Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-11-01
Tomorrow's Elections.

Republicans and Democrats fight
It out" tomorrow at the polls. The
contest has resolved into a series of
minor engagements. There IL no
country-wide battle, with the excep'
ton of the fight for control OF the
National House Of Representatives.
In State after State senatorial and
gubernatorial elections will be de-
cided, not on national but on local
party. issues or lines.
The political party winning control
Of the House in the Seventeen Con
gress will have the better Of the argu-
ment nationally. Big gains by the
Democrats in the Senate, or even a
series of Democratic victories which
would give them a majority OF the
upper house, could not with justice be
deemed a national victory. If the en-
tire membership of the Senate was up
for reelection. instead Of one-third,
the situation would be different. Dem
ocratic Senator's now representing
States that usually go Republican
in Delaware, Copeland in New York,
Ferris in Michigan, Dill in Washing
ton, King in Utah, Wheeler in Mon
tana, all Democrats. would be fight
ing for their political lives, whereas
under the constitutional provisions re-
lating to the Senate they do not come
up for reelection until 1928.
Prohibition, campaign scandals, the
Ku Klux Khan, personal likes and dis
likes, hatreds, all are issues in many
OF the State elections. In some cases
these issues have caused the entry Of
third candidates, which always compli-
Gates an election. This is true in
Illinois, where Hugh :. Magill is the
independent Republican candidate for
the Senate and is drawing votes from
both Smith and Brennan, the Repub-
lican and Democratic nominees. re-
spectively. Tt is true in New York,
where Franklin w Cristman, another
Independent Republican, bone dry. Is
aligned against WadSworth and Wag-
ner. both wet. in the Senate race. 1t
is true in far western Oregon, where
fused to abide by the decision of his
partys primary and is seeking re-
election as an independent.
The wet and dry issue has leaped
into far greater prominence in the
present campaign than any other sim
gle issue. And yet it is not a party
issue. In New York, the wet banner
is carried by Wadsworth, a Repub-
lican, while across the State line, in
Massachusetts,. Senator Butler. Repub-
lican, is the candidate of the drys for
tho Senate. In Kentucky dry Demo
Graf, Barkley. is seeking election to
the Senate, and Representative Harry
Halves. a wet Democrat. is striving
nightly for victory in the senatorial
contest in Missouri. Gov. Al Smith in
New York is the wet hope, while Gov.
A. Vic Donahey, a bone-dry Demo.
crat. is choice of his party in Ohio.
Wet hopes are high. But the drys
counter with the argument that even
If n handful of Senatorial and House
elections go against them tomorrow,
they will still hold huge dry major
titles in both Senate and House. Wet
victories will be hailed as rising tide
OF resentment against the VOlstead
law. Failures of anti-prohibition can
lidates. on the other hand. will be a
wet blanket for the wet cause.
While there have been efforts here
and there 10 make President Coolidge
and his administration issues in the
campaign, these efforts have been
made by Republicans who hope to
gain strength thereby. Democrats
have stayed away from this issue
where they could. A Democratic
sweep will be interpreted widely as a
Reputation of the Republican admin.
istration. But so involved are the
contests in many of the States, with
party lines shattered, that such an
Interpretation may be wide of the
mark.