Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-11-29
Reporting an Election

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Newspapers and news-gathering as
sociations are confronted by the fact
that, in spite Of increased facilities of
communication, it is becoming more
aud more difficult to give the reading
public early reports Of the results OF
general elections in this country.
1t was several days after the general
election this year before it could be
stated with definitenesss which party
would control the next congress, and
everyone is familiar with the uncer-
tainty that existed for DAYS after the
last presidential election in 1916.
The New York World, in discussing
the difficulty experienced in the last
election in getting final returns, hnds
sufficient reason for this situation and
ex presses the belief tina In future, ex-
cept under unusual circumstances, the
newspapers will not be able to an
nounce the results the morning after
general elections are held, as they have
done in the past.
The views of the World on this sub
iect, which is of interest to all news
paper men, are as follows:
"As in 1915, the morning after cleo
ton the general result remained SO
doubtful as to leave room for both
Democrats and Republicans to raise
the cry of victory. Partial returns
from many congressional districts only
opened the way for confusion Of jndg-
ment. On each sid ,the lack of actual
figures kept alive partisan hopes.
at may still require several days to
reach an accurate conclusion as regards
certain states. So heavy have become
the demands made upon 1t that the
election machinery of the country can
not complete its work within the ex-
pected time. The physical difficulties
are too great.
ssThere are 435 congressional districts
altogether, covering a territory 5000
miles wide and 1000 miles from north
to south. A single district, comprising
an entire state, like New Mexico, may
be two and a half times as large as
New York state, but it elects only one
representative as against New YoIk's
forty-three. Arizona and Nevada each
are nearly 100 times as large as Rhode
Island, which has three representatives
to only one each for Nevada and Ari-
IONA. While it may take days In the
Western states, where hours suffice In
New England, TO collect full returns,
in determining the control of the house
or senate one Democrat or Republican
from any section of course counts as
much as another.
Differences in time, remoteness OF
polling places and lack of direct COM
m%unication in many states contribute
to delay. In San Francisco the voting
is in progress hours after the polls have
closed 10 this city. Under the laws OF
some states the polls are kept open un-
til a later hour for the benefit of the
working men. The increased popula-
ton or the lar est 10 q ldctOi l Hn-
tional elections of which the impor-
lance has been tardily recognized in
the East. Woman suffrage west of the
Mississippi has generally doubled the
number of voters.
ELECTIONS become closer and closer
as we near normal times. Only cam
paign managers can be cocksure of the
outcome up to the last hour. After
that they know little more than the
casual newspaper reader who insists
upon definite figures as he glances at
the headlines at the breakfast table.
But it is becoming more clear tina ex-
cept where there Is a party landslide,
q ''tidal wave" or an emergency issue
eclipsing minor facts, elections in this
country in the future will seldom be
the one-day affairs they have been re-
garded outside of political circles in
the past. u-PubLishers' AuTikiary.
-es~-
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