The Owosso times., 1922-03-10
REPUBLICAN II DU CTION
WILL NOT MEAN RE-
PUInV ATION

Democratic campaign managers
arc out with boasts that they will
redeem some of the Congressional
elections they lost in November.
1920. They probably will" "The
election of 1920 was an eXtraor-
dinary outburst of public indigna-
ton. We had just gone through
eight years of the worst extrava-
gance and waste in the history of
any nation. We had endured bu-
reaucracy as it had never been
known before. We had witnessed
the efforts of the Democratic party
to force this government to subJect
itself to the mandates of a super
state-to make the supreme sacri-
flee We had seen McAdoo try to
pull this country into socialism.
We had seen the policies of the
government shaped by men who
refused to prepare for war when
war was impending or to prepare
for peace when peace was certain.
Naturally there were thousands of
Democrats who refused to give
even passive endorsement to such
management of the nations busi-
ness. 1t is impossible that the
Democratic party will ever again
go before the country with as much
of handicap as it had in 1920.
and. therefore, it is not at all like
ly that as many Democrats will
ever again vote the Republican
ticket
But that is not admitting that
there Is a possibility Of the Demo-
Gratis winning a majority of the
House of Representatives in 1922.
Far from it. Out of 435 members
of the House there are now 301
Republicans and 1872 Democrats.
The House is Republican by more
than two to one. In the preceding
Congress there were 230 Repub-
licans and 100 Democrats in the
House, majority of 40 as COM
pared with the present majority
of 1863.
"In the election of 1920 many
districts went Republican for the
first time in history, but by a mar
row margin. Quite likely we shall
lose some of these if the Democrats
put up candidates who are reason
ably acceptable. The Republicans
do not and will not concede any
particular district, but any man
familiar with the ups and downs
of politics knows that districts car
ried in such elections as that of
1920 cannot be held indefinitely.
Many Democrats merely stayed at
home on election day, and if they
go to the polls in 1922, their
strength will be sufficient to change
the result.
1T is the manifest purpose of
the Democratic campaign mana
gers to pave the way for an as
sertion next November that re-
duction of the Republican major
ffty In h. 10. TOT,
of the Republican administration.
There will very likely be a reduc-
ton, but it will not be a disap-
proval of the Republican admins
tration. Prior Ito the election of
1918, the Democrats had 216 Rep
resentativeS and the Republicans
210, a Democratic majority of 6.
In the campaign of 1918 Presi-
dent Wilson issued a strong per-
sonal appeal for the election of
Democratic majority as a vote Of
confidence in him as the spokes-
man Of the nation. The result was
a Republican victory with a ma
jority of 4S members in the House.
That was a reputation of the
Democratic party and could not
be otherwise construed.
There is, in fact, but one way
to ascertain the actual sentiment of
the people of the country, and that
is by computing the total popular
vote. 1t is possible, but not prob
able, that one party might have a
in the House but the op-
posite party poll the largest pop
ular vote. In general, however,
the political complexion Of the
in the House may be
taken as an accurate indication of
the political preferences of a ma
iority of the people. 1t is our guess
that the Republican majority will
not fall below that OF 1920
when we had lead of 4S men,
bers."