New-York tribune., 1918-11-07
p.eard Election as Show
;oe High Water Mark of
Democratic Strength
War Situation
Aid to Wilson
leaders Say Victory Would
Have Been Landslide"
Except for CAP Smith
Bv Carter Field

Ing Republican victory carrying con-
80 80, If both houses Of Congress away
.,ou the Presidents party, is regarded
~ Republican leaders here as a long
..n toward Republican victory for the
Presidency in 1920.
Yesterdays battle of ballots Is re-
as q comparatively accurate test
= The high-water mark of the Wilson
.au;r;stration's strength in the coun-
',,s--the first that has ever been taken.
= 1912. it is pointed out, the Repub-
,..ns were divided, which condition
.,.va;1ed to a smaller extent, in the
ronoressional election of 1914, in spite
q which the Democratic majority in
II. House was cut to about 35. In
safs. the "kept US out of war" issue
.ompletely twisted normal political
lines, and made the results absolutely
anreadable so far as any intelligent
andensanding of the political drift
yss concerned.
Had strategic Advantage"
But with everything in favor of the
Democrats, with the peace news. the
Allied victories, the collapse of Aus
tria following on the heels of the with
arawa] from the war of Turkey and
Dulraria and with an urgent appeal by
the President to the country to elect
only Democrats to the Senate and
House as a patriotic duty, still the
Democrats have been swept out of
ucver in the two houses.
The Republican victory would have
easily been cassed as a landslide had it
not been for the tremendous personal
popularity of All Smith, Democratic
candida te for Governor of New York,
and the unexpected strength of the
Tammany organization. BY rolling up
the unprecedented Democratic majority
Of 265,0G0 in greater New York, ap-
proximate,y 1000 better than the
Democratic party has ever achieved be-
fore in the greater city, AL Smith
dragged four Republican members Of
the House down to defeat and probably
saved two or three of the weaker Demo
cratic candidates.
Tammany Did 1t Alone
The huge vote in greater New York
vas not IN the slightest degree, &C
cording to the information .A,eived
here, ar Endorsement of the National
Democratic party, or a response to the
Presidents plea for a Democratic Con-
gress. 1t was an outpouring of the
Tammany wigwam, spurred to ex-
traordinary efforts in behalf Of one of
its favorite sons The defeat of Re
publican members of the House was
merely incidental.
The Democratic gain of two seats in
New Jersey also was not due to ma
tional questions, apparently, or to the
appeal Of the President. This is rather
iorcibly demonstrated by the fact that
Ae President added to his general ap-
peal for Democratic Senator'S and Rep
two candidates Of his party for the
Senate in New Jersey. He also made
~ attack on one of the Republican
candidates, Senator Baird. Yet with
az the strength of the woman suffrage
element added to that OF the Admins
'ratlon, with a perfect food of news
paper advertising placed by the Demo
cratic National Committee through
New Jersey in the last few days, both
democratic Senatorial candidates were
eeieated. The Democratic candidate:
ior the House who were successful
aid
Factionalism Hurt Weeks
Inc only showing of strength by The
Democrats in the Senatorial fight wa.
Msde IN Massachusetts,. Senator Weeks
soSever, was not only the target o.
me Administrations; he was opposed
snoer cover, it is believed here, BY
trends Of Governor Mccall, who woul,
never consent to make a statement O.
:, speech in behalf of the man VIII,
ooocked his own road to the Senate
one story current here is that Gov
s1nor Mccall told reporter of a Bos
s0n newspaper who asked him if h.
a.ehded to issue statement for Sen
s.or weeks that the reporter had
Asme nv 70 ask such question.
Ihe suffragists made q special driv
against Senator Weeks. while the pro
sfessive element in the state. which
ngntly or wrongly, has always insste
va eIassing Senator Weeks as the rep
.ssentative of Big Business, turned t
ssA'1oyernor Walsh. There were othe
Important elements in the fght--fa
.smosed from any national conside ra
"0as--which elected Walsh.
wv MdAiWum support
nj, is believed here that Presiden
"nsons appeal resulted in bringin
W. the maximum of Democrat
sslength. and that it actually helpe
ne Democratic ticket in normall
smocratic states. Governor Stanle,
x kentucky, may have been pulle
4 ;s'eSagh by 1t, Republicans say, bu
i i islied to save Folk in Missouri,
7 Sag state, with eighteen electors
;sO.es. which has gradually been drift
is ,oward the Republican column fo
] sssaia ss iast twenty years. and may, it
4 p.ts;.s.eu, hnally have severed it's cor
A'sion s,.o with the solid South.
4 s.si'. .nii.ogether the Republicans are e,
snsh y nappy--regretting the defeat {
Il highiy regarded leaders as Week
ns.n.s nm.sssachusetts and Miller in Nil
Will :, oat contented on the whole
d,s,a'ns 'ns Democrats are hiding the
ms. ms with claims that the Presidey
nay still be sustained