Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-17
The Campaigns for Congress.

The congressional campaigns OF
momentum. Republican and Demo
cratic leaders are making the prelim-
mary gestures. Statements, more or
lass fiery. ema nate from Ma iortty
Leader Tilson. from Chairman Old
held Of the Democratic cOngreSsional
campaign committee and from Sen
stor Gerry chairman OF the Demo
cratic senatorial committee. Within
a brief period all the nomination will
have been made. Already the parties
In more than half the States have
chosen their ca ndidates.
The Republicans. in their effort TO
retain control Of the House and the
Senate, face their traditional enemy.
the Democratic party. and also dis
gruntled prosressives in some of the
agricultural States. The latter call
themselves Republica ma and are such,
except in Minnesota. where the
Farmer a hor party is still on the
map, though in a somewhat wobbly
state
So far Az the control Of the Senat Q
II concerned. the Democrats have all
the better Of the breaks. Only seven
Democratic Sena tors come mp for re
election All ~ them are in South
ern States which are safely Demo
cratic The Republicans, on the other
hand. must defend twenty-seven seats
which they now hold. two Of them in
India ma. The present makeup of
the Senate is ffty-ire Republicans.
forty Democrats and one Farmer
Labor. To win control the Democrats
must take nine seats from the Re
publicans and retain all they them
selves hold. II is q. real job.
In the House the Republicans have
q margin of thirtyfive seats over the
Democrats and the Republican In
sursents. independents, Farmer La
horites and Soca lists. All members
Of the House are up for reelection.
In contrast with the situation in the
Senate. the Republicans have a
chance 10 win some seats In the
House now held by the Democrats.
as well as 10 lose some occupied today
by Republicans.
The real backgrounds where the
Senate fight is I" he fought out are
in Kentucky. Maryland. oklahoma,
Missouri. Nevada and Arizona. The
Democrats claim they have a chance.
too. 10 win seats in ssachusetts,
Colorado, Illinois. Ohio. Idaho, Oregon
and Indiana. But in Indiana the
odds favor the Republicans. The
progressive Republicans look to take
a seat from the regulars in Wiscon-
sin. where Senator lenroot faces one
Of the hardest contests of his career
against Gov. Blaine.
IT the Democrats are to win control
OF the House, they must do 50 In
the East There is little appeal ma de
ny the party in the great States Of
the Middle West and the West. Its
record on agriculture is negative. 1t
prevented the passage of the Nc
NarN Haueen bill. which the corn
belt demanded The Democratic talk
of the tariff seems to he making little
impression on the farmers.
The Republicans are on the de-
fensive, in that they must hold the
fort, must maintain their ma torities
IN Senate and House. But they are
planning an aggressive defensive.
Their leaders. instead OF awaiting at
tacks by the Democrats. are them
selves attacking. claiming that the
minority party has no constructive
record in Congress and nothing to
offer II II he placed in power. The
great prosperity of the country is
the principal buiwark OF the Republ-
ca defense While II continues, the
prospects for the Democratic party
ara anything hut bright.