Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-11-01
BOTH SIDES CLAIM
VICTORY ON EVE OF
VOTING TOMORROW
Republicans Sure of House,
But Democrats See Chance
to Control Senate.
COUNTRY GIVES NO SIGN
OF HOW TIDE WILL TURN
No Big National Issue Has Shown
Up-Future of Smith, Richie
and Donahey at Stake.
By the Associated Press,

will DO furnished tomorrow by the
voters.
Sweeping claims Of victory con.
ttnued to come today from the rival
camps-Republican and Democratic.
wet and dry--but the key to the great
biennial election puzzle rested with
the millions who had manifested few
outward signs of interest and given
little hint Of how they might be ex.
pected to vote.
The big prize In the election from
the national party standpoint-the
control OF the SEVENTEEN Congress
was claimed by both sides. with many
Democratic managers confident that
they had better than a fighting chance
to control at least the Senate. and
with the Republicans apparently
equally as confident that any threat
of such a result had been removed
State Issues Mixed.
Issues in the State campaigns had
become so badly mixed that national
party managers did not undertake to
make any general estimates.
Interest in such campaigns natu-
rally centered in New York, where
Gov. Smith IS Waging a fifth battle
for election; in Maryland. where Gov.
Ritchie's tenure as chief executive is
at stake, and in Ohio, where another
Democratic presidential candidate pos
sibility might emerge-Gov. Vic
Donahey.
While locking horns in many sena-
torial and congressional battles, the
wet and dry leaders had their eyes
focused on eight States In which the
question Of prohibition was to come
to a direct vote on repeal Of State
codes or on some other form of the
wet-and-dry problem. These States
are New York, Illinois, Wisconsin,
Colorado, California, Nevada, Missouri
and Montana.
Behind all Of the claims of victory
from the hostile camps there appeared
a certain apprehension resulting from
reports from political canvassers in
various sections describing state of
public mind concerning the election
that might be interpreted as little
short Of apathy.
President Appeals for Vote.
Partisan and non-partisan cam
paign organizations have Joined in
last minute drives to get out the vote.
TO which President Coolidge has added
his voice through an appeal to his
fellow citizens to exercise their Suf-
frage, and to stimulate the movement
to the polls Mr. Coolidge will go to
his home town, Northampton, Mass,
to cast his vote. Hopes Of the Demo
cratic managers to obtain a majority
Of the new Senate are pinned to con-
tests in 16 States where they have
concentrated the bulk Of their effort
in the senatorial campaign. These
States are: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho.
Senators; Kentucky, Maryland, Massa-
chusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New
York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah
and Washington.
Seats in dispute in all Of these
States are held by Republicans, and
while the Democrats express con-
fdence In obtaining the necessary
nine to give them control of the
Senate, Republican leaders assert
that with few exceptions these 16
States are normally Republican and
can be expected to remain so this
year.
To capture the House the Demo
Gratis must overturn the Republicans
in SO districts. Some Democratic
managers assert this will be done,
predicting q Democratic landslide, but
the c. O. P. managers practically dis
miss this as q rather idle dream
INDUCED in by their opponents.
In approaching the polls to register
their final conclusions from the cam
paign the voters have to consider a
maze of issues-National, State and
local-for out of all of the weeks and
months of the battle there has
emerged no great National question
which might be expected to swing
the pendulum to popular decision.
Some of the old National issues
have been reburnished for the cam.
paign, but the real issues have been
local, or at least have been made
local Prohibition and the World
Court once gave promise Of furnishing
real campaign material, but the Ma
tional party leaders have been silent
on them, for candidates in each party
were split on both questions.
In some States disclosures before
the Senate campaign funds committee
furnished the fighting points. Purity
in elections became an issue in Penn
sylvania as a result Of the huge
expenditures on behalf of Senator
Pepper and William S. Ware.
Prohibition Important Issue.
Public utilities campaign contribu
tons started a row in Illinois which
eventually led President Coolidge to
declare a neutral attitude. but in that
State, as in Pennsylvania, the wet-and
dry issue formed the real basis for the
campaigning.
| Prohibition also was a foremost
question in the Massachusetts con
| test, in which President Coolidge's
| personal friend, Senator Butler, whom
| he chose to conduct his campaign fol
the presidency two years ago. Is a
candidate against former Senator
David I. Walsh.
+ In Indiana, where both Senators
| Watson and Robinson are seeking re
election. charges of a corrupt Repub
| lican-Ku KluX Khan deal and Of Khan
control Of politics created an elev
enth-hour ruckus, with charges anG
denials flying in almost all directions
| Besides the 80 seats in the new Sen
ate involved in this election. there are
| four in the present Senate-one fol-
| Indiana, one for Missouri, one fol
Massachusetts and one for Iowa
Senators Robinson, Indiana; Williams
| Missouri, and Butler, Massachusetts
seek popular approval Of their ap
pointment by the governors of their
States, while David W. Stewart, Re
| publican. IS unopposed for the seat
left vacant by the death Of Senator
Albert +. Cummins.