The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-24
Frederick Haskin's Letter
EARLY POLITICAL INDICATIONS
fshectal corrcsponaeeee 81 The Argus.

7 However, when Mr.. Roosevelt
was elected. Judge Parker polIed
but 5,0S4,491 votes,-roughly 1900
900 less votes than Mr.. Bryan re-
ceived four years before. The total
Republican and Democratic vote
/ in 1900 was 1857, COL. Four veare
later. despite the fact that hun
dreds of thousands of voters had
come to legal age in the interven-
ing years, the combined popular
vote of Roosevelt and Parker was
1918, 1926, roughly $4,000 less
than the vote in 1900.
Politicians, whose success in
that game for decades gives their
opinions weight, point to this as
meaning that in 1904 Democrats
| had reached a state of disgust. and
while they would not become turn
coats and vote for Republican
candidates, they refused to vote at
all. The figures would appear to
bear them out in this argument
The special election in the old
Houghton district in New York
state is taken by these old timers
| to mean that the Republican vot-
ers may sulk in their tents, and
that large numbers of them will
refuse to vote at all. In the spe-
cial election for congress, only 40
/ per cent of the normal Republican
voting strength could be gotten out
to the polls. However, there was
some falling off in the Democratic
strength-17,00 against about 90
900 two years ago. However, IT,
900 is IS per cent of the normal
Democratic strength, which is a
worrying figure to Republican poll
ticians
Some Reaction Expected.
Some reaction from the tremen-
dous Republican victory Of 1920
was naturally expected. Then Re
publicans won the House by ire
mendously increased majority. and
President Harding was swept into
office by the greatest majority ev-
er heard of in this country. His
majority in the popular vote was
greater. for instance, than the tot
al vote received by Woodrow Will
son in 1916, when the Republican
vote was split between Taft and
Roosevelt.
Politicians whose views carry
weight look for a reduction in the
Republican House membership.
While they would not care to say
so publicly. the present majority
in the lower branch of Congress is
unwieldy. 1t is bad for party dis
cipline, they contend, because a
mere matter of twenty or thirty
votes the wrong way on a party
measure now is no cause for a
moments worry.
It is an open secret in Washing
ton that the Democratic National
committee is beginning to be a lit
tie fearful that the apathy of Re
publican voters this year may re-
suit in a Democratic majority in
the House. With an eye to the fu-
ture, frankly this is not desired by
the Democratic organization. In
order to have good ground for a
general attack in 1924, when an
other presidential election occurs,
issues would be clearer if the
party now out of power could duck
responsibility for all measures.
This could not be true if the Demo-
Gratis should win the House this
fall.
This is the situation as it is gen
orally viewed in Washington at the
present time. About six months
remain before the election in No
vember. Within that period it is
possible, of course, that congress
may be able to redeem itself some
what in the eyes of the people.
However, there are pessimists in
the Republican ranks in Congress
who declare that the country eX-
pected a Republican administration
to perform some miracle of legis-
lation to put the country on its feet
in a business way almost over
night. reducing taxes and bringing
prosperity. Some of these men
look forward confidently, but nat
ura1ly with no joy, to being re-
turned to private life. If business
should have a sharp revival with
in that period, the prospects for
many present members of Con
gress would revive with the bust
ness boom.