, 1921-11-21
INVOLVES NO NATIONAL ISSUES.

rL.za - tbose who profess to see in recent local
elections indications of a trend away from the nepup
Hcan party and a loss of faith in the national hepup-
Ucan administration. In such elections as nave peeh
held no national issues were involved. Inc quesIiohs
settled were purely local and based largely upon a
persoaahty of candidates. The fact that a Demo
cratic mayor was elected over a Republican eanaldaVe
in some distant part of the country indicates notning
more than a purely local issue. The election OF such
a mayor has no bearing whatever upon the attitude
of the people toward either of the great parties II
was not a question of party doctrine or policies and
merely a domestic matter to be determined as between
two candidates as to who would best serve local re-
~quirements.
The only elections having a political bearing in their
results upon the attitude of the people toward the
parties were the elections of a United States senator
in New Mexico and a congressman in Massachusetts,
held some time since. These clearly indicated a con-
tinued faith in the Republican party by overwhelming
majorities for the candidates for that party.
No Republican familiar with national politics has
any idea that the Republican party will be able to re-
tain permanently its present matorities IN the senate
and house of representatives. The election OF 19ZO
has never been construed to be az accurate indica-
ton of the division of public sentiment in the United
States as between Democrats and Republicans Inc
overwhelming defeat of the Democratic nominee in
1920 was largely a reputation of wisconsin and a
rejection of the league of nations, which was a for
eign rather than a domestic issue. Some of the u
600, 900 votes which made up the plurality against the
Democratic nominee were the votes of Democrats who
could not stand for the Socialistic tendencies of their
marty under the leadership of McAdoo, Wilson, Palm
er, ct al. Under : saner leadership some of those
would undoubtedly again vote the Demo
cratic ticket. Others will continue in the Republican
ranks, but it may very reasonably be expected that
under ordinary conditions and with ordinary issues
involved, the Democrats would poll n larger vote than
they did in 1920.
It is not to be expected, by any means, that the
reaction which is sure to come will be extensive
enough to enable the Democrats to win a victory. The
people of the United States are in harmony with the
principles and teachings of the Republican party. This
is demonstrated by the fact that since Lincoln's time,
covering 10 presidential terms, only four terms have
been filed by Democrats. The election of Wilson in
1912 was not due to support of Democratic principles
by a majority of the voters, but was brought about
solely by a division in Republican ranks which put two
Republican candidates in the field who together polled
Il majority vote of the country although neither of
them received as many votes as the Democratic nomi-
nee. Wilson's second election was brought about by
the false but persuasive plea that The kept US out of
war" Only twice since the Civil war, and that in the
two elections of Grover Cleveland, has the country
given its support to Democratic policies on the issues
as presented by the platforms.
Quite likely that some congressional districts that
are normally Democratic and were carried by the Re
publicans by narrow margins may return to the Demo
cratic column. The number of these however will b,
few. Barring any grievous mistakes, which are re
motely possible and not in the least probable, the Re
pubicans will retain control of both branches of con
gress for many years to come and will certainly cleo
their candidate for the presidency for a dozen year
at least and probably much longer.