Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-11-27
Politicians Wonder
How Ii Happened
Abrupt Turns In Political Policies VI
Various States Gives Rise 10
Speculation.
nv nitcd Pless.l ,


OBy United PYess.)
Washington, Nov. 27-The abb
and the postmortem are the order OF
the day among the lame ducks VINO
were winged" in the congressional
elections.
How did it ever happen to me =
they have begun asking themselves.
The answers are interesting, and they
point q moral to politicians who are
trying to profit by the mistakes OF
1922, so that they will not fall IN
1921.
Examination Of the causes under
living the defeat Of some of the veter-
ans who had long occupied places OF
prominence in the senate emphaslz-
es. first of all, the new independence
of American voters.
Before the election it was appar-
ent that the public was not following
national issues. After the election 1t
was clear that national issues were
almost wholly neglected and that men
stood or fell almost entirely upon their
records and their political PERSONAL
ties.
IN Ohio. Pomerene, Democratic
Senator Of the highest standing and
recognized ability was showed under
despite a Democratic State victory
Union labor did for Pomerene. He
displayed great independence towards
organized labor and labor in turn got
in3ependont when it came to voting
foi senator. The radical drys also
apparently voted against him.
In Nebraska, the drys beat Senator
Hitchcock, another Democrat against
whose senatorial record there seemed
no blots. Nebraska, too, elected a
Democratic governor. In New YORK
Al Smith was elected governor over
Nathan l. Miller largely because AZ
projected his personality so strongly
that the voters could not resist nm;
The New York campaign was based
on state and national issues.
Senator Borah's Idaho campaign,
though it did not involve his seat IN
the Senate. was another example OF
the wa the voters this year followed
men they believed in. Borah faced
thc organized opposition OF his party
Leaders in an effort to get the Sena-
toriAl urinary restored, in place OF the
contention system. So potent was MS
,pneal to the voters that it became
-yident long before election day that
nh 3,7rter what the complexion OF
fine Bext legislature, Idaho would have
- urinary law. And the Republican
ol3ernatorial candidate was forced
in the end, to recant his opposition
and to agree. tactitly. that he would
sign the primary law
Senator Lodge ran into the ne" M
1ependerce of the voters in way
startling to him. Gov. Claiming Cox
was reelected governor by $4,000 or
move. Lodge barely got through. IN
tbe old days. Lodge nearly always
led the ticket. But this year the
voters made up their own tickets ana
I;dn'. lust put cross under the
marty emblem. accepting the SeIec-
tions of party leaders.
In Indiana, the alibi which Harry
New and A. J. Beveridge can offer Is
that "somebody knitted me-" Indiana
is rapidlv becoming an unpleasant
state for a politician to inhabit. New
was "knifed" by one set in the. prii-
maries and now Beveridge's friends
charge News supporters "knlfed
Rcyeridge in the election. And both
sets of knife wielders are getting
ready to use their blades on INN
Watson when he comes up for re-
election.
In Michigan, Townsend lost because
Of the Newberry case. His TRENDS
blame Henry Ford. In New Jersey
Frelinghuysen's dry record and ms
Newberry vote tell why he got beaten
In Kansas. J. NJ. Davis, Democrat
beat W. Y. Morgan, Republican, iof
governor because Of Henry Allen, the
present governor. Aliens industrial
court was distasteful to many citizens
inc udng organized labor.
NearlJ everywhere the same thing
was tru4-it was men and not great
national issues which made up the
voters minds.