Elections in America

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 282, 8 November 1924, Page 5

Elections in America

Progress of the Count ENORMOUS COOLIDGE PLURALITY REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN BOTH HOUSES. KU KLUX KLAN GAINS. .By Cable—Preaa Assouiaiiuii —Copy i igh'. (Received 8, 9.55 a.m.) New iofm, Aov. 6. The election check up so tar shows Air. Coolidge’s popular vote was io,UUU,UUU and tne electoral vote ab J/9. Air. Davis’s popular vote was 8,171,000 and electoral vote 139. He carried Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia. Louisiana Alississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Uuklahoma, oouUi Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia. Senator La Follette’s popular vote was 4,136,000 and electoral 13. He carried only Wisconsin. Air. Coolidge’s popular plurality totals 6,829,000. Republicans elected 19 senators and the Democrats 13. The Senate will probably be constituted of 54 Republicans, 41 Democrats and one FarmerLabour. This would give the Republicans despite the presence of Senators Laddorria. Fraser and La Follette, socalled Radicals, a working majority of four.

The House of Representatives will probably be constituted of 242 Republicans, 191 Democrats, three FarmerLabour and two Socialists, compared with the present Congress of 220 Republicans, 207 Democrats, one FarmerLabour, one Socialist, one Independent, and five vacancies.

The Republicans elected 21 State Governors and the Democrats 12. The Ku Klux Klan appears to have gained a notable victory hi many States, the following candidates which it supported being elected:—The Governors of Indiana and Kansas: senator, Governor and complete State ticket in Colorado; senator in Oklahoma and many candidates in Montana. It suffered defeat in Texas, where Mrs. Ferguson was elected Governor despite Klan opposition. Senator La Follette ran second to Mr. Coolidge in eleven States, and in seven States his vote was larger than the late President Wilson’s in 1912. Three women were elected for the Wisconsin State Legislature, and five in New Jersey. Kentucky, re-elected Representative Langley, under two years’ sentence for violation of the prohibition laws. Governor Smith emerges as the natural leader of the Democratic party, being the only Democrat on the State ticket elected for New York, which was otherwise overwhelmingly Republican. -(A. and N.Z.) POSITION IN THE SENATE. BARE WORKING MAJORITY INDICATED. (Received 8, 9.55 a.m.) Washington, Nov. 6. The ability of the Republican organisation to control the new Congress hinges on the outcome of senatorial contests in Alinnesota, New Alexico and Wyoming. It will probably have at least a bare working majority over the Democrats and La Follette insurgents combined. If the Republican candidates for two or three of the doubtful States are victorious and the vacancy in Connecticut is filled by a Republican, the Democrats and La Follette supporters combined would fall two short of a majority. The Republicans are leading in Minnesota and Wyoming, and Mr. Close (Democrat) is leading in New Alexico. The House line up. with 16 congressional districts doubtful, was:—Republicans 238. Democrats 177, scattered four. Of the missing returns nine are now stated to be Democrats and seven Republicans. Mr. Coolidge’s huge popular vote continues to mount.—(A. and N.Z.) FLENCH POLITICIANS IMPRESSED AMERICA’S POLICY IN EUROPE. (Received 8, 12.25 p.m.) London, Nov*. 7. French political circles are greatly impressed by the size of Mr Coolidge’s majority, and there is much discussion as to what effect the Republican victory is likely to have on American Foreign policy, particularly in relation to France on the whole. “The Times’’ Paris correspondent states that the tendency is to expect an increasing inclination on the part of th* Unied States to co-operate in the restoration of Europe. The election of General Dawes as Vice-President is regarded as a guarantee that tho strict application of the report bearing his name will at least bo a matter of some interest to the American Government. There is also the earnest hope that American financiers will show themselves favourably disposed to France. but it is realised that their attitude will greatly depend on France’s own success in clearing up her financial difficulties. The question of inter-Allied debt, payment of which Mr Coolidge is expected to demand, remains one of those unpleasant subjects which are mentioned as little as possible. —C rr Times.”) “WETS” AND “DRYS.” (Per Press Association.) Wellington, Nov. 8. Tho New Zealand Alliance has received a cable stating that the “drys” gain four senators in the Congressional elections in the United States, and twelve in the Lower House. The Alliance figures show that the “wets” will only have 114 out of 435 members in Congress, and 24 out of 96 in the Senate. FARM TO WHITE HOUSE. CALVIN COOLIDGE’S CAREER. Air Calvin Coolidge was born in a farmhouse, among tho mountains of New England. His ancestry runs through a long line of farmers, and during his boyhood the President helped his father to tap the sugar maples and do the other work of an upland farm in Vermont. Air Coolidge’s schooling was in his native village of Plymouth. His college was Amherst, one of the older and smaller colleges which still hold their own even in New England against the large universities. On leaving Amherst, Mr Coolidge settled down as a lawyer at Northampton, a small town in Massachusetts. In 1900 (he had been born in 1872) he was its City Solicitor, and in the next few years ’ held sundry other local offices. From 1912 to 1915 he was a member of the State Senate. From 1916 to 1918 he was Lieutenant-Gov-ernor ofi Alassachusetts, and in 1918 became its Governor . Air Coolidge is a good type of New Englander. He is quiet and dry in manner, and has everywhere a reputation for fearless honesty. Before his nomination as Vice-President he was known to the country generally mainly through his handling of the Boston police strike in the summer of 1918 when he ruthlessly repressed disorder and made it clear that he had no sympathy with extremism anj unlawful agitation. Elected Vice-President in 1920. Air Coolidge in August last year succeed(Continued at foot of next column.)

ed to the Presidency, on the death of Air Harding. During the remainder of the term he confined himself to an orderly preservation of his predecessor’s policy. Excepting for the oil scandal sensation and the overriding of ins veto by the Senate on two or three occasions, the term was unmarked by anything untoward. Mr Coolidge married in 1905, and had two sons, one of whom died recently in tragic circumstances. THE NEW VICE-PRESIDENT. Air Charles Gates Dawes, . lawyer, soldier and financier, is in his 59th year. Born at Marietta, Ohio, he took his law degrees when he had just turned 20. and was admitted to the bar in 1886. Subsequently he was interested in the gas business and, attaining wealth and influence, became, prominent in Republican circles at the time of McKinley's ascendency. He was Controller of Currency from 1887 to 1902, and in later years gained the widest experience in financial affairs. On America’s entry into the war he went to France with the railway engineers, and afterwards held the rank of Brigadier-General on the administrative staff of the Commander-in-Chief. Air Dawes first attained world fame when he undertook the task, in cooperation with Anglo-American financiers and economists, of reporting on Germany’s capacity and means of paying reparations. The now famous report and plan goes down in history bearing his name.