Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-11-02
The Political Mil
HG. p. Loses Today,
It's q Bod Sign for 1856
Loss Of Congress Usually
Means Loss Of Presidency
BY GouId Lincoln


By Gould Lincoln
Loss of party control Of the House
Of Representatives in an "off year." or
mid-presidential term. election has
been fatal to the hopes Of that party
for victory in the succeeding presiden-
tial election. except in one instance.
over o period Of more than 20 years.
That one instance was in 1946-when
the Republicans took over the House.
and also the Senate. but President
Harry s. Truman won reelection in
i94B.
The Republican Party, which had
been In control Of the Federal Govern
ment, in 1882 lost the control Of the
House, and in 1884, the first Demo-
cratic President after the Civil War,
Grover Cleveland of New York, was
elected. President Benjamin Har-
rison, Republican, was In the White
House in 1890-he was elected IN 1883
and the Republicans again lost the
House that year, and Cleveland won
his second term as President IN 1892.
Two years later. the @. o. P. again
took over the House. and william Nc
Kinley. Republican, was elected Presi-
dent in 18o6-defeating William Jen-
nings Bryan.
1910 Recalled
There were no more "off year" cas-
ualties for the Republicans until 1910.
half way through the term Of Presi.
dent William Howard Taft. The DEM
ocrats took over the House at that
time. Two years later. woodrow VIII
son was elected President Demo-
crat who benefited by the terrific row
in the Republican Party, when former
President Theodore Roosevelt. having
lost the Republican presidential nonni-
nation. broke away and ran as the
Bull Moose candidate for the White
House.
Woodrow Wilson, midway in his sec
ond term, called upon the American
people to elect a Democratic Congress
to uphold his hands This was in the
fall Of 1918, when this country was
taking part In the final drive which
downed Germany and her allies in the
First World War. Mr.. Wilson's appeal
was contained N formal statement
issued by him, from the White House.
The Republicans, who claimed that
President Wilson had impugned their
patriotism. bitterly resented the Presi-
dents call for the election of Demo-
Gratis to Congress. They pointed out
that Republicans were on the fighting
lines IN France and elsewhere, as well
as Democrats. Many independents
Joined them. The upshot was the cleo
ton of q Republican Congress-both
House and Senate. Two years later,
President Warren q. Harding, Ohio
Republican. was swept into Office, de-
feating Gov. James Cox of Ohio, Demo-
crat, who had with him as a running
mate Franklin D. Roosevelt of New
York.
Pendulum Swings Again.
In another IL years. the political
pendulum swung again. President Her
bert Hoover Republican, was complet-
ing the first two years Of his term in
the White House in 1880. The country
was In the grip of depression Even
so, the Republicans squeaked through
IN the November election. holding the
narrowest kind of margin of control.
But before that Congress assembled
for its first session, December 2, 1881,
deaths and special elections to. House
vacancies gave the Democrats a. slim
majority in the House. Franklin D.
Roosevelt and the New Deal took over
the Federal Government following the
presidential election of 1892.
No similar reversal, in a congressional
election, took place until 1916. after the
close of the Second World War. The
Republicans took over the House and
the Senate. But in 1913. President Tru-
man. Democrat. won an unexpected
victory over Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of
New York who was making his second
bid for the presidency as the Repub-
lican nominee. Not only did Mr.. Tru-
mans hard-hitting campaign win for
himself but Democratic 81st Congress
was returned, with substantial working
majorities in both houses.
Two years ago, Gen. Eisenhower
swept the country in the presidential
election. but the G. o. P. barely elected
a majority in the House, and in the
Senate the Republicans had only 48
Senators to AZ for the Democrats and
one independent. Senator Morse of Ore
gon. The Republicans were able to or
ganize the Senate. by virtue of Senator
Morse's vote. and with Vice President
Nixon standing ready to give them sup
port had Senator Morse voted with the
Democrats-which Senator Morse did
not.
Presidents who have had to deal with
Congresses controlled by the opposing
political party have had tough going.
Their programs were hamstrung.