AMERICAN ELECTIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1926, Page 9

AMERICAN ELECTIONS

A HARD-FOUGHT CAMPAIGN THE ISSUES COMPLICATED EUROPE SHOWS INTEREST EFFECT UPON WAR DEBTS By Telegraph—Press Assn—Copyright. Received Nov. 2, 9.15 p.m. Washington, Nov. 1. One of the most complicated and hardest fought political campaigns ended today with a tangle of issues obscuring the result and a depth of interest never before recorded aroused both here and abroad. Cables from Europe state that not since President Harding’s election has there been so much anticipation as to the result of an American election as in the present case. France and Germany are both looking for a Democratic victory, as they believe such an event will result in a change in the United States fiscal policy, particularly regarding the tariff and war debts. In England, where less interest has been shown in the broader issues, the campaign nevertheless has been closely followed, more as regards the domestic issues, particularly prohil.hi,-„. DEMOCRATS CON FID I.NT. While President Coolidge has expressed his confidence that the next Congress will be Republican, Representative Oldfield, in giving a Democratic forecast, announced that his party would gain 50 seats in the House of Representatives and have a certain majority in the Senate. He said there were many reasons why the country was turning Democratic, notably “because the Democrats stand for purity in elections and honesty in office. Every trail of corruption has led to a cesspool fed by Republican practical politicians.” The Anti-Prohibitionists declare they will gain strength in the new Congress while the Prohibitionists assert that - their forces will be increased by threa to five votes in the Senate, and the House will have certainly not less than 309 “drys” and possibly 319, against. 109 “wets,” with 6 doubtful. Mr. Wayne B. Wheeler, General Counsel and Legislative Superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League, has attacked the prohibition referenda which are being held in eight States. He said: “Constitutional anarchy or enforcement of the law are the two issues which confront voters. The liquor groups, who are unable to muster the required number of votes to change the Eighteenth Amendment in a legal and orderly method, are attempting the most daring nullification programme that has ever been conceived in this nation.”

THE PROHIBITION ISSUE. Particular interest is centred upon the * prohibition issue owing to the drastio decision of the United States Supreme Court, issued to-day, ruling that any violater of the prohibition laws can be punished by both the Federal Government and by the Government of the State in which the offence was committed. This in despite of the provision in the United States Constitution that no man can be put in double jeopardy for the same offence. Owing to the unprecedented bitterness of the campaign in many places, particularly in noted lawless districts, special efforts are being made for the conduct of to-morrow’s polling without violence. Forty-two squads and detectives, armed with loaded shotguns and tear bombs, have already begun a tour of the city of Chicago in automobiles to prevent pre-election riots, and these will be augmented by 2000 other armed vigilants ready to repulse all efforts of the gangsters to storm the balloting places to-morrow. The town of Herrin (Illinois) was the scene two days ago of several killings over liquor feuds, and the town authorities are preparing to ask for State troopers to pievent armed warfare, as the bootleggers’ factions promise they will raid the polls and take revenge. The home of one Roman Catholic priest in Massaelnissetts is being guarded as a result of his receipt of threatening letters following on liis issue of statements condemning certain candidates for the latter's prohibition views.