Evening star., 1952-11-18
The Political Mill
Deuth Could Influence
Control Of Congress
Republicans Expect No Trouble
Organizing Both Houses
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln


Organization Of the Senate and House
Is the first task Of the Republicans in
the 83d Congress. Once that Is out of
the way, the Republican leaders in both
houses believe they will have little diff
flculty lining up majorities for the ma
jor items of the Eisenhower admins
tration's program. If there comes q
pinch. they believe they can rely upon
the votes Of Southern Democratic mem
bers, particularly from those Southern
States which went for Gen. Eisenhower
in the recent election.
So far as the House Is concerned, Re
publican Leader Joe Martin of Massa-
chusetts expresses confidence his party
will Organize" the House-which means
electing Speaker, clerk and other Of
f1cials Of the House and also naming
the chairmen Of the standing commit
tees. tentative, unofflcial count of
the new House is: Republicans. 220;
Democrats, 211; Independent, l.; va
cancy, /; in doubt, 2.
The vacancy was caused by the recent
death Of Representative SABBATH of nli-
nois. There seems no probability that
a special election can fill the vacancy
prior to the opening of the first session
of the new Congress, January 8. The two
districts left in doubt are the 18th in
California and the 4th in Colorado. The
Republicans believe that in the end the
California district will be represented by
a Republican. With only some seven
weeks remaining before the convening
Of Congress. the chances that Repub-
lican control could be upset by death
seems slight indeed.
Outlook In Senate.
In the Senate, the picture Is slightly
different. The political makeup of that
body is Republicans, 48; Democrats, Al,
and Independent Republican, /. If Sen.
ator Morse Of Oregon, the Independent
Republican" who resigned from the
Republican Party when he decided to
support Gov. Stevenson for the presi-
dency, should vote with the Democrats
on organization of the Senate, Senator
Nixon Of California, who becomes Vice
President and presiding officer of the
Senate, could break the tie in favor OF
Republican organization, If the Senate
organization is delayed until January
20, Inauguration day.
Nor does it seem likely that Democrats
in the Senate will care to play hide
and-Seek with control of the Senate,
since they could hold it only matter of
10 or is days. If the Senate were evenly
divided and Vice President Barkley,
Democrat, should break the tie in favor
OF Democratic organization. An absentee
on the Democratic side. when the vote is
taken, would forestall any such game.
However, should death intervene and
remove from the Senate one or two Re-
publican Senators from States which
now have Democratic Governors, the sit
uation would be materially changed. The
Democratic Governor or Governors
could appoint Democrats to I'LL Repub-
lican vacancies, until an election Is
held. The odds. however, in this matter
Of possible vacancies favor not the
Democrats but the Republicans. There
are only five Republican Senators from
States with Democratic Governors. Two
OF these Senators are from Michigan.
two from Ohio, and one from Kentucky.
On the other hand, there are 16 Demo-
cratic Senator's from States having Re-
publican Governors. The Democratic
Senators from States with Republican
Governors are: Two each from Mon
tana, New Mexico and Washington, and
one each from Arizona, Colorado, Della
ware. Illinois. Iowa, Minnesota, Mas
sachusetts, Nevada. New York and
Wyoming.
When Party Control Is Thin.
There have been other occasions when
party control in Congress. after an elec-
ton. was so slender as to hang by only
a thread. Party control in the House
shifted from the Republicans to the
Democrats-because Of deaths occurring
between the election in 1880 and the
opening Of the 72d Congress. Also, in
that same Congress. the Republicans
had 48 Senators. the Democrats At, and
there was l Farmer-Labor Senator.
The late Senator George Moses Of
New Hampshire, who had incurred the
wrath Of the Republicans from the
Middle West, calling some Of them the
Sons OF the Wild Jackass," was q can
didate for reelection as president pro
tempore Of the Senate. The angry Mid
westerners and the Farmer-Laborite
voted for other Senators, while the
Democrats continued to cast their votes
for the late Senator Key Pittman of
Nevada. Twenty-three roll votes were
taken-but no candidate could win by
majority as required under the Senate
rules. Senator Moses just hung on, since
under the rules he could do so until his
successor was elected.
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