Evening star., 1950-10-08
Connecticut Politics
Republicans Usually Prevail in of Year
When There Is No Presidential Contest
BY Robert D. Byrnes

By Rober
II history repeats. Republican,
viii gain two seats IN the Senat,
from Connecticut next month
None Of the candidates, however
Ia waiting idly for history, and tht
result is a vigorous campaign with
everything from old-fashionec
torchlight parades and rallies tx
radio quiz programs and candi.
dates dropping down on meeting'
In helicopters.
The "of year." when there j.
no presidential contest, has gen.
orally been one of gloom for Con.
necticut Democrats. The last tim,
the Democrats elected State-wid,
candidates in an off year in Con.
necticut was 1884, when the,
elected their entire ticket. Before
that. in off years, they elected
their gubernatorial candidate, WHIT
was DR.. Wilbur L. Cross, in 1880
Prior to that, it Is necessary to ge
back to 1910 to find a Democrat
elected to Statewide Office in ar
OF year. The trend of the presi-
Dental votes also encourages the
Republicans this year. From 6
peak Of a margin of 100000 fol
Roosevelt in 1886. the Democratic
lead for Roosevelt dropped tt
$4,000 in 1910. to $4,000 in 1914
and in 1948. the State went tt
Dewey by 12,500. In the last of
year, 1916, Raymond E. Baldwin
Republican, was elected to the
Senate by plurality of 104.904.
Leading the fight for the Demo-
Gratis in their effort to change
the political pattern of the State
are United States Senator Brien
Mcmahon. chairman of the Con-
gressional Atomic Energy Com
mittee, Gov. Chester Bowles and
Senator william Benton. former
advertising agency partner OF
Bowles, whom Bowles appointed
to the Senate when Senator Bald
win resigned to become an asso-
ciate justice of the State Supreme
Court. In addition, six Congress-
men, including one at large; more
than 400 members of the State
Legislature, five State officials
from lieutenant governor to at
torney general; nearly 100 judges
of probate and scores of justices
Of the peace are to be elected.
Hope for Record Vote
Senator Mcmahon is opposed by
Joseph E. Talbot, a former State
treasurer. who retired from Con-
gress in 1946 after having been
elected three successive times to
the House. Senator Benton's op-
ponent is Prescott s. Bush, New
York banker, who lives in Green
wich, just over the Connecticut
line. Gov. Bowles is opposed for
what will be the first four-year
gubernatorial term in State his
tory by Representative John Davis
Lodge, brother of the Massachu-
sets Senator, who is retiring
from Congress after two terms.
The Democrats believe theil
great hope of victory lies in Q
record turnout of the voters
There were $780, 900 votes cast ir
194s, out of registration o1
1888, ,901, and those Statewide
Democratic candidates who wor
had margins ranging, from 595 te
B,555. Gov. Bowles won by 2.225
In 1916, with a registration OF
957,646, there were 691,876 votes
cast and the smallest Republican
Statewide plurality was 95,517
There is permanent registration
in Connecticut, and no official
figures on enrolment are avail
able until after election. In some
off years, the total number OF
voters on the rolls has been less
than in the preceding presiden'
tial election, due to deaths anc
removals. Labor groups are cam.
paigning to make new voters thii
year.
Senator McMahon's campaign
20 far has stressed his work a.
chairman of the Atomic Energ.
Committee and his proposal
voiced in a Senate speech earl.
In the year, that the United State
seek an international agreement
including Russia. for a reduction
of armaments and utilization o
the money for gigantic inter
national point-four program
Senator Mcmahon is on the radi
several times a week with al
adaptation of the device used b,
Senator Morse in the Oregon
primary, answering over the al
questions sent to him by voters
including those mailed to him il
advance, and those telephoned t.
him during the program. MI
Talbot says Senator Mcmahon
as chairman of the Atomic Com
mittee, has done no more thai
any other Senator would hav
done in that assignment. AS fo
the peace proposal Mr.. Talbo
says this just shows that his op
ponent, like the others in tn
administration, does not realiz
that there is no use trying +
reach an agreement with Russia
Stresses Atomic Work
Senator Mcmahon is figured b
some observers as likely to vii
reelection while the other State
wide Democratic candidates il
Connecticut lose. This woul
mean that he would have to rul
markedly ahead of the Democrat
ticket. Senator Mcmahon un
doubtedly, by his work on atomi
energy, and the headlines tha
has gained him, built up som
support among independents an
Republicans, which will bring hir
s,Ak>r ~. %Io 4%La,, aaYI h1 ho