U.S. SANTA CLAUS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20455, 7 November 1934, Page 1

U.S. SANTA CLAUS.

Election To-day to Decide Roosevelt’s Popularity. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. WASHINGTON, November 5. I To-morrow thirty million Americans will go to the polls to elect thirty-four i Senators and a House of RepresentaI tives. The consensus of opinion is I that the Democrats will emerge with a two-thirds majority in the Senate and will possibly lose thirty seats in the House, a result which would be hailed , as a hearty endorsement of President Roosevelt’s 44 New Deal ” policies. Apart from the personal popularity of the •‘resident, a factor operating In ; favour of the Roosevelt party is best ■ summed in the words of Mr Al. i Smith, one-tiine Democratic Presiden--1 tial candidate, “Nobody wants to shoot Santa Claus”—a reference to the public works and relief measures and to the patronage extended by the Government to millions of citizens. With a result of Democrat majorities in both Houses a foregone conclusion and conceding the possibility of a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives *as well as the Senate, the result may bring about an unprecedented situation—a Democrat President; a Senate with sufficient weight of party vote to ratify foreign treaties; and a House, overwhelmingly Democratic, to bring up whatever financial legislation the Administration may require. A Roosevelt triumph of these proportions would possibly result in a realignment of party systems in the ; United States, observers believe. With many Republicans adhering, through belief or for reason of policy, to the Rooseveltian ideology and with some Conservative Democrats in opposition. it is not inconceivable that i there might develop a definite cleavi age to Right and Left without regard |to the old party labels. Before Pre- ; sident Roosevelt’s advent there was i but small actual distinction between | the political philosophies of the Democrats and the Republicans.