Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-10-25
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


lively few States. This is an "off
year" that is Offer than usual. even
when compared to other years in
which neither the President and Vice
President nor the Congress are to
he elected.
Only two States Virginia and New
Jersey. will elect governors.
Two members of the House of Rep
resentatives will he chosen. one in
Kentucky and the other in New Jer-
sey.
New York State will elect its Assem-
bly,. $50 in number. but no State
Sena tors.
New Jersey elects its House and a
part of its State Senate.
Virginia elects its assembly.
kentucky elects its House of Repre-
sentatives and one third of its State
Senate.
Mississippi elects its House of Rep
personalities and part of its Senate.
Important Municipal Elections.
This enumeration covers the State
and congressional elections this Fall.
There are. however. II number of
important municipal elections to be
held In some of the great cities and
elections of State judiciary, State
commissioners of various kinds and
county elections.
The tendency in the states has been
more and more to hold State elections
with some measure of conformity to
the time when the National and con-
gressional elections are held. 1t costs
the States money to carry on primary
elections and the elections themselves,
and by holding as many of them as
possible on the same date the States
save considerable expense. Annual
elections of State officers are no long
or held in any of the States and in
many the governors are elected for
four years. Outside of purely local
elections in the great States of the
West and Middle West. there will be
no contests this Fall
Outstanding among the municipal
elections IS the fight for mayor in
New York City. In Boston. also, there
is brisk contest over the mayor.
Gov. Al Smith. the pride of New
York Democracy, during the primary
campaign for the Democratic nomina-
ton for mayor took off his coat and
worked for State Senator James J.
Walker. Tammany's candidate against
Mayor John r. liylan. who had the
backing of William Randolph Hearst.
After campaign of extreme bitter
ness, in which all kinds of charges
We're made by both sides. Walker won
the nomination at The polls. The Re
pubiicans. with comparatively little
difficulty, nominated Frank D. Water
man. a successful business man.
Hopeful in New York.
It is about 80 years since the Re
publiCans elected a mayor of New
York, except as fusion" candi-
date. Some of them are hopeful that
the time has come for a Republican
victory, particularly in view of the
bitter contest waged by the factions
of the Democrats during the primary
campaign. But those on the inside
predict that the Democrats will, as
usual, put across their candidate for
mayor when election day arrives. If
Mayor Hylan had consented to run
as an independent candidate. with the
backing of Hearst. Republican chances
for success might have been brighter.
though even under such conditions il
might have happened that many Re
publicans would have voted for Walk
err just to make sure that Hylan
would not win. Mr.. Waterman is
standing on a platform of business
administration, promising. with other
things, to go ahead and dig new
Suhways to add to the transportation
facilities of Greater New York.
The Republicans AT present control
The New York Assembly. although
the Democrats have the Governor and
control of the State Senate. Gov
Smith naturally is urging the cleo
ZION of a Democratic Assembly. so
that his legislative program may be
put through. program which has
been blocked by the Republicans in
the Assembly.
The voters of New York on election
day will also vote on four proposed
amendments to the State constitu-
ton. One of these authorizes $780,
600 900 bond issue. to be spent in
amounts not to exceed S10,000.000 a
year over a period of 10 years on
permanent improvements to State
buildings A second proposed amend
ment would empower the State LegiS-
lature to create without further sub
mission to the people a debt not to
exceed 100000, 900 for the elimina-
ton of railroad grade crossings, which
number about 1000 in the State. The
cost of the elimination is TO be di-
vided as follows: Twenty-Five per cent
by the State, % per cent by the city.
town or village in which the crossing
Is located and so per cent by the rail
road company. The Republicans are
opposing both these propositions on
the ground of economy, danger of
waste and graft, and that they would
he a mistake in financing.
Cut Elective Offices.
A third proposed amendment calls
for the short" ballot. reducing the
number of elective State officers from
seven to four, and the fourth amend
ment, known as the Judiciary amend
ment, would take out of the conStltu-
lion and place in the hands Of the
State Lesisla ture authority TO increase
salaries of judges and amend the
Jurisdiction of certain courts.
In Virginia the election of a Demo
cratic governor is as sure as the sun
rise. state Senator Byrd has the
Democratic nomination and the Re
publicans have put forward a candi
date, but without chance of success
His name is s. II. Hoge of Roanoke
and he was chosen by the executive
committee after Col. II. W. Anderson
twice before the Republican candidate
for governor, had declined to be the
nominee this year and after the Repub-
lican State convention had adjourned.
The Legislature, which will be chosen
also, will be Democratic overwhelm-
ingly.
In New Jersey there is a real fight
for the governorship, which at present
is held by a Democrat, George SilZer.
The Republican nominee Is State Sen
ator S. Arthur Whitney and the Dem
ocratic nominee A. Harry Moore.
Polls taken in various parts of the
state indicate a Democratic victory.
Whitney, who is a wealthy man. has
been known as dry" and efforts have
been made to hitch him up with the
Ku kluX Khan. He has recently
made a public statement denying that
ne is a member either of the Anti
Saloon League or the Khan. How
ever, it is said that many of the lib
oraI'' Renuhlicans will vote for