AMERICA GOES TO THE POLLS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21184, 3 November 1938, Page 7

AMERICA GOES TO THE POLLS

Voting in Senate Elections New Issues Confront President Social Security Plan Offered CHANCES OF THIRD TERM United Press Association—By Slectxlc Telegraph—Copyright (Received November 2, 5.5 pm.) NEW YORK, November 1. Tire American nation goes to the polls on November 8, for the regular biennial national election to elect 37 Senators, 435 members of the House of Representatives, 32 State Governors and administrations. Despite the probable appearance of six new Senatorial figures and a score or so of new representatives, due to the nomination of new men in the primaries, President Roosevelt will probably have to deal with virtually the same congressional body that has been in office since he began his second term, provided, of course, there is no upheaval at the polls, and an upheaval Is far from likely. Parties in Senate The Senate at present comprises 76 Democrats, 15 Republicans and five others, Including vacancies. Thirty-seven will be elected on Tuesday, including five to fill the vacancies of those who have not finished their terms. It will therefore be Impossible to overthrow the Democratic control in the Senate since many of these come from the Southern States, and therefore will be Democratic. The make-up of the House is 328 Democrats, 88 Republicans and others, including vacancies. Republican Hopes Nineteen Republicans are most optimistic and the hope is that they will capture 25 new seats. Any larger number would upset all present diagnosis, but although this would only slightly diminish the Democratic strength, it might nevertheless Increase the President's difficulties with Congress, which during the two past years has learned the art of revolt against him. On the other hand, some observers believe that any loss of numerical strength would cause the remainder of the Democrats to rally more strongly about him. Challenging Forces There are two politico-economic forces which the President finds more difficult to handle than outright opponents, whether within the Democratic or the Republican parties. The chief of them is the “Ham and Eggs Social Security” scheme, a new variant of the Townsend Plan, centreing principally in California, where the Democratic Senatorial nominee, Sheridan Downey, who defeated the veteran William McAdoo, despite President Roosevelt’s endorsement, is running under a programme promising 30 dollars every Thursday to persons over 50 years of age. Democratic candidates In at least eight other States, have been endorsed by the followers of similar schemes, and President Roosevelt, who has called the schemes “crackpot inventions,” is trying to combat then by plans to have Congress add perhaps 10,000,000 more persons to the 40,000,000 already eligible for pensions under present Federal Social Security. Rival Groups The second force is Senator La Follette's Third Party movement. It is believed this new Party would rob President Roosevelt of the Left Wing support, but it Is noy believed that the movement is basically agrarian and conservative, and actually Left Wing in sentiment and for the greater part, throughout the country, is generally pro-Roosevelt. Will Luck Mold Good. The so-called “Roosevelt luck” seems to be holding In various respects. Impiovement In business conditions seems to be continuing, and It is almost traditional in American politics that the Government, which happens to be holding office during an upwa:.’. economic movement, s likely to be returned. Against this, however, must be counted the unfavourable reactin'' in the agricultural areas due to the ow prices of commodities, and the red tape which seems to delay the operation of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, and the reaction to comiption charges In the administration of relief funds. Views of Observers Observers with a long view of the Interests Involved, look to the elections not only to indicate the status of President Roosevelt’s popularity, but whr' new forces have developed in both major parties, and to what degree these represent new national trends. However this is rather academic. The pevp’e themselves chiefly want to know how popular President Roosevelt still is, and what clues they can draw from It concerning his Intentions to run in 1940 for a third term.