Evening star., 1950-10-03
The Political Mill
6. O. P. Faces Seat Loss
In New Hampshire Row
Wesley PoweIl's Filing
Helps the Democrats
The Political Min
By GouId Lincoln

Wesley Powell and his Republican
supporters In New Hampshire have
placed in jeopardy Senate seat which
has been held by Senator Tobey, Repub-
lican, for dozen years. Mr.. Powell has
filed as an Independent" in the Senate
race. having been defeated by Senator
Tobey in the recent Republican primary.
An effect will be to split the Republican
vote between Senator Tobey and Mr..
Powell, to the advantage Of the Demo-
cratic senatorial nominee, Emmett J.
Kelley. executive Of Berlin, N. H, paper
manufacturing company.
The bitterness engendered in the Re-
publican primary race was intense. and
it was not alleviated when Senator
Tobey won by q scant 1910 votes. In
deed. it has increased to q point where
the anti-Tobey Republican are willing
to take a chance of losing Republican
Senate seat which may be sorely needed
particularly If the COP Is to make
strong bid at the coming election to
control the Upper House. Senator Tobey
won reelection in 1914 by vote Of
110,594 to 106,508. Senator Bridges,
Tobey's Republican colleague. was re-
elected in 1948 with vote of 129, 500 to
91,760. Clearly, much of split in the
Republican vote would enable the Demo-
crat to win in the November election.
Mr. Powell, a 34-year-old veteran of
the last world war, claims he is the
only anti Fair Deal candidate, that both
Senator Tobey and Mr.. Kelley are Tru-
man Fair Dealers. He has cited occasions
on which Senator Tobey, who belongs
to small group of left wing Republic
ind hal fn hnc xyNfo fNY. TyTyvr
policies, to support this claim. Some Of
the Republican leaders in the State have
been Mortified at Mr.. Powells determina-
ton to seek election as an Independent.
The Democrats, on the other hand, are
jubilant, especially since before the
Tobey- Powell row split the Republicans
wide open in New Hampshire they did
not think they had Chinaman's chance
for victory there.
Mr.. Powell was an administrative as
sistant to Senator Bridges until he re-
signed last year to enter the race against
Senator Tobey. Senator Bridges has
insisted right along that he was not
mixing in the race between Tobey and
Powell. He took no public part in the
primary campaign-although he and
Senator Tobey are far apart in their
views, Mr. Bridges having been extremely
regular in partisan strife over Fair Deal
legislative proposals. while Senator Tobey
has been off the reservation many times.
Appeals to Senator Bridges from New
Hampshire Republican leaders to call
off his former assistant have found Mr..
Bridges still insisting he is taking no part
in the controversy.
More Mud In Situation.
To muddy the situation still further.
Mr.. Powell has demanded recount Of
the votes in the Republican senatorial
primary. He and his supporters have
also charged that Senator Tobey received
contributions for his primary campaign
from labor unions which were not re-
ported in accordance with State and
Federal laws regarding campaign con-
tributions.
1t may be expected that the Demo-
cratic National Committee and the
Democratic Senatorial Committee will
increase their efforts considerably in New
Hampshire under the set up that now
has developed. The union labor leaders.
however, are not so enthused. What
labor Endorsements Mr.. Kelley will re-
ceive remain to be seen.
Senator Tobey meanwhile has chal-
lenged the validity of the signatures
which Mr.. Powell's petition for inde-
pendent filing carries. Take 1t by and
large, the row in the Republican Party
in New Hampshire threatens to provide
one of the juiciest Democratic plums
of the year.