Evening star., 1928-11-06
Now for the Count!

The presidential campaign closed
without any surprises or shocks or last
minute sensations. The two candidates
made personal appeals by radio for the
fullest exercise of the franchise by the
people Gov. Smith added to that ap-
peal q recital of his qualifications for
the Office of Chief Executive of the Ma
ton. A representative of the financial
administration of the Democratic ma
tional committee made plea for con-
tributions to the campaign fund. The
Republicans unexpectedly staged sup
Elementary program following the
Democratic hour of speech and music,
an arrangement which may have been
devised for the sake of preparedness IN
case of anything surprising arising N
the final hours.
Considering the fury of the campaign,
the vehemence of the speeches, the con-
tradictionS of the situation in general,
this was calm and placid finish. The
radio permitted an almost CONVEX
sational exchange between the
candidates in the final period. 1t was
mild conclusion, marred only by sorry
happening in Worcester, Mass, where a
Republican parade was Stormed by op-
ponents and blood was shed and feel
ings were wounded.
Present estimates are that at least
forty million people will cast their votes
today. Many millions have already been
cast as this edition of The Star is print
ed. In some Massachusetts, towns, where
there is strong local pride in early and
complete voting, the results are already
proclaimed. In the Eastern States gen.
orally the reports indicate very heavy
balloting. There is reason to believe
that the ratio of votes to registration
will be high throughout the country, for
even in sections and States which have
been heretofore so well established in
their political preponderance that elec-
ton results were registered only by
minorities there are at present swift
currents of feeling causing an unprece-
dented volume of voting.
In ordinary circumstances the trend
of the result of the ballotipg in the
Eastern section Of the country is mani
fest by eight o'clock on the night of
election day. It is possible, however,
that with record vote cast the count
ing will be SO slow that early tabula-
tions will not be possible, In places
where voting machines are in use the
counting of the votes is immediate, re-
gardless of the number of ballots cast.
1t was expected that Greater New York,
with its two-million registration, would
show its totals before seven o'clock, with
q complete equipment of machines. But
that very registration caused change
Of program. There were not enough
machines to equip all the polling places
that were necessary to accommodate
this enormous number of voters, and
two of the five boroughs were put on a
paper-ballot basis, which will slow the
count somewhat.
The prevailing hope is that, however
the election may go, the result will be
clear-cut and decisive, and that it will
be known in short order. 1t is certainly
to be hoped that there will be no agoniz-
ing delays and alterations such as
marked the election of 1884, when
Grover Cleveland was finally proclaimed
winner over James G. Blaine by slen-
der margin of New York votes. Or the
contest of 1915, when election night
closed with Hughes an apparent and in
most quarters an acknowledged winner,
with an overnight change caused by
the discovery that California was close
and that on the vote of that State de-
pended the result, which was finally
awarded to Wilson.
Whatever the great referendum deter
mines, it is well assured that the coun-
try is perfectly safe. The contest has
been conducted with spirit and with the
result of arousing the greatest degree
of popular interest ever known. If forty
million votes are cast the chances are
that the verdict of the people will be a
sound one.