Evening star., 1948-10-24
Senate Tie Won't Unseat Republicans;
Dewey's Margin May Clinch Control
If Victorious, Truman
Also Would Capture
Capitol Reins
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
Upon the size of the Dewey popu-
lar vote in eight States hangs the
control of the Senate in the Eighty.
first Congress. If the Republican
for President goes over
big in most Of those States and
enough of those who support him
vote her straight" several Repub-
lican senatorial candidates, now
considered In danger. will ride along
on the Dewey coattails.
The States in which the election
results will really count in this
close race for Senate control include
Minnesota, West Virginia, Wyoming.
Kentucky and Oklahoma--in which
Republicans are struggling to retain
Senate seats-and Colorado, Mon
tana and New Mexico, where DEM
ocrats are making the same kind
of struggle.
Other Upsets Possible
The Senate today contains 81
Republicans and As Democrats. A
loss of three Republican seats, with
the Democrats holding their present
seats, would result in tie-4S to
48. If four or more Republican
senatorial candidates should fall by
the wayside, and the Democrats
should lose none Of theirs, the
Democrats would win control Of
the Senate.
It's q narrow thing. However, II
Gov. Dewey does win the presi-
dental election-and the signs now
point to such victory-the prob
abilities are enough Republican
Senators will squeak through to
give the COP the requisite votes
to organize the upper house. Should
President Truman win, the Senate
surely would be Democratic.
It Is possible, of course, there may
be upsets in other senatorial con-
tests beyond those eight which have
been mentioned. For example, the
Democrats are putting on great
drive to elect their candidate, for
mer Senator Guy Gillette, in Iowa,
and Paul H. Douglas in Illinois.
The Republicans are struggling hard
to put across their candidates in
Tennessee, Texas and Rhode Is
land. The odds are. however, that
Senator Wilson in Iowa and Sena-
tor Brooks in Illinois. both Repub-
licans, will win reelection, largely
because the Dewey-Warren ticket
will be successful by considerable
margins in those States.
Would Be Thorn for Dewey
The Republican chances for VIC
tory in the senatorial contests In
Texas, Tennessee and Rhode Island
are equally remote. The only rea-
son there is any question at all In
Texas and Tennessee grows out Of
bitter Democratic factional differ
ences in those States. Rhode Is
land. which has been going Demo-
cratic by heavy votes ever since Al
Smith carried 1t back in 1928, gives
every indication of re-electing Sena-
tor Green, the Democratic incum.
bent. There is the outside possi-
bility that. with all the other New
England States apparently ticketed
for Dewey, Rhode Island might do
the unexpected.
A Democratic Senate, with q Re-
publican in the White House and
the Republicans in control of the
House, would stick out like a sore
thumb. Not only would it be a con-
slant thorn in the side Of the Presi-
dent, but 1t would make for poor
Government. The Senate would be
in position at all times to hamstring
the Republican program Of legisla.
ton and to hold up or defeat nomi-
nations to executive and judicial
Offices made by the Republican
President.
Therefore Gov. Dewey, In his
campaigning is constantly laying
stress on the need Of electing the
Republican senatorial candidates.
The only Republican Senator for
whom he has not gone down the
line is Revercomb of West Virginia.
Senator Revercomb turned q deaf
ear to Gov. Dewey when the presi-
dental nominee urged the Senator
to ease up on the displaced-persons
bill when 1t was before a Revercomb
committee. AS finally written this
measure was criticized on the
ground it Disseminated against
Catholics and Jews, who make up
a large part Of Gov. Dewey's own
New York constituency. The New
York Governor, with that in mind,
has kept hands of the West vir-
ginia senatorial race.
Revercomb Having Trouble
Senator Revercomb Is having q
difficult time. The United Mine
Workers, constituting very large
proportion of the voting strength in
the State, although they may be
lukewarm to President Truman in
considerable numbers, are strongly
back of former Senator Neely,
who lost to Revercomb in the 1942
senatorial election. Senator Rever-
combs main chance lies in a big
State vote for Gov. Dewey and the
fact Mr.. Neely. in his long career
in public life, has accumulated sin
cere hatred on the part Of o lot Of
Democrats.