“POLITICAL UPHEAVAL”

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1932, Page 7

“POLITICAL UPHEAVAL”

PROSPECTS OF ELECTION

DEMOCRATIC WIN EXPECTED

MASS SENTIMENT MOVES

TIMES AGAINST HOOVER

By Telagrwh—Amu.—Copyright. Rec. 8.30 p.m. New York,. Nov. 7. One of those political upheavals that have visited America at irregular periods is now generally predicted for to-mor-row. Mr. Hoover is called a “gallant soldier” by the less embittered opposition for his stirring final effort to stem the Democratic wave, but, as asks one leader writer, “Of what avail are his long speeches and harangues against the more eloquent oratory of farm prices at the lowest ever known and 10,000,000 people unemployed?” America is never before is being actuated by mass sentiment; certainly not reasoned or well articulated, but immensely direct. Thirty-five to forty-five million persons will go to the polls tomorrow. They may or may not give Mr. Roosevelt a popular pluarity of 6,000,000 such as Mr. Hoover had over Mr. Smith in 1028, but owing to the character of the electoral college machinery it seems unquestioned that he will give the Democratic Party a decisive mandate. The New York Times at the close, of a survey of 48 States assigns 30, with an electoral vote of 300, as apparently certainly Roosevelt, nine with 138 votes as likely for Roosevelt, three with 44 votes as certainly for Hoover, and six with 49 votes as likely for Hoover. A total of 266 electoral votes is necessary for the choice of Congress, which is also confidently expected to reflect vastly increased Democratic strength.

CHANGES ANTICIPATED.

The present division of the House of Representatives is 217 Democrats, 209 Republicans and one Farmer Labour, ana there are eight vacancies. It is expected it will be changed in the direction of a large majority of Democrats. .The Senate, which is practically evenly divided now, is expected to show a Democratic majority of between six and ten on the basis of 32 members to be elected to-morrow. Some telling defeats are expected among Republican Senators seeking reelection. The seats of such veterans as Messrs. Smoot, Watson and Moses are gravely endangered. Senator Borah, who is not up for re-election this time, may, however, lose’ the chairmanship of the premier Foreign Relations Committee owing to a Democratic senatorial victory. Thirty-four States are holding gubernatorial elections, in which States there are 18 Democratic governors and 15 Republicans at present. . ...... As expected, beer remained the dominant issue throughout the campaign, Such an important matter as foreign debts received only passing reference, hlr. Hoover condemning the Democratic intimation that a remission should be granted for trade favours. Beer and the whole question of prohibition is in the minds of American people more important than foreign debts, or, for that matter, other items of foreign policy, which remained virtually untouched by the candidates to the end. Eleven States to-morrow will vote on various phases of prohibition, from initiative on the repeal of the State prohibition law in Arizona to the question whether Congress should be memorialised to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act in Connecticut.

WAT Ji STREET’S ATTITUDE.

Wall Street’s attitude on the election is also interesting. It reacted unfavourably to almost all Mr. Hoover’s speeches. It is not disturbed by the probable outcome of the election. It indicated that prices have held a, 20-point gain over July’s prices. Industry and business generally, which also suffer recessions and show uncertainty during the period of presidential campaigns, this time have given no evidence of set-backs or trepidations. . There seems an expectation m foreign countries that a Democratic victory will presage important changes in the tariff policy, but it is clear no important changes are likely in the event of a Democratic win. Mr. Roosevelt not only made no specific promises on the tariff, but he also avoided for the greater part clear-cut proposals on many difficult questions such as farm relief, unemployment and depression cures, and confined himself to energetic and liberal application to those problems. _ ■ Speaking at Poughkeepsie in the final speech of the campaign, Mr. Roosevelt promised that if elected he would in humility seek “to mend the fabric of our common life.” He said that if a multitude of his friends “give expression to-morrow to your united confidence in the invigorating tonic of a change I may in some modest way bring this unity of purpose to practical fulfilment.” . ~ At Elko, Nevada, Mr. Hoover in'his final appeal expressed the deep conviction that for the welfare of the United States the Republican Party should continue to administer the Government. He declared that he had “been fighting that the wrong course may not be adopted. Not by appeal to destructive emotion, but by truth and logic I have tried to dissolve the mirage of promises by the reality of facts.” Both candidates are confident of success. “We will carry the country,.. Mr. Hoover told well-wishers when he was en route to his home. Mr. Roosevelt said: “I am confident of the result. A record Socialist vote is foreseen by Mr. Norman Thomas, the party’s candidate.