Evening star., 1954-01-02
The Political Mill
1854 to Be Vital Year
For President, 6. O. P.
Democrats Could Upset
Closely Divided Congress
By Gould Lincoln

Closely Divided Congress
By Gould Lincoln
President Eisenhower is about to ask
Congress to put through his dynamic
and progressive program Republi-
can program. His request will 60 to
Congress so closely divided between Re-
publicanS and Democrats that the Pres
ident must have bipartisan support for
the measures he proposes If they are to
be enacted. As of today, the Demo-
Gratis have 48 Senate seats to Al for the
Republicans and for Wayne Morse.
In the House the party lines are almost
as closely drawn the Republicans
have 219 seats. the Democrats 215. and
there is one independent. Mr.. Eisen-
hover, like other Presidents who have
preceded him. must rely upon the sup
port Of public opinion to back his legis-
lative recommendations. And the wind
of public support must blow strongly
down the necks Of both Democratic and
Republican members of Congress-with
an election just around the corner-if
he is to get any legislation at all, GER
tainly the kind he will request.
It's tough assignment for any Pres
ident. but others have faced similar
situations growing out Of party divi-
Sions in Congress. Since the Republi-
can Party took over the Government in
1861, with Abraham Lincoln as Presi-
dent. until Eisenhower took Office last
year, II men occupied the White House
as Chief Executives. President Garfield,
Republican, who was elected in 1880
and aSsaSsinated in September, 1881.
never faced Congress. OF the 16
other PreSidentS-12 Republicans and
four Democrats-six of the Republic
cans. at one time or another during
their terms, faced Congresses in which
one or both houses were controlled by
Democrats. These Republican Presi-
dents were Grant, Hayes, Arthur,
Harrison. Taft and Hoover. Franklin
D. Roosevelt was the only Democratic
President Of the four who never had
Republican House or Republican Sen
ate to buck.
Lincoln and Johnson.
Lincoln and Andrew johnson had
Republican Congresses. President
Grant did, too until the last two years
of his eight in the White House. The
Democrats, in the elections of 1874,
took over the House, electing 181 Rep
reSentatives to LOT for the Republicans
and 3 Independents. President Hayes.
Republican, had really rough road.
The Democrats controlled the House
throughout the Hayes four-year ad-
ministration, and the Senate during his
last two years in Office. This Democratic
supremacy on Capitol Hill, however,
did not mean Democratic victory in
the 1880 Presidential election. Garfield,
a Republican, was elected President to
succeed Hayes. The Republicans also
won the House in the same election.
and came level with the Democrats in
the Senate-37 to 81, with independ-
ents. Two years later, with Arthur as
President, the Republicans lost the
House but increased their strength in
the Senate. Grover Cleveland, Demo-
crat, had Republican controlled Sem
ate on his hands during his entire first
term. Harrison. Republican, who fol-
lowed Cleveland's first term, faced a
Democratic House during his second
two years in the White House. Cleve-
land was elected President again in
1892. He had Democratic Congress for
two years, and then the Republicans
took over control of both House and
Senate
For IL years thereafter the G. o. p.
with Mckinley and the first Roosevelt
as Presidents, controlled both houses
Of Congress. Taft, Republican. came in
with good working majorities in both
houses, but two years later, the Demo-
Gratis swept the House and made mate
rial gains in the Senate. Woodrow Will
son had the support of Democratic
Congress during his first term. He was
reelected by a whisker in 1916. The
composition of the House as result Of
that election was ZIG Republicans, 2l0
Democrats, and nine others. The first
World War was on, however. and the
independents voted with the Democrats
to organize that body. In 1918. half
way through Wilson's second term, the
Republicans elected 237 members of the
House to 191 Democrats and seven 9TH
ers. They increased their strength in
the Senate to 48 Senators. the Demo-
Gratis having AZ, and one independent.
The Democrats were on their way out.
and Harding, Republican, was carried
into Office by the 1920 elections and
strong Republican Congress, too. Hard
ing and Coolidge had Republican Con-
crosses, though in the final two years
of Coolidge's administration the Sem
ate again was closely divided, 48 Re-
publicans, Al Democrats and one inde-
pendent.
Hoover Landslide.
Hoover won a landslide victory in
1928 House and Senate were both
strongly Republican. Two years later
the Republicans lost control OF the
House, and the Senate again stood 48
Republicans, Al Democrats and one in
dependent. The last Democratic Presi-
dent, Harry S. Truman, had Democratic
Congresses with him except the 8Oth.
which was controlled in both houses by
the Republicans. This did not mean
Republican presidential victory in 1948.
however. any more than the Democratic
congressional victories in 1878 meant
Democratic President two years later.
For Eisenhower and the Republican
Party, 1854 is vital year politically.
In the last half century only once has
the party out of power failed to make
gains in the id-preSidential term con-
gressional elections. That was in 1884.
when Franklin D. Roosevelt had served
two years in the White House and was
greatly popular. In those elections the
Democrats gained in both House and
Senate. Can Eisenhower. who has been
greatly popular too, like Franklin d.
Roosevelt, smash precedent and help
elect more Ranuh1ican nS IN the 84th Con-