Evening star., 1925-08-25
SENATE BATTLES
LOOM IN MIDWEST
Republicans Open Campaigns
in Kentucky, Missouri
and Indiana.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, August 25.-
their shadow before. here in the heart
of the militant Midwest. In the three
states of Missouri, Kentucky and In
dana, which this observer. Washing
bound after nine weeks out in the
States. has just traversed. campaigns
for seats in the Senate will be bitterly
wased and hotly contested.
In Missouri the fight will range
around the place now occupied by
George H. Williams. Republican. who
is serving out the unexpired term of
the late Senator Selden p. Spencer.
In Kentucky she Republican incum-
bent, Senator Richard p. Ernst, faces
a stiff struggle to retain power in a
historically Democratic State. In In
diana that stalwart G.. o. p. veteran,
Senator James Z. Watson, confronts
the battle of his political career, to
win reelection for a third term against
variegated and venomous opposi-
ton. 1t is not absolutely certain that
either Williams, Ernst or Watson will
triumph in the nomination primaries
of their respective States. If they do,
election prospects. already doubtful,
will be aggravated by the enmities
that primaries frequently leave behind
them. Indiana is particularly addict
ed to post-primary vengeance.
1926 OF Year.
Missouri, Kentucky and Indiana
went handsomely Republican in the
1924 presidential election. Coolidge
strength in all three of those States
is still in full tide. But 1926 will be
an off year, with nothing to propel
candidates toward the winning post,
except their own merits and condi-
tions as they then exist. Which said
pair of considerations gives many
Republican aspirant to congressional
office next year food for serious
thought. and, in many cases, cause for
understanding anxiety. Precisely
such a state of affairs exists with re-
gard to the trio of States here under
review.
Republican leaders, who, of course.
count upon the full support of the
administration and the Republican ma
tional organization in the struggle to
retain G.. o. P. senatorial seats, are
confident that the party's present high
repute with the people at large will
continue and carry the day in 1926.
The battle cry in this region. as else
where, will be Back up Coolidge"
Midwest politician can remember the
time when there was a campaign
slogan a tithe so potent as Back up
Coolidge" Given present-hour condi-
tionS, 1t looks like an almost invin-
chile slogan, so deeply intrenched is
the President in popular favor here
abouts. Republican candidates for
Senate and House everywhere this
side of the Appalachian range are
wearing out the knees of their trous-
ers. praying for a continuance of the
Coolidge stranglehold on public es-
TEEN. Any number of the supplicat-
ing knees are quaking knees.
'lssL ssoBI sspHOOO
One encounters frequently in the
Midwest, and farther afield, too, the
view that the next year may be of
decisive influence upon the fortunes
of Calvin Coolidge. What is meant is
that the President has now to win
his spurs with a Congress of his own.
The Sixty ninth will be the first to
answer that description. Mr.. Cool
idge will not be the first Chief Execu-
tive who has Squabbled disastrously
with Congress; he has already had
has full share of disagreement with
the conversational end of Pennsyl-
vania avenue, but he is on the
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