Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-28

600 votes. In the special election
the Democrat, Frank Irvine, received
about 1900 votes, the successful
Republican about 10000 votes.
As the election had the wet and
dry issue in it, a great deal of inl-
portance has been attached to the
tremendously reduced majority in
this normally strong Republican dis
trict. The dry element has been
worried by it. and the vets perhaps
more jubilant than the showing
would justify.
The situation is compared with the
mistaken idea the country received
in 1904. Then Theodore Roosevelt
won by a popular majority of g.
544,343 votes over Judge Alton b.
Parker. This was hailed at the time
as a tremendous tribute to the per-
sonal popularity enjoyed by the late
President Roosevelt.
However, on that occasion wise
politicians analysed the vote in COM
paiison with the presidential vote
four years before, and discovered
some rather startling facts. Will
liam Mckinley. running for the Sec
ond time in 1900, received a popT-
lar vote of 7,219.53O, while William
J. Bryan, the Democrat, polled g.
35S, OIL votes. Mr.. McKinley's
popular majority, therefore, was less
than 1000, 900 votes.
However. when Mr.. Roosevelt was
elected. Judge Parker polled out
~5,0S4,491 votes-roughly 100000
less votes than Mr.. Bryan received
four years before. The total Re-
publican and Democratic vote in
1900 was 1857, COL. Four years lat
err, despite the fact that hundreds of
thousands of voters had come TO le-
ga! age in the intervening years. the
com bined popular vote of Roosevelt
and Parker was 12.713,325, roughly
$50, O00 less than the vote in 1900.
Politicians, whose success in that
game for decades gives their opin-
ions weight point to this as meaning
that in 1904 Democrats had reached
a state of disgust, and while they
would not become turncoats 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 special cleo
ton for congress. only 40 per cent
of the normal Republican voting
strength could be gotten out 10 the
polls. However. there was some
falling off in the Democratic strength
-17,000 against about 10000 two
years ago. However. 1900 is SIS
AA- aonf - fha nnrraaf napaAaxosf-
strength. which is a worrying figure
to Republican politicians.
Some Reaction Expected
Some reaction from the tremen-
dous Republican victory of 1920
was naturally expected. Then Re-
publicans won the House by a tire
mendously increased majority, and
President Harding was swept into
Office by the greatest majority eve
heard of in this country. His ra-
jority in the popular vote was great
er, for instance, than the total vote
received by Woodrow Wilson in 1906
when the Republican vote was split
between Taft and Roosevelt.
Politicians whose views carry
weight look for a reduction in the
Republican House membership.
w Hlit Iu6X MOQlu uOL cart 10 say 81
publicly. the present majority in the
lower branch of congress is I'M
wieldy. 1t is bad for party disci-
pline, 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.
1t is an open secret in Washing
ton that the Democratic National
Corr mittee is beginning TO be a little
| fearful that the apathy of Republl-
| can voters may result in a Demo-
cratic majority in the House With
an eye to the future, frankly this is
not desired by the Democratic or
~ganization. In order to have good
\ ground for a general attack in 1921,
when another 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 gan
orally viewed in Washington at the
present time. About six months re-
main before the election in Novem-
Der. Within that period it is pos
| sibie. of course. that congress may
be able TO redeem itself somewhat in
the eyes OF the people. However
there are pessimists in the Repub-