Evening star., 1926-09-09
PRESIDENT FACING
COALITION TROUBLE
Gains by Insurgents, Plus AS
sistance of Democrats, May
Enliven 1927 Session.
RY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Although the Senators nominated in
the primaries this week and those TO
be elected in November will not enter
on their new terms until December,
1927, unless an extra session Is called
earlier, the fact that President Cool
idge faces a diminished party strength
in the upper house Of Congress II
giving the prophets Of trouble for the
administration plenty Of background.
The defeat Of Senator Lenroot in
Wisconsin and the probable election
In Iowa Of Smith Brookhart as the
successor to the late Senator Cum
minis deprives Mr. Coolidge OF two
votes he could heretofore have de-
pended on in the Congress or Decem
ber. 1927. The denomination OF Sen
ator Moses in New Hampshire Is re-
garded here as tantamount 10 an
election, though there is no certainty
lust how much help the strife INSIDE
the Republican party may eventually
give the Democratic nominee As lot
Nevada, where Senator oddie, an
other administration supporter. ma ]
heen renomtnated the Democrats
have a good campaigner in pictuf-
esuue Raw Baker-the man who start
ed as prospector in the Eot heids
Of Tonopah and was appointed dlrec
tor Of the mint by President Wilson.
If there is dissatisfaction with the
Coolidge administration. Mr.. baker
will be aided by that element plus
many Of those who voted for Senator
Oddie's opponent.
Democrats Likely to Gain.
There are Democrats certain to he
elected in many Of the States whefe
elections are to be held because 1t so
happens that Of the one-third up Tor
election this year several come from
the normally Democratic sections.
Only two or three Democratic gains
are necessary to give the Democrats
and the insurgents the control OF the
Senate on important matters.
This does not. however. mean
radical regime. for inside the Demo
cratic party are enough conservative
Senators plus the conservative Re
puhlicans to prevent the enactment
of any legislation deemed harmful ny
tho conservative and business inter
ests of the country.
The coalition can play politics. on
the other hand. with resolutions OF
inquiry and other purely political ma
neuvers so that the Coolidge admin
istration can he kept on the defensive
beginning in December. l927--for II
u unlikely that Mr.. Coolidge would
Vail an extra session in the face OF
certain trouble from an insurgent and
Democratic coalition.
Do Not Want Control Now.
A Democratic landslide. of course,
could give the Democrats complete
control of the Senate. but the party
leaders are themselves hoping it will
not happen, for the responsibility
would he on them to carry out legis-
lative program in the upper house. and
the Republican Executive would have
q good argument with which to appeal
to the country in 1929 In defense Of
his administration in the last two
years. For when one political party
controls the legislative branch Of the
Government the other has always In
sisted that 1t could have done better
had it had complete control
As for the entrance Of Gov. Blaine
Of Wisconsin into the Senate along
side Of young Senator La Toilette, this
means the addition Of real power 10
the insurgent forces. 1t seems that
every Senator added to the insurgent
side means more than a single vote
II means considerable obstruction and
considerable power from the side usu
ally delivering attacks on the admin
tstration
The Democrats. incidentally. Ar"
not regarding the primary contests
as local. but national. Every time
an administration Senator goes down
TO defeat, whether il is due to World
Court or local conditions, they char
acterize it as g defeat for President
Coolidge. This is the usual party
strategy, but, after all, the elections
of Move mber have not yet heen held,
and there is no telling at this early
date how many surprises the Rerub.
licans may spring In the final elec
tions II the present era cf prosperity
continues undiminished.
COPYRIGHT. 1926