The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-11-05
Harding's Victory at
Polls Unprecedented;
Only Eleven States
Democratic
SOUTH is BROKEN
Republican Vote Below
Mason-Dixon Line
Remarkable

NEW YORK.-The stupendous di-
mensions of Tuesdays political land
slide have found both Democratic
and Republican leaders expressing
continued amazement at the extent
of President-elect Warren G. Hard
ing's unprecedented victory.
Belated returns only added en-
phasis to the nations overwhelm-
ing reputation of the Democratic
party. The breaking of the solid south
by the capture of Tennesee's electoral
vote for the first time since 1868,
strikingly accentuated the sweeping
character of the Republican triumphs
and left Governor Cox with but elev-
en- states;-or at most thirteen-to
his credit, all south of the Mason
and Dixon line.
More important than the numerical
extent of Senator Harding's vote
was it's magnetic effect in elections
for the senate and house of repre-
sentatives. Republican control of the
next congress is assured by a far
wider margin than the first returns
indicated.
To put into effect the policies to
which they are pledged the Republi-
cans will have in the upper house a
majority of at least 12 and. possibly
Is members and in the lower
house a ma iority, estimates of which
range from rs to more than 100. The
G.. O. P. chiefs believe that these wide
margins in both houses reduced the
widely expressed fears of insurgent
activities in the next session to neg
ligible proportions. They expressed
confidence that President-elect Hard
ing will have behind him sufficient
regular" support at all times to be
able to disregard the fractions ele-
ments of the party, which before cleo
ton had been expressed in the sixty
seventh congress.
President-elect Harding goes into
office, according to the latest returns
with the entirely unparalleled figure
of 401 electoral votes and a popular
majority estimated at more than g.
100000. He is the choice of 36 states
in many of them by pluralities never
approached in American history. Sew
enteen of these states voted for
Woodrow Wilson in 1916.
Until this election a plurality of
100000 votes had been the highest
ator Harding surpassed this figure in
Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York,
obtaining in the last named the stag
gering majority of 1,25O,OO0 votes.
The west, which had been the only
hope of Democratic leaders not blind
ed by optimism, was as emphatic in
its rejection of Governor Cox as the
concededly Republican east. Not a |
spread of the territory captured by
Wilson in 1916 remained in the |
Democratic column.
Minor parties played an insight
ficant part in the general results, al
though the socialists claim to have
polled the largest vote in their his
tory, estimating as high as 100000.
On the face of present returns it will
be nearer 100000. In so few states
was any record made of the balloting |
for the Farmer-Labor candidates
that it is impossible to give an es-
innate of it's strength, but outside of |
New York state it is believed to have
fallen considerably below even the
modest expectations Of it's leaders. !
In New York state it claims to
have polled more than 100000 votes
and probably played a vital part in
the defeat of Governor Smith for re-
election. Somewhat more than half
of these votes would be sufficient to
insure triumph Of Smith, who even
in defeat, has won what many politi-
cal observers declare to be the great
est personal victory in the history Of
American politics, running nearly a
million votes ahead Of his ticket.
Astounding as was the Republican
avalanche in the northern states
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