Evening star., 1922-10-24
PASS|VEPR0TEST
BYVO7ERS LOOMS
New York Staters, Disgust
ed With Parties, May Keep
Away From Polls.
MILLER HAS ADVANTAGE
Governor Has Sensed Mood of
Electorate and Is Seeking
to Cater to It.
MILLER HAS ADVANTAGE
ny \. o. MESSENGER.

NEW YORK. October 24.-While
marking time for the period during
which Candidates Miller and Smith
are winding up their belaboring of
sAch-oahar .ovaE- the in. Isspeo.ive- records
as executives of the Empire state, pre-
paratOry to their launching into
broader issues in a day or two, the
writer would invite attention to an
undercurrent phase of the campaign
which is noted by political managers
in both party camps.
This is the fact, discernible to the
managers, that an element of the
voters of the state of New York are
in this campaign viewing politics
and issues from a different angle
than ever before-a viewpoint of
thoughtfulness and of independence
of strict party allegiance. which in
duces to the possibility that the old
line political leaders in each camp
are riding up to a surprise on cleo
tion day. The nature and extent of
the surprise will depend upon how
large is this faction of the cleo
tOrate.
May Stay Away From Polls.
1t will be affected in a passive way
by the absence from the polls of
thousands of voters on election day,
men and women, who have thrown up
their ha Ids in sheer and utter dis
gust with methods and policies of the
old parties and will have nothing to
do with them.
AS the cards in the campaign lie on
the board now. the republicans are
classed as having shade the ad-
vantage in this new state of thought
fulness and Independence of the vo-
ters. Gov. Miller is making this a
campaign on principles and acts, ap-
pealing to the sober judgment of
the independents and such democrats
Former Gov. Smith, while stoutly de-
Tending his course in office and hold
ing out promises of performance If
elected, is depending largely upon his
personality and popularity.
Gov. Miller has sensed the present
mood of a portion of the electorate
and is seeking to cater to it, and ap-
propriate it. 1t may be remarked, in
passing. that competent observers are
reporting that in several states in the
west they find existent somewhat
similar condition Of impatience of the
people with old party shibboleths and
methods and are Indicating a DISPOSE
tion to throw them off.
Obdurate to Party Pleas.
In New York state, political man
ayers say, there has never been
campaign wherein the voters seemed
as interested in the business aspect of
state and national government, and
as obdurate to mere party appeal as
now. The republicans are expected
TO q
republicans are hammering away con-
stantly on this feature. The ques-
ton whether government is to be ad-
ministered by and for political and
party interest or in behalf of the
state and the people at large is kept
constantly to the fore:
This policy is resulting in bringing
to the support of the republican ticket
an influential section of the inde-
pendent press, which editorially, espe-
cially in the rural sections. is stress
ing it upon the readers, who are also
the voters.
Women Have Influence.
The political managers ascribe as
contributing cause to the restless
state of opinion among the electorate
the presence of the woman vote. They
say that the odds are that the woman
voters are reading and thinking, as
class, more closely than the men. For
one thing. it is a new diversion to
them something that takes them
out of the routine of their daily life.
and invites them to participation in
government and larger affairs than
their restricted environment has
hitherto supplied.
The point of all this dissertation is
that the reader, If interested. will
later find that he or she was 'in at
the start" of new movement in
American politics which may have as
sumed important proportions by the
time the presidential campaign comes
along, a movement which the politi-
cal managers and leaders are sensing
Us being under way.