U.S.A. ELECTIONS

Northern Advocate, 7 November 1934, Page 5

U.S.A. ELECTIONS

ISSUE PREDICTION i DEMOCRAT SUPREMACY MAJORITY IN BOTH HOUSES “NEW DEAL” POPULARITY lUnited Press Association —By Electric Telegraph. — Copyright.l (Received 9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, November 5. To-morrow 30,000,000 Americans will go to the poll to elect 34 members of the Senate and a new House of Representatives. The consensus of opinion is that the Democrats will emerge with a two-thirds majority in the Senate and will possibly lose 30 seats in the House. : This result will be hailed with a hearty endorsement of President Roosevelt’s “New Deal” policy. Apart from the personal popularity of the President, a factor operating in favour of Mr. Roosevelt’s party is that summed up in the words of -Mr. A 1 Smith, former Democrat Presidential candidate: ‘ “Nobody ■ wants - to shoot Santa Claus.” This was a reference to the public works, and relief measures and to patronage extended by the Government to • millions of citizens. With Democrat majorities in both Houses a foregone conclusion, and conceding a possibility of a two-thirds majority in the House of Representative's as well asm the Senate,, the, result may bring about an unprecedented situation, namely, a Democrat President and Senate, with sufficient weight of party votes tp ratify foreign treaties, and a House overwhelmingly Democrat to introduce whatever financial legislation the Administration may require.

A triumph of proportions in favour of Mr. Roosevelt will possibly result in a realignment of the party system in the United States, according to'observers. With many Republicans adhering for reasons of policy to Mr. Roosevelt’s ideology, and with some Conservative Democrats in opposition, it is not inconceivable that there might develop a definite cleavage , to the Right and Left, without regard to old party labels. Before Mr. Roosevelt’s advent there was but small actual distinction between the political philosophies of Democrats and Republicans. . While the • New York “Heraldr Tribune,” Republican in sentiment, refers to the election as the most important since the Civil War—possibly on the grounds that it may mark the dissolution of the old-style party-rthe' fact that all observers concede a Democrat victory of some sort • • has taken the major interest from ; the battle. • Save for local contests and thosfe of a few outstanding figures, such as Mr. David A. Reed, Republican Senator for Pennsylvania, and ;Mr. Upton Sinclair, the Radical novelist, who is seeking the Governorship .of California, the populace appears td be apathetic. Residents of California are wagering five to one that Mr. Frank Merriam, Republican, will defeat Mr. Sinclair. The latter was nominated by the Democrats, but he received no endorsement from Washington. In any case, the result would be a victory' for the “New Deal,” as Mr. Merriam is a supporter of Mr. Roosevelt.