Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-31
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

this tabulation represents q net OF six
Democratic gains.
But this does not exhaust Democratic
expectations. National headquarters
tabulates as something better than O
fair certainty the defeat Of Ruth Hanna
Mccormick In Illinois and the capture
Of the Deneen Republican Senate seat
by James Hamilton Lewis. With Demo-
cratic fighting chances In Minnesota,
South Dakota and Colorado besides, the
way Is open for surprises which may
widen the dimensions Of Democratic
triumph. There Is, Of course, no pros
pect of beating Norris with Hitchcock
In Nebraska. The Democratic national
organization, on the other hand, Is
resigned to the probability that TON"
Helm will meet bolter's doom In
Alabama by anything over 10000
majority for Bankhead, the regular
nominee. What fortune holds In store
for TON" Walsh, in Montana, IL not
prognosticated with deflniteness In any
quarter The race in the copper coun-
try between the incumbent Roman
Catholic Democratic dry and the rival
Roman Catholic Republican wet Is a
neck-and-neck affair. Steck and Walsh
are the only sitting Democratic Sena-
tors in peril.
Because Of what might portend for
either or both Of them In 1882, the
gubernatorial contests waged by Frank
lin D. Roosevelt, Democrat, in New
York, and Clifford Pinchot, Republican,
In Pennsylvania, rivet national atten-
ton as closely as the congressional cam
paign. The writer deposes and says
that Roosevelt's victory Is foregone
conclusion and that Pinchot will squeeze
through by an adequate majority. That
will put Roosevelt out in front for the
Democratic presidential nomination two
years hence and make possible for
midable bid by Pinchot for the Repub-
ncan Standard-bearership, If the @. o. p.
should take the prohibition side OF the
presidential argument. It would be
the widest of guesses to foreShadow
that the Republican National Conven-
ton in 1892 will go wet. Indeed, pres
ent-hour indications are all to the con-
trary. If it does go damp and Herbert
Hoover for any reason chooses not to
run again, Dwight Morrow of New Jer-
sey, will win the nomination in walk.
X 4
Anybody with access to the inner
councils of the Republican high COM
mand knows that the Hoover admins
tration views events of the next few
hours with anxiety bordering on alarm.
It's fears are of the future rather than
Of the present. They are born OF the
knowledge that the American people
usually put In Office at presidential
election the party that won the pre-
ceding off-year congressional election.
That's what happened in 1912, follow
ing Democratic conquest OF Congress
in 1910. 1t happened again in 1920
after the Republicans had swept the
Democrats out of congressional control
in 1918. Politicians have deep re-
spect for the repeating habits of his
tory. In addition to this nemesis of
precedent, which is sending cold chills
down their spines, Republicans know
they are the victims of the most merci-
less succession of breaks" which have
gone against any political party in
recent history. If the G. o. P. survives
them we shall know that the age of
miracles is not wholly past
The Seventy-second Congress will be
wetter than its predecessor. Just how
much wetter cannot be foretold with
any degree of accuracy. The anti
will be six additional votes for repeal In
the Senate, and between go and 10 in
the House. That means It viii still be
O long time between drinks.
Copyright, 1930)