The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-10-21
.NONPART|SANS
.GA|NSTRENCTH
Radical Element Has Golden
Chance to Hold Balance OF
Power in S.snate.

CHICAGO, Oct. 2l.-Will the
Nonpartisan League hold the bal
snce Of power in the next Senate oil
the United States.
The answer TO that question Will
not be forthcoming until November
z has passed into history, but even
now there 10 genuine alarm among
the leaders of both major parties
over the prospect Of Senate In
which handful Of radicals, led per-
hsps by Robert M. La Toilette. will
be in a position to dictate terms to
Republicans and Democrats alike,
says J. +. Esssry, in q dispatch to
the Baltimore Sun.
LA TOILETTE IN ALLIANCE.
At the moment there are three
formidable NoDpsftissn league can
didates for the Senate. with Senator
La Toilette. who has formed an al
lance with that Organization In his
State, already In the. highest legisia-
tive council. II IL far from certain at
present that either the Republicans or
the Democrats will have safe
working majority. II any majority At
all. In the next Senate.
For weeks the Senate has been the
weak spot In the Republican defenses
II there is a Harding landslide II
promises to carry with IL enough
Senatorial candidates to give the Re-
puslfcans control. III the result is
reasonably close there likely will be
| q Democratic Senate or a situation
In which the Nonpartisan Leaguers
hold the balance Of power.
q. o. r. Leeway siight.
In the present Senate the Republic
cans are in control by the narrow
margin Of two. including La Toilette,
who Ia somewhat OF party outcast,
| and Newb berry, who is under sentence
from a Federal court for having re.
| sorted to corrupt practices In his
election. Republican managers Jared
forth q few months ago to increase
that majority to 10 or IL, II possible
In order to dissrm any insurgency
such as Hiram Johnson or Borah
might venture upon, little assuming
that they might have no majority at
all when the showdown came.
As matters now stand, according to
the inside calculations Of the two
Senatorial campaign committees here.
the Republicans stand to gain seats
in South Dakota and California They
have an even chance to >gain in
Idaho.
Democratic candidates, on the other
hand. have at least q $3.50 chance in
Maryland, Connecticut Indians. lowe
Missouri and Utah. Wisconsin for q
time looked promising from a Demo-
cratic standpoint, but il is not SO good
now. The same Is true Of New York
where Wadsworth had rough sailinR
for several weeks. -
On this showing, the two parties
appear to have about an even break
with neither assured OF an absolute
majority of the next Senate. It is
this that points to the possibility OF
the La Toilette Nonpartisan League
Selling the balance of power. and in q
sense a mastery of the Senate. The
league is making a desperate drive.
hacked by other powerful forces, to
elect James NJ. Thompson in Wis
consin. DR.. +. r. Ladd. a member OF
the league, is the Republican candi-
date in North Dakota to succeed Sen
ator Gronna- Republican incumbent
His election seems certain. And in
Colorado Tully Scott, the Democratic
nominee for the Senate, is q creature
OF the league and in the three-corn-
cred contest on in that State: he has
an excellent prospect ahead ofc-htm.
SITUATION IN DOUBTFUL STATES
The situation in the doubtful States
from a Senatorial standpoint. seems
to be about as follows:
Connecticut--Senato Brand e
Republican. is in deep water because
Of his militant stand for 90 year,
against equal suffrage. Representa-
tive Lonergan. his Democratic, op.
| nrnhoh1x- Unn1d win hands
down IL it were not for the probability
of q Harding majority sufficient,
large TO pull Brandegee through.
NEW YORK-Senator Wadsworth II
in much the same position as his as
sociate. Senator Brandegee. Each 10 9
fighting antisuffragist and the New
York women are reported to be aftel
the Wadsworth scalp, but they arr
largely the professional women poll
ticians Many thousands of iundem
onstrstive women will support Wads'
worth, IL IL believed. He IL an anti
prohibitionist and for that reason WEI
Democrats of New York City are in
cIined to smile upon him, IL nothing
more. He probably will run behint
the national ticket at that, but un'
less the vote Is close he stands to win
Indiana-Senator James II. Watson
Republican, undoubtedly would be de-
feated by former Senator Thomai
raxgart in a straightout fight. Wat
son is suffering from Republican fac
tionalism He II unpopular because
OF his webbing on the League or Ma
lions and because of his record as :
member of the House. His owl
friends are relying solely on huge
Harding majority to save him. admit
ting frankly that 1t will have to b
100 900 or more to pull tho Senator
out of the mire.
LONG AHEAD IN MISSOURI.
Missouri - Brecltinridge. Long. the
Democratic candidate. stands a 81 pei
cent chance of defeating Senator Sci
den y. Spencer. Republican. Botf
candidates suffer from - interpart)
strife. Long has tho enemity of Sen
ator Reed because OF the League OF
Nations and Spencer is disiikcd b,
many outstanding Republicans who re-
sent his intimate association witt
Jacob Babler. Republican National
| committeeman and the Doodle handler
for Lowden. Because Harding and
Cox are running a neck-and-neck rac'
In Missouri. neither senatorial candt'