Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-02
T. FUTILE AND PNCHOT FIGHTS GIVE COLOR TO CAMPAIGN
MISSOURI SWITCH
IN HOUSE IS SEEN
Democrats May Get IL of is
Seats-Apathy In st. Louis
May Cause Light Vote.
Dispatch 70 The star.

Special Dispatch TO The star.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-. November L.
Unless all signs fail Missouri is headed
back for the Democratic column with o
bang.
With no seats to fill in the United
States Senate and no major Office Of
consequence at stake in the State gov
eminent, one of the most colorless cam
paigns in MisSouri's history is draw
ing to close. The contests center
around the States 16 seats in the
! National House of Representatives. Of
which the Republicans now control 10;
Supreme Court judge and superin-
tendent Of schools, the only two State
wide offices to be filled, and the Mis-
souri, Legislature.
May Get IL Seats.
Putting aside party claims and pre-
dictions, indications on the eve Of the
election are that Missouri will do
political flip-hop and the Democrats
will win 10 and possibly IL Of the
States congressional districts Tuesday.
That belief is based on present ele-
ments engendered into the campaign,
elections in the State since 1920. when
Missouri started going Republican IN
presidential years and Democratic be-
tween times.
Also indications are that the Demo-
cratic State ticket will win with eSti-
mates from 10000 to 10000 majorities.
The Democrats may win control OF the
States next General Assembly, although
that is questionable. The State Senate
is Democratic and the lower branch
overwhelmingly Republican.
Nine of the States Is congressional
districts are normally Democratic, two
questionable and the remainder usually
to be found in the Republican column.
HAYES Led by 1900.
The outcome of Missouri's election
this time, in the absence of outstanding
elements, must to big degree be meas
ured by results of former off-year con-
tests in the State. In 1926, the last
oh-year scrap, the Democrats elected
IL of the Is members Of Congress. In
that election Harry B. Halves obtained
a majority of Al 900 over his Republican
opponent, George H. Williams, then in
the Senate by appointment. In 1922,
| the previous off-year showdown in the
State, the Democrats won IL of the
congressional seats. It was that year
| James A. Reed, Democrat, was returned
/ to the United States Senate for his
| third term with a $4,000 majority, to
which the Republicans contributed most
literally in campaign that split the
States Democracy as seldom before.
| Even in 1924, when Coolidge carried
managed to hold nine of the 16 con-
gressional seats, which indicates the
Democrats carry pronounced off-year
walop in this State. The present G..
0. P. advantages in the House delega-
ton were obtained in the Hoover land
| slide over Missouri.
Attracting wide attention this time Is
the race here in the fifth (Kansas
City district between Edgar G. Ellis,
Republican incumbent, and Joseph B.
Shannon, one of the Democratic bosses
of Kansas City, who Is nationally
known in his party'S political circles.
In the last off-year election this dis
trict furnished a 1900 majority fol
George H. Coombs, jr., then the young
est member of the National House. A
woman, Mrs. Pearl Gehrig of Salisbury,
resentattve Ralph Loz1er, q veteran
member of Congress from the second
district, heavily Democratic.
st. Louis Is Quiet.
In the three st. Louis districts the
Democrats and Republicans are on the
best terms, congreSsionally speaking,
L. G. Dyer and Henry F. Neidringhaus,
Republican incumbents, are without
Democratic opponents, and John j.
Cochran, Democrat, is without Repub-
lican opposition.
General business depression, agricul-
tural setbacks and the jobless are being
stressed by the Democrats, while the
Republicans are standing steadfast be-
hind the Hoover administration and
calling attention to a good regime In
the State under the leadership of Gov.
Caulheld. While much is heard of the
wet-and-dry question on the sidelines,
| it Is not an issue here. In the last days
of the campaign Senator Reed, in typical
fiery fashion, has turned loose his guns
on President Hoover, while Arthur M.
Hyde, Secretary of Agriculture, has
come back to the State in defense Of
the administration.
Despite present indications, Repub-
licans are far from ready to concede
Missouri contending they will continue
to hold their lines, despite Democratic
prediction hurrahs The G. o. P. has
a good out-State organization. But st.
Louis, usually counted on for a $4,000
to 10000 Republican majority, Is not
taking the interest of other years and
may fall down badly, while Kansas City
probably will roll up substantial DEM
ocratic majority The big battle in the
awaken the voters. Unless a political
bomb is dropped in the final hours, the
vote In Missouri Tuesday will be the