Evening star., 1954-10-11
Illinois Election Could Decide
Which Party Rules Congress

der the Republican Party, a fear
of the things Senator Douglas
stands for. and a desire Of the
people to let this Eisenhower
crusade run its course"
This is State which poten-
TALLY could determine which
party will control both Senate
and House in the next Congress.
Illinois voters are selecting not
only a Senator on November 2
but also Is House members. Re-
pNblicans now have q 16-to-9
edge in House seats.
Democrats hope to narrow the
gap this time. if only by a seat
or two. While they might be able
to dump Republicans out Of per-
haps four seats-maybe more If
this should be a Democratic year
the G. o. P. claims it probably
will capture one Democratic seat
and has a fair chance to take
two others.
Senator Douglas Holds Edge.
In the Senate contest, most of
the political experts at this point
are shying away from picking a
winner. Some voters still are un-
decided, and the rival candidates
won't start their big final drive
for votes in Chicago and Cook
County until after the middle
of the month. The county casts
about half the total vote in the
State.
If there is any advantage at
the moment. it appears to lie
with Senator Douglas.
The Senator says he expects to
win. He. too. is counting on three
big issues. He listed them in an
interview as: Unemployment, the
farm problem and "administra-
ton giveaways."
Tall, lean, white-maned, SEN
ator Douglas is 62. At so he en-
listed in the Marines, was
wounded twice in the Pacific,
and went up from private to
major. For years he was an
economies professor at the Uni
versity of Chicago. His sound
wagon rolls into the town square
blaring out the Marine Corps
hymn.
Claims u. S. Is in Recession.
The Senator, too. is playing
around with a possible BOOM
erang in constant repetition of
something he has been saying
for monthS-that the Nation is
in recession and steps should
be taken to make sure it won't
become a real depression. It's
Just like taking something to
keep a cold from turning into
pneumonia, he says.
But the overriding issue. he
says, is the people against the
selfish interests"
THE leadership of the Re-
publican Party in this state, and
my opponent" he says, ARE
baSically the servants of the
selfish interests"
They are trying to put over
a campaign idea that the people
will help Ike" by voting for
them, he says, whereas if they
got control of the country they
would "hamstring and Illustrate
1.-THE President at every turn"
The Senator says Mr.. Meek
/ isn't hurting him with the
/ charges of socialism. He told
this reporter he did vote for
Norman Thomas, the Socialist
candidate for President, in 1882
in a mistaken belief that "the
Democratic Party couldn't be
made into the progressive in
Strument it has become"
ut is true" he said, "that
have tried to protect the people.
But am not a Socialist"
Wants Eisenhower Repudiated.
If he is reelected, he went on,
it will represent a "repudiation
of the Republican Old Guard, but
not a reputation of the Eisen-
hover foreign policy or his pro-
gram of mild social reform"
He tells the people he would
give the President better sup
port on these two points than
Mr.. Meek. Mr. Meek retorts thai
Senator Douglas is trying to ride
the Eisenhower coattails to vic
tory and it won't work.
In a state where isolationism
runs strong, it is apparent that
Mr.. Meek is just as strongly
iSolationist as Senator Douglas
is internationalist. Among some
Illinois voters, that could be ar
asset.
Mr.. Meek has others: A wide
circle of friends and acquaint.
ances, the backing of Gov. Viii.
liam G. Stratton and the Stat,
Republican Organization, th'
prospective votes of State job
holders.
For his part, Senator Dougla
has behind him a reorganizet
Democratic machine in Cool
County, support from organized
labor. national prestige as {
Senator, and possibly an appea
to some of the Independent
voters who helped elect Gen