Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-10-20
The Political Mill
6. O. P. Fighting Hard
To Hold z House Seats
California, New Jersey
Races Moy Be Portents
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
Congress meets two and a half
months hence with Republican con-
troll even more precariouS than when
it quit last summer The death of one
Republican Senator, Taft of Ohio,
caused a Senate vacancy now filled by
an appointed Democrat, Tom Burke.
The shift gives the Democrats 48 Sena-
tors to Al for the G.. o. p, and one
Independent. The death of a Republic
can member of the House, Hull of Wis
conSin, caused a vacancy in that body
which has been filled by the election
OF a Democrat. This narrows Republic
can strength in the House to 218 mem
bers. The Democrats have 214, and
there is n Independent. and two
vacancies. The vacant seats were held
by Republicans until they resigned.
One of the two House vacancies is in
the 9Th New Jersey congressional dis
trict. The other is in oath California
district. Both are battle grounds on
which the Republicans are doing their
utmost to win. With the shadow of
defeat in the recent Wisconsin by
election hanging over them, they feel
that further losses will be construed as
a real slap at the Eisenhower admin
iStration.
The New Jersey vacancy caused BY
the resignation of Representative Cliff
ford P. Case, is to be filled in an cleo
ton November 8. Ordinarily the dis
trict is Republican. Mr.. Case carried
it in the last five congressional cleo
tons by substantial majorities. In
fact, MI. Case had 63.9 per cent of the
vote cast last year, and President Eli
senhoWer carried the district with COS
per cent Of the vote. Earlier in the
year, Mr. Case was a candidate for the
Repuollcan nomination for Governor.
He withdrew, however, and the Re.
punl1canS nominated Paul L. TroaSt.
MIR IroaSt, by reason of a letter he
wrote Gov. Dewey of New York, asking
Ieniency for Joseph S. (Joey) Fay, O
v1cted extortioner and labor leader,
mas come under violent Democratic
attack. Whether the charges and
counterchargeS now fast flying in
the gubernatorial race will spill over
into the 9Th district contest remains to
be seen.
Lawyers Nominated.
The Republicans have nominated
George F. Hetfleld and the Democrats,
Harrison A. Williams, jr. Both are
lawyers. Hetf1eld is a graduate OF
Dartmouth College, a brother of Supe-
r1or Court Judge Walter L. Hetfeld
and a former member of the common
council of Plainfleld. Mr.. Williams is
a war veteran and took his law course
after he had served in naval aviation.
The fight for a House seat in the
24th California district is complicated
for the Republicans by the fact that
two Republicans are running. The dis
trict has two Republican members of
the State assembly, and these are the
W Republican candidates who are
beating each other over the head in
the congressional race, Glenard Lips
comb n John Collier. Lipscomb has
the backing of the Republican organi-
cation. On the Democratic side, George
Arnold, son of former Federal Judge
Thurman Arnold and a Son-in-law of
Drew Pearson, is running, and Irving
Markheim, a perennial candidate. By
elections to fill vacancies in California
are held without primary nomination
races, a kind of f~ree-for-all, non-parti-
san affair. The district has been rep
resented by Norris Poulson, who has
resigned to become Mayor of Los An
geles. PoulSon was five times elected
to the House, and last year he won
both the Democratic and Republican
nominations. Eisenhower received 81
per cent Of the vote cast in the district
in the presidential contest. The cleo
ton in this district is set for Novem-
Der 10.
G. O. p. May Lose Both.
It is possible the Republicans will
lose both these House seats, but it seems
more probable that they will win one
OF the seats, and perhaps both. If they
lose n seat and win the other, the
House membership will be 219 Repub-
licans, 215 Democrats and / Independ-
ent. If they lose both, the Republicans
will be reduced to a bare majority in
the House, 218, with the Democrats
having ZIG. The division in the House
will be far too close for comfort for the
Republicans in any event. Should the
G. o. P. be defeated in New Jersey and
in California, Democratic prospects for
the 1854 congressional elections will
look mighty good.
Death could step in and change the
political alignment in both houses still
further during the present recess Of
Congress or during the coming session.
Death of a Democratic Senator, for ex-
ample, in a State which has a Repub-
lican Governor would give the Repub-
licans back the lead they previously
had. Back in 1880 and 1881 SO many
Republican members of the House died
between election day and the conven-
ing of the new Congress, creating
vacancies which were filled by special
elections, that control shifted from the
Republicans to the Democrats. The