Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-14
DEMOCRATS FIGURE
GAIN OF 60 SEATS
In Such an Event Prospects
for Hoover Program
Would Be Black.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

CHICAGO, October 14.-With the
election three weeks from today, con-
sentative estimates place the Repub-
lican loss in the House at from 10 to
80 seats.
Democrats insist, however, that such
estimates are far too conservative, and
a survey of the situation indicates that
the Republican loss might run as high
as so seats. In that event the Demo-
Gratis would control the next House Of
Representatives; the Republicans would
have received real licking" and the
prospects for the Hoover program of
legislation would be black, indeed.
No one doubts the political pendulum
is swinging back from the Republican
high point reached in the 1928 elections
to the House. But there Is still doubt
as to whether the swing will go so far
that the Democratic victory will reach
the proportions of a landslide. With
in the next two weeks the trend may
become more sharply marked. At pres
ent many of the voters are saying moth
ing and doing good job at it.
Depression and drought, the two big
IDS" which are causing the Repub-
licans great deal of worry, plus the
wet and dry issue, may bring the land
slide for which the Democrats are hop
ing. While some of the Republican
members of the House are frankly
frightened at the prospects, the Repub-
lican high command has not reached
the panic stage by q long shot, Re-
ports are piling into the Republican
congressional headquarters here, pre-
sided over by Representative Will Wood
Of Indiana, which indicate that matters
are not nearly SO bad for the Repub-
licans as the public has been lead to
believe by some Of the observers.
Fight Democratic Attack.
The Republican headquarters, occu-
plying a large part of one floor of the
Palmer House, are the scene Of great
activity. The Republicans DO not in
tend to quit fighting. On the con-
trary, they are lining up everywhere to
meet the Democratic attack. Speak
ers, many of them nationally known,
will be sent into key States and to 9TH
ers where the q. o. p. candidates are
hard pressed.
The wet-and-dry issue and its prob
able effect in many of the congress
sional districts is puzzling the Repub-
hcan leaders even more than the prob
able effect Of the depression and the
drought Furthermore, Republican
members Of the House in whose dis
tricts this wet-and-dry issue has been
raised are sticking close to home They
cannot be persuaded to take the stump
in other districts, 1t Is said. The DO
litical makeup of the House in the
present Congress is 261 Republicans,
l6l Democrats, l Farmer-Labor and IL
vacancies. OF the IL vacancies, eight
are for seats which have been held by
Republicans and four are for Demo-
cratic seats. If there were no vacan-
cieS, the House makeup would stand
269 Republicans, 1855 Democrats and
Farmer-Lsbor; total, 435. The Repub-
ltcan lead over all opposition would be,
under those circumstances, 1903. II the
Democrats can win SO of the seats held
by the Republicans, and at the same
time hold all the House seats which
they now possess, they would have a
total OF 2lS seats in the next House. or
q majority Of one.
G. o. p. Has Chance for Gains.
To give the Democrats so seats now
held by the Republicans is to resolve in
their favor practically all the contests
In which there seems to be an element
of real doubt today. Furthermore, the
Republicans have a chance to pick up
few seats in the House which are
now occupied by Democrats. This is
true In the second Massachusetts, dis
trict, in the third Maryland district, in
the first Montana district, and In a
Tammany district or two in New York
City, owing TO the scandals which
have broken in full force in the metrop-
oils, involving Tammany leaders. The
Massachusetts Republicans insist they
have real chance to win back the
second district which had always been
Republican until 1t was lost last Spring
by "by-election" to Granfield, a wet
Democrat. The Republican nominee,
Joshua L. Brooks, In running as a wet
and Is a widely known and prominent
business man. Third In Maryland, for
mer Representative John Philip Hill,
the Republican nominee. is the wettest
of the wet. He has been able to carry
this district for years in the past In
1928. however, he was declared defeated
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