Evening star., 1925-11-06
WOOD DISCOUNTS .
DEMOCRATS TALK
Sees Election Results as Sat-
iSfactory to the Repub-
lican Party.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY q. GOULD LINCOLN.
Representative VIII r. Wood of
Indiana. chairman of the Repubn-
can congressional committee, today
discounted the claims and prophecie
made by Democratic leaders since
the announcement Of the results of
last Tuesdays election. He assert
ed that the outlook for the re-elec-
tion Of Republican Congress in
1875 is excellent. He finds nothing
in the elections of Tuesday to the
contrary. He points also to the fact
that in the elections to fill vacancies
IN the House since the adjournment
OF Congress last March, the Repub-
leans have been successful, indicat-
ing that there has been no real re
Versal in sentiment
Mr.. Wood has just returned 10
Washington from Indiana He has
Travelled in number of the Middle
Western States since leaving the
Capital and in his opinion the West
is strongly Republican and strongly
behind the Coolidge administration
and the Coolidge policies.
Conditions Satisfactory.
Conditions generally, as / found
them in the Middle West. We're very
factory-extremely so. speaking
politically, from a Republican stand
point said Mr.. Wood.
1T was not until 1 returned To
Washington and read the statement
OF my esteemed collea que. Chairman
Oldheld Of the Democratic congress
sional committee, that | learned We
were on the eve OF a political up
heaval, as indicated by the astounding
fact that TammanY Hall had again
carried New York City and a Demo
cratic congressional district in Ken
lucky had again gone Democratic" !"
Ironically. Mr.. Wood continued:
Aside from the heartening effect
the New York victory will have upon
the McAdoo wing OF the Democratic
party, l had not been inclined to lay
too much stress upon the result of
! Tuesdays elections. My experience"
has been that results of off year elec-
tions do not offer much in the way of
comfort when the next general elec.
ton is in progress.
Issues Not National.
However, the facts speak for them
selves. The Democrats elected their
candidate for mayor of New York
City by an overwhelming ma jority.
They elected their candidate for gov
ernor in New Jersey. Neither Of these
contests was decided upon national
party issues, nor indicated a reversal
publican administration. 1t would be
as fair to assume that the City Of
Boston may now be regarded a. re-
lisblY Republican because il elected
a Republican mayor for the first time
in Is years.
kansas City, erroneously cited by
Chairman Oldfeld upon the basis Of
the early returns as having gone Dem
ocratic. elected a Republican mayor.
and Republican mayors were elected
in other leading cities of the coun-
try, including Indianapolis, Ind, and
Louisville, Ky. While these results
are naturally cheering to Republicans,
we could hardly claim that national
issues were primarily involved.
Won Congressional Seats.
"On the other hand, it seems fair
to look to the special congressional
elections of the last year. including
the two on Tuesday, for such indiCa-
tions of the trend of national po-
litical sentiment as may be involved.
Since the general election of 1924 six
vacancies in the House of Represent
atives have been filed al special cleo
tions. Five Of these vacancies were
occasioned by deaths in the Repub-
hcan ranks and one by the death Of
a Democratic member. Notwith-
standing the claims emanating from
| Democratic congressional headQuar-
ters early last Spring, before these
elections took place. that a deter
mined contest would be made in each
instance. and that as result there
would be a very material reduction in
our majority in the next House. We
| expected to elect. and did elect. a
Republican in each instance where q
| Republican seat was Al stake.
Though it is automatic in politics
| that the party in power suffers in the
| off-year elections when national is
sues are not paramount. and our eN-
perience had shown us that we might
| reasonably expect greatly reduced
majorities, the proportionate vote in
our favor in these special elections
| of the last year has been not only
approximately as large, but in one
| instance larger than it had been in
years, with the exception of the re-
/! suit in the third New Jersey district
| last Tuesday. Nevertheless. in the
third New Jersey district, which
went Democratic in 1916, 1918 and
| 1922, the Republican candidate won
! by the substantial majority of more
| than $500 in the face of the tide run
ming III favor OF the Democratic can
didate for governor IN that State.
lie made his campaign strictly upon
national issues and declared his sup
port OF the poIlcleS OF Fresldent Cool
| idge and the national Republican ad-
ministration upon every occasion, Us
| did the Republican candidate in each
OF the other four districts carried by
| Republicans.
The lone Democratic vacancy in
the third district of Kentucky, which
has consistently returned a Democrat
to Congress as frequently as election
day has rolled around, in last Tues
days election again returned a Demo
crat, it Is true, but by such a close
| shave that the result in New Jersey
might well be regarded as an out
sta ndinC victory by contrast"