Evening star., 1921-11-18
Editorial Digest
Il There q Turning Of the Tide :

Is There q Turning Of the TideF
When a senator from New Mexico
and a representative from Massachu-
sets were elected on the republican
ticket by a comfortable margin about
two months ago, most Of the demo-
cratic and all Of the republican press
regarded the results as indicating
not only that the political tide had not
turned. but that It was still running
strongly in republican favor. Since
tireu local elections have been held in
several states. resulting. broadly
speaking, in democratic victory. Now
the democratic papers are convinced
that "the tide has turned" and a num-
Der Of republican papers are inclined
to think they are right about It.
Writers Of both parties who interpret
the recent elections HI an unm1stak-
able swing toward democracy hold
tdilatCry Congress and broken cam
spaiRn promises responsible. Some re-
publican papers. of course. think
their colleagues are easily upset ana
that the democratic spokesmen are
waxing strong on very slight nour-
ishment.
"one political extreme usually leads
to another" the Lincoln (Neb) State
Journal (independent republican, OBJ
serves, and "seasoned politicians OF
both parties knew that the elections
Of this year would have to show some
measure of political reaction from
last year." and the returns Suggest
that the back-sweep Of the tide is
strong enough to promise a hard ngnt
next year" Indeed, the developments
in the recent elections are 'dangerous
to the republican party. and the
Sioux City Journal (republican, thfnks
it should be warned by these upsets
that it will have to bestir itself De.
fore the congressional elections roll
around" The country has grown i'm,
patient" the Knoxville journal ana
Tribune (republican1 comedies, under
the delay on the part OF Congress 10
pass a tax law" and it suspects that
therein lies 1.-The chief trouble IN the
But the Duluth Herald (ndepend ent)
inds little political significance: In
these elections since reaction from
he tremendous republican landslide of
1920 is inevitable" and. in the opinion
Of the paper. Wholesome" as well. III
it does not bring in 1922 the curse OF a
divided government" although it, too,
,eels that the returns cannot be inter-
oreted to mean that the republicans
can afford to grow careless. for they
amt" There is mo more political sig
Iificance' in the results OF the stale
elections than there was in the enor.
NOUS republican majority OF last
year." as the Muskegon Chronicle tin-
iependent) sees it. for now that that
gesture of irritation has been made II
- perfectly natural that there should
De a swing backward to normal. and
while 'on the face Of the returns the
minority party seems entitled to claim
success" nevertheless. there was
more national significance in the cleo
tons of the earlier fall in Massa-
chusetts and New Mexico; point
which the Milwaukee Sentinel (republi-
can) develops further. These were the
only elections last year, it says, in
which national issues were involved and
which could in any way be regarded
as indicating sentiment toward the re-.
publican party or the present admins
ration" and the result was "unmistak-
able Endorsement" while the later cleo
tons cannot be regarded as an index
Of sentiment as to national issues Tor
he same reason that in none or them
did national issues cut any figure.
The Arizona Republican phoenix.
independent progressive) does NOT
regard the returns as being indica-
tive Of anything, least of all demo-
cratic coup, and the Hartford Courant
(republican) thinks lit is early to
worry over republican losses that
have not yet occurred, or to crow
over democratic gains not yet real
lied"
Local issues the Baltimore Sun
independent democratic) states. al
ways supply explanations when no
others are available: but, it asks.
IF there had been elections in forty
states instead of Ave, who can say
whether these local causes might
not have been Just as pronounced"
The elections were of minor, i'm
portance," the Springfield Republican
independently comedies, nevertheless
the returns "displayed an unmistak-
able democratic drift" which. the
Utica Observer (democratic) remarks,
can give no comfort to the gentle
men who have full charge at Wash
ington. where promises have been
thrown to the winds.' and which
must cause the national adminis-
tration to wonder il the people are
not becoming dissatisfied"