The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-12-24
DEMOCRATIC
CAMOUFL LACE
Talk of Contesting Seats of
Three Republican Sena-
tOrs-Elect
REPUBLICANS
NOT FRIGHTENED
Will Contest Seats of Half Dozen
Democrats if Necessary-Probabl
Neither Side Will Be Disturbed-For-
mer Contests Unsuccessful.

Neither Side Will Be Disturbed-For
mer Contests Unsuccessful.
WASHINGTON, Dee 24.-If the
three contests for seats in the senate
threatened by the Democrats are to be
pushed through To q finish, the Repuh-
licans in the senate are prepared to
contest the seats of no fewer than
half dozen Democrats apparently elect
ed and possibly one more.
Senator's Of the present majority
talk of contesting the election of
George II. Moses n. H., Truman II.
Newbcrry (Mich.) and l.. c. Phipps
(Col). Mr. Moses was elected to sue
coed Jacob H. Gallinger, who died in
office Mr.. Newterry defeated the
paeifst Henry Ford running as Dem
ocrat with the President indorse-
mcnt in the Michigan fight, and Mr..
Phipps defeated Senator Shafroth
(Coi.), self-styled ''Honest John.
According TO the Republican leaders,
there is nothing 10 arouse suspicion
that any of these contests viii be sue
cessful Thcy said tonight that the
clamor against the election of Mr..
Newbcrry is founded entirely upon
charges of extraordinary expenditures
made in advertising his candidacy In
ne Moses ease the only charge has been
I he embryonic suggestion that all of
/ Z h.R l.sl l14- rnf 4.aI 70
| fairly. In the Colorado case there
| use of n campaign fund exceeding the
limits prescribed by law.
Privately, senatorial leaders of both
parties admit there is little hope Of
successful contests being promoted
by either party They called alton
| tion TO thc fact that from the foun-
dation of the republic to the present
time there never has been n successful
contest for seat in the senate Re
eardless OF this series of preccdcnts
| the Republican Senators arc not fail.
ing 10 list the alleged Democratic vic-
Tors whose successes at the last election
may not stand the acid test of analy-
sis by the privileges and elections
committee Of the next Congress.
| II Democrats in the senate arc pre-
pared to ask qualifications for the
seating of those Republican Senators
whose election is open to the least
shadow of doubt Republicans are pre-
Ipared to ask a number of embarrass
ing questions IN regard to the election
of several senators of the Democratic
faith. They are prepared to question
the right of Augustus Owslev Stanley
once a member of the house, now Gov
lcrnor of Kentucky. to occupy {
scat III the senate for six wears an(
three months when the Constitution
lprescribeS n term OF six wears fol
senators. The continuance in office ot
Senator Martin (Kv). appointed Il
succeed the late Ollie VI. James. /,
merely sidestepping the issue. accord
/. | ing 70 Republican senator's.
The election OF Senator Henderson
1 (Nev.) may be reviewed bv the Re
) puhlicans il the contest grows hot 70
control and the Democrats follow on
their plan of trying to forestall Re
, publican control of the senate b,
starting contests and holding up sen
atorial credentials
But even more embarrassing to tn
Democrats is the suggestion that tn
Georgia primaries may he investigate,
by the senate and the election of vii
, liam j. Harris. formerly chairman O
the Federal Trade commission owe
Representative Howard, and Senate
liardwick in the bitter battle of las
August ay be reviewed. Harris wa
, backed by the Wilson Admin RI flor
, and the suggestion that his narroy
margin over Howard and Hardwie
was won through the misuse of powers
1 and prcrogatives by federal emplove
in Georgia may furnish an issue i
: the way Of holding up the initiation o
I the Georgian in the Senate.
These are but three of the oppol
tunities for the Republicans to NEE
: Democratic suggestions of conteste
senate seats. They do not represent til
: limit to which the Republicans NAV Q
J.. in questioning Democratic successe
: but they do mark the limit of possibl
adventures before the privileges an
elections committee for the Democrat
The Republicans have the Montan
election as their holdout They ais
have the results in North Carolina :
a basis for suggested contests. All i
all the Republicans have slightly ii
! edge, if the issue of election purity
ieallcd into question in the organic.
ton Of the next senate. They are read
!; for the Democratic blast with more an
munition to meet il than the Democrat
have suspected.