The Hawera Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1928. U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 November 1928, Page 4

The Hawera Star

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1928. U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

Deliverud every evening oy 5 o’olook In riawera. Manai r.. Kormanby, Okaiawa. Eltkain. Mangatoki. Kaponga, Alton, TTurleyvllle Patea. Waverlev, Mo_oia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremera. Praset Eoad. and Ararata

In the United States presidential election, the. electors do not vote directly for a 1 caind,i<Ta*c, for .their votes a.re east, for delegates ito an Electoral College, and that body elects the head of the i great Republic. In practice, however, the part played by this strange excrescence' 'on the body politic i® more or less nominal, for when the election results am the States arc known, the next occupant of (the presidential office is also known. American elections have always been characterised by great public demonstrations and much perfervi'd oratory of the spread-eagle type. Certain features', 'however, have disappeared in recent times to make room for those that take 'advantage of modern developments, and some writers, while pointing out that old-time torch parades have been abandoned, note, the very important part that Broadcasting Is plowing -in the present contest. The latest cable) messages mention a. feature of .the. elections that is.typically American. It. is referred to as a “straw” vote, indicating the direction of public opinion in much the same way that straws show how the wind blows, and apparently the American electors are coming 'to' place l some l reliance on these, unofficial tests' of party strength. A cable message last week referred to one journal that in 1924 was able to anticipate the result of the presidential election with surprising accuracy, and the referonico, .undoubtedly, was to a “straw” vote taken by the “Literary Digest,” in which some millions of electors recorded their votes. Somewhat of an experiment, the poll conducted by this magazine was the target of much .criticism, but when the actual election figures were announced the critics' were silenced. According to the “straw” vote of the “Digest,” it was predicted that Mr Coiolidge was duo to receive 56.5 per cent, of the total vote, and when; the State ballots were counted he actually polled 55.2, ain error of less than 2 per cent. That poll also indicated that Air La Rolette would carry one State, Air Davis twelve, and Air Ooolidgo thirty-five, and that was precisely what; happened. The ballot now being taken by this enterprising journal is- on a; huge scale, for 19,000,000 voting papers have been distributed with absolute impartiality as. regards States and sections, city and country, elassds and occupations. From. the. first returns received in this year’s “straw” vote a great Republican victory appears hoi lie indicated, the I voting being two itoi one in favour, of that party’s candidate, though the Democrats, fo'r their part., take hope from the statistics which show that many 'electors who voted Republican, on ■the previous occasion are voting Democrat. thi® time. These electors arc termed “bolters” and political writers in the .States are endeavouring to show each other that the “bolit'ors” from j either side will counter act the other’s influence, or will turn, the election in favour of one side or the other—the point of view depending largely upon the political faith of the writers. Since Cleveland’s Administration, 18937, there has been ■only one Democrat in occupation of the White House, Dr. Woodrow Wilson, aind his first election was largely due to the formation, of n third party under the direction of Air Theodore Roosevelt, which split the. Republican; vote. .Since 3921 there have been two Republican Presidents, and it will require a very pronounced turnover to 'ensure the defeat of Air Hoover.