Senators, Saved & Lost

There are 69 Democrats, only 22 Republicans in the present Senate. The pot of dreams at the end of the Republican rainbow was 1) to whittle down the Democratic majority this year, 2) whittle some more in 1938, 3) win a majority in 1940. Day after election it appeared that instead of whittling down the Democratic majority, the next Senate would have 73 Democrats, only 19 Republicans, one ex-Republican, two Farmer-Laborites, one Progressive.

Therefore it was news that the smiling boyish face of the grandson of the late Henry Cabot Lodge will appear in his grandfather's place in the U. S. Senate. It was still more striking because Henry Cabot Lodge II, 34, not only defeated foxy old Governor James M. Curley, but successfully strode through the Democratic landslide that smashed many an old-time Republican.

No dilettante, Cabot Lodge is a hardworking, ambitious politician who gained much support even from labor during his two terms in the State Senate, a thorough campaigner whose filing cabinets bulge with data on his constituency, and on his enemies. In the past year he visited nearly every hamlet in Massachusetts making political friends. He denounced the New Deal not so much for what it did but for how it was done, demanded, "Give business a chance," "Give Massachusetts working men proper tariff protection," "Stop taking money out of Massachusetts." Two advantages he had: the disgust of decent citizens with the unsavory politics of the Curley regime; the fact that Thomas J. O'Brien, Union Party candidate for Senator as well as Vice President, split Curley's vote. Long-legged Lodge made the most of his chances. He marched into Curley's stronghold, Boston, won it and the State by a plurality that was just about the number of votes O'Brien took from Curley. When he takes the Senate seat now held by Marcus Coolidge he will subtract only one from the Democratic majority, but will alter the balance of brainpower considerably.

In Delaware, Daniel 0. Hastings, the New Deal's most bitter Senate critic and head of the Republican Senatorial Committee whose particular job was to win Senate seats throughout the U. S., went down to defeat, partly as the result of a split which resulted in two Republican tickets appearing on the ballot. His seat was won by Democrat James Hurd Hughes, snow-haired, 69-year-oldster who has dabbled most of life in politics and is a mild supporter of the New Deal. Next Republican rubbed out was Senator W. Warren Barbour, big, rich, kinky-haired onetime amateur prizefighter who-- four years ago won the seat of the late Dwight Morrow of New Jersey. His job goes to William Henry Smathers, a tall, lanky lawyer, onetime Assistant State Attorney General, who in the U. S. Senate will speak for New Jersey in a Southern drawl, acquired in his native North Carolina. Third Republican to drop out was Rhode Island's rich, conservative Jesse H. Metcalf, who lost to rich, scholarly Theodore Francis Green, lawyer and banker, close friend of Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Mr. Green was 30 years in politics before being elected governor four years ago. Horse-faced, stoop-shouldered and 69, he will take to the U. S. Senate an expert knowledge of Roman law which he acquired as a youth in the Universities of Bonn and Berlin.

This was, however, only the beginning of the tale of Republican losses. In Wyoming Senator Robert D. Carey, bitterly outspoken critic of the New Deal, and a good campaigner, was beaten by Harry H. Schwartz, able legislator but poor campaigner who lost to him in 1930. In Iowa the victim was a stern New Deal hater, Lester Dickinson. In his place was elected mild, polished, praise-seeking Governor Clyde La Verne Herring, flower-lover and ex-Ford dealer. In Michigan, the seat of the late Senator Couzens, overwhelmingly defeated in the primaries by former Governor Wilber M. Brucker, was won by Representative Prentiss March Brown, New Dealer who was a good friend of Republican Couzens.

Returns showed three other famed Republicans saving their political skins without much to spare. Borah in Idaho and McNary in Oregon, although their States went to Roosevelt, although each faced able campaigners, both pulled through. In Kansas, Arthur Capper, believed to be an easy victor, pulled through, too.

Another Republican Senator who saved his skin was Senator George Norris of Nebraska, but not as a Republican. For running as an Independent with New Deal support he beat both the regular Republican candidate, Robert G. Simmons and the unorthodox possessor of the Democratic nomination, the loud filling-station owner, Terry Carpenter, who refused to withdraw for the benefit of the New Deal's friend.

Witty, tobacco-spitting John William Bulow, first Democrat ever elected Governor of South Dakota, went to the Senate six years ago. He will be there no longer, for Republican Chandler Gurney, operator of radio station WNAX won his seat in a startling form reversal with the slogan "Take Politics Out of Relief." Every other Democratic seat in the Senate appeared safe, including that of J. Hamilton Lewis of Illinois. Most notable new Democratic voice in the Senate will be that of Representative Joshua Bryan Lee of Oklahoma, elected to replace blind, anti-New Deal Democrat Thomas Gore. A famed orator who has modeled his talents on those of William Jennings Bryan, when Josh Lee gets to the Senate where there is no limit on debate, Washington can expect a feast of eloquence.

Minnesota reserved triumphs for both the New Deal and the Republicans: to the Senate for six years she elected Representative Ernest Lundeen, New Deal Farmer-Laborite. To the Senate she also elected Republican Guy V. Howard to draw salary for two months until Jan. 5, vice Governor-elect Benson (see p. 26).

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