Democratic House

The closely balanced 72nd House of Representatives had no sooner been elected a year ago than Death began racing the 435 members-elect. In a twelve-month it overtook 13 Congressmen, left their Capitol seats vacant. Up until last week special elections had filled six of these vacancies with new men and left the House standing:

Democrats -- 214

Republicans -- 213

Farmer-Laborite --1

Vacancies --7

Coincident with State and municipal elections throughout the land last week (see p.15), five more Congressmen were chosen to help fill up the House ranks. When the votes were counted, the House lined up:

Democrats -- 217

Republicans -- 215

Farmer Laborite -- 1

Vacancies -- 2

Thus was Democracy put within real striking distance of electing a Speaker and organizing the 72nd House which first sits Dec. 7. Three days later a Republican death in Texas seemed to clinch Democratic Congressional control -- on paper. For the first time in a dozen years Democrats prepared to taste legislative authority and accept, none too willingly, legislative responsibility.

Of last week's Congressional elections three were routine -- the 7th New York (Brooklyn) and 20th Ohio (Cleveland) to Democrats, the 2nd Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) to a Republican. The re sults in the other two made important news.

The 1st Ohio (Cincinnati) was the district which the late great Nicholas Longworth held for many a happy year. Speaker Longworth used to carry it effort lessly by 20,000 Republican votes. Last year, hard pressed by an aggressive young Democrat, he humped himself energetically, squeaked through with only 3,500 votes to spare. To succeed him and maintain the honor of "the Speaker's district'' Cincinnati Republicans nominated John Baker Hollister. Like Speaker Longworth, Nominee Hollister is a shining socialite of good old family, a Harvardman, a cultured and urbane gentleman. His law partners are the sons of President Taft, his home is in the Indian Hill section and his golf is played at the best clubs. He went into the campaign as a lashing, slashing Wet. He declared that he always got all the liquor he wanted and that he intended to keep on drinking whenever he chose. He pleaded for votes to support President Hoover in the House, said the eyes of the nation were on his district. Confident of beating such a newcomer to politics, the Democrats put up a State Senator named David Lorbach. Nominee Lorbach, also a Wet, discredited his campaign by un necessarily vicious attacks on President Hoover as the originator of Depression. Result: the election of Mr. Hollister by a vote so large as to have pleased even the popular Nicholas Longworth in his political prime. Great was the jubilation in G. 0. P. Washington at the Hollister victory, acclaimed as a vindication of President Hoover and a posthumous honor to the late Speaker of the House.

The 8th Michigan has been a faith fully Republican district since 1898 when Joseph Warren ("Old Joe") Fordney, co author of the 1922 Tariff Act, took it away from Ferdinand Brucker, Demo cratic father of Michigan's present Repub lican Governor. Year ago the late Bird J. Vincent, thin, greyish Republican Representative, defeated a big, blond, slow-moving Democrat named Michael J. ("Mike") Hart by 20,000 votes. This year Mr. Hart, a bean jobber of Saginaw who runs an 800-acre farm, was again nominated, this time against Republican Foss O. Eldred of Ionia. Nominee Hart declared Wet, had the support of the Crusaders who rained 250,000 leaflets ("Take a moratorium from your political affiliations and vote and work only for candidates who stand for Repeal") for him down in the district from an airplane, went hobnobbing around among bean-growing farmers. Nominee Eldred, supported by Governor Brucker and organized Husbandry, weaseled on Prohibition, won Dry backing, talked about "upholding Hoover's hands." Result: election of Demo-crat Hart by 5,000 votes and a direct gain of one seat in the House for his party.

Death in Texas. A lone Republican from the Lone Star State was Representative Harry McLeary Wurzbach. Immense personal popularity in Guadalupe County kept him in the House despite the opposition of the local Republican machine. Last week Congressman Wurzbach underwent an appendectomy, died suddenly. Thirty days after executive proclamation a special election will be held to fill his empty seat but Democrats were confident that they could replace him with one of their own. thereby adding another much-needed vote to their House strength. If they did, they would have a clean 218 majority.

Other Vacancies. To help out harassed Republican leaders in the House, the Republican New Jersey Legislature met extraordinarily last month, ordained a special election in the 5th Congressional district on Dec. i--in time for the victor to speed to Washington and participate in House organization. Last week's Demo-cratic sweep in New Jersey (see p. 15) dampened G. 0. P. hopes that a Republican Congressman would succeed to the Republican vacancy.

New Hampshire could give the national G. O. P. no such assistance to fill a Republican vacancy in its ist district. A special Congressional election was set for Jan. 5, almost a month too late to influence House control.

Wet Upping. All five Congressmen elected last week were avowed enemies of Prohibition. Wets were happily excited at what they claimed was evidence of a growing tide against the 18th Amendment. The chairman of the House's Wet bloc jubilated: "When the 73rd Congress meets we'll have enough strength to vote the repeal of the Amendment." More realistic and practical, the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment counted what looked like Wet noses in Congress, announced big gains, named names. A. A. P. A. calculation of members who would vote to submit the 18th Amendment to State Conventions or Legislatures: Senate, 27;House, 170.*

House Organization. On paper the Democrats had a bare majority with which to organize the 72nd House. Even if Republicans won in New Jersey they would still be two votes shy of control. Farmer Laborite Paul John Kvale, slick-haired young Congressman from Minnesota, might join with the G. O. P. for organization purposes but his vote would no longer be the balance of power. Democratic chances were also enhanced by mutterings from Wisconsin where eight "Progressive" Republicans, under the leadership of cross-eyed, frock-coated little John Mandt Nelson, announced they would ditch their party on the organization vote unless G. O. P. leaders promised to relax the "gag rule" of debate and allow floor votes on pet insurgent measures. Even long-legged, grinning John Quillin Tilson, last year's Republican floor leader and now a -candidate for the G. O. P. Speakership, began to talk about "co- operation" between the parties in the next House "for the good of the country." The final result, however, depended on two imponderables: i) possible deaths in the next three weeks; 2) absent members whose vote could not be cancelled out with a "pair."

*In fact, 169 due to the death of Representative Wurzbach.

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