way.
and Conventions
Now Are Over This Year.
BATTLE LINE IS DEFINED
All House Members Will Battle
for Their Seats.
Thirty-Six Senators Also Have
Fight To Retain Offices

Washington, Oct. 1.-The great
biennial drive" in American politics
the congressional elections now
impending.
September marks the conclusion of
state primary elections and nominal
ing conventions, leaving their train OF
lame ducks" and other political
cripples. Leaders of all parties now
are marshalfing their forces for the
campaign which precedes election day
in November.
The lines of battle already are
suit Of the balloting depends political
control OF the Sixtysixth congress,
which convenes in December, 1919,
unless sooner summoned by President
Wilson. Dependent upon the returns
are the fates of aspirants for nearly
two SCORE seats in the senate and
t435 in the house.
Close in California.
Like the presidential election of
1916, when California's votes, after
a weeks wait, finally determined the
nations president, the congressional
result, according to private state
ments of prominent Republicans and
to be close. The Democrats now
have So senators against Al Republic
cans, while in the house the respec-
tive strength is ZIG and 209. Seats
of all Of the latter are involved in the
present campaign, while twenty one
senate seats are at stake.
For all practical purposes, the
election is over in number of states,
in the solid south" where nomination
on the Democratic ticket is equivalent
to election. Primaries and conven-
tons in these states, however, altho
changing present personnel in senate
and house from several states have
not affected the final result. For
some Republicans. without opposition,
the primaries also have meant certain
election in November: these also do
not change present line-ups in con-
gress, incumbents being. named for
reelection.
Already, however. the primaries
have resulted in defeat of many
them are Senators Vardaman of
Mississippi and Hardwick of Georgia,
Democrats who were opposed by
President Wilson, and the following
representatives: McLemore. Slayden
and Garrett of Texas; Shackelford and
Borland of Missouri; Woods Of Iowa
and others. =
Missing from their present places
also will be found others who are not
seeking reelection, or house members
who have foregone denomination to
seek election to the senate. Among
tAClA dIS 0CAdLOAS u hICtllSdH,
Republican,; Hollis of New Hamp-
shire, Democrat; and Representatives
Mccormick and Foss of Illinois, Re-
publicans; Howard of Georgia, Demo-
crat; Church of California. Demo-
crat. and Caleb Powers of Kentucky,
Republican.
On the other hand most of the
representatives from the southern
Democratic states have been assured
Of reelection to the Sixty-sixth con-
gress by virtue of their primary
nomination.
Women to the Senate.
In this election for the first time,
women are seeking seats in the
senate. Representative Jeanette
Rankin OF Montana, is seeking cleo
| ton from her state, while Anne Mar
| tin of the Woman's Party is a sena-
! torial candidate in Nevada. New
| York also has a woman candidate for
| congress
Socialist, Prohibition and other
parties also have their candidates in
the present campaign. Coalition Of
| Democratic and Republican. forces
| against the Socialists has occurred in
some localities, but the campaign
now Is being conducted largely be-
| tween the two leading parties in an
effort to secure unquestioned control
of the senate and house without in
Prevention Of any balance of power
| from the minor organization.