The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-11-04
Incumbenfs See Defects In Congress
 Demoerots Hope
 To Keep Control
 On Capitol Hill

New York, Nov. 4-UP)--- (Repubhcan House and Sem ate gains seemed inevitable today as the general election campaign for control of the S0th Congress ended in 8 splatter of oratory. The elec- tion takes place tomorrow.
 For the first time since 1928 the Democratic party has campaigned without the spectacular leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt. His successor, President Truman, dascked the campaign altogether. Admin- istration and Democratic candidates generally have been on the defen- sive.
 Commodity and food shortages gave the Republicans blistering issue wnBcn was aggravated by . scarcity Of meat. Midway in the campaign Mir. Truman was o01n- pelled to abandon his hold-tfe e-line price control program and the Id is of on most items. A Cabinet crisis over foreign policy compelled the President to fire Henry A Wal lace, his Secretary of Commerce, who was the Administration's most effective link with the left wing of the New Deal-Democratic coalition.
 ~ Losses Inev3table
 Although Congressional losses are Democratic spokesmen claim they will hold the Republi- cans short of control of either House of Congress. Republicans inc sist their gains will be sufficient to take the House. of Representa- tives by a comfortable margin end, perhaps, to win the Senate. the House will go Republican tlas time and that the Senate will be close either way. II SO, this gen. eral election will end lT lean political years for the Republican year. The COP lost the House after the 1880 election and lost the Senate and the White House in 1882.
 Democratic campaieners warned voters that loss of the House or Senate woald paralyze government. But few, if any, of them believe the Administration can maintain its present Congressional member ship intact. The disputed question is how many seats the COP will gain. Except for the extraordinary Democratic triumph in 1924-mid- way in Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term-majority parties uniformly have lost congressional seats in of year elections although not neces- sarily losing control of either House.
 Maine Went Republican
 The political division of the present 18th Congress which will expire Jan. 3, 1947. is as follows:
 Senate: Democrats 56, Republi- licans 39, Progressive l.
 House: Democrats 2S6, Repubii- cans 192, Progressive l, American Labor 1, vacant 5.
 To obtain a bare majority of @ Senate seats, the Republicans must make a net gain of 10. To win bare majority of 2l8 in the House, the COP must gain 26.
 Maine held it's 1946 election last September, returning three Repub- licans to the House, and electing Republican governor and Repubfi- can senator. There remain 432 House seats to be voted on tonor- row. The 35 Senate seats to be won or lost tomorrow are presently held by 24 Democrats, 10 Republicans and one Progressive. There is no Progressive candidate in this elec- ton, Sen. Robert M. La Toilette. Prog, Wis, having been defeated this year when he sought renonin- ation as a Republican.
 8 Governors To Be Elected
 Thrity-three governors will be elected tomorrow, the offices now being divided among IS Democrats and 1T Republicans. The guber- material division among the z8 States is: Democrats 25, Republi- cans 2s. There are in addition thousands of lesser state and local offlces to be filled.
 Tomorrow's election properly will be regarded as a political barometer for l948 wheL the White House as we'll as Congress will be at stake. It is tradition that a majority party which loses the House in a mid- term election loses the White House two years later.
 In 1882 came the first Roosevelt landslide. The Democrats have been in control of Congress and the White House ever since.
 There are other touches of presi- dential politics in tolnozrow,s vOt- ing. The two men who headed the Republican ticket in 1924 again are seeking oifice. John ". Hricker. tho lo44 vice-presidential nominee. is a shoo-in candidate for the Senate from Ohio. Gov. Thomas Y. Dewey the COP presidential nominee two years ago. apparently is heading for a big personal political triumph to-