The Daily Alaska empire., 1928-12-11
President Hoover.
Manchester Guardian)

The decisiYeness of MT. HOoVers victory Ill
 the American Presidential election has astonished
 even the most confident of his supporters. The
 total of Al votes which he has obtained out of
 the 5s1 that comprise the Electoral College send
 him to the White House with the lrgest majority
 in the history of the contest It is true that
 owing to the pecuiarities of the electoral system
 the votes cast for Governor Smith not fairly
 represented in the Electoral College. But it is
 clear that under no system could he have ceeded His canddature has had historic
 result for. after sixty years, the solid Demo- cratic South is fairly preached at last. The de- lection of Virginia North Carolina, and Florida makes a rent in it that may be beyond repair, while North. East and West-and even in Gov ernor Smiths own stronghold of New York State the mighty Republican machine has trumphed. The ardour, the wit, and the vigor that the
 Democrat put into his campaign have in the upshot ayailed him nothing The existing regime goes back more strongly entrenched than Mr. Hoover will have the advantage of working majoriy in both Houses of Congress- fact which
 since much of his most important work must be done in collaboration with the Senate, is of the first importance to him. The forces of eonserva- tism have had notable triumph and the spell of Republican government that began in 1921 with Mr Harding's promises of ''normalcy and serenity has at east another four years of life
 before it.
 The European observer, accustomed to elec-
 tions fought upon important grounds of policy.
 will seek in vain for the program the prin- ciples that have thus prevailed to sweep the voters of the United States into the Republican
 ranks. They not to be discovered The realities of politics that eniven the Old World seem to have departed almost entirely from the American In part that result is inherent
 in the American political system. When upon the issue Of election there depends not only the appointment of a President parlia- mentarian but of a whole possee of officials from High Court Judges to ub-Postmasters eau tion becomes the watchword of the politician and the aim is to feed the voter on easy and com
 fortable pabulum The habit has been carried to excess in this contest, so far, indeed that the titles of Republican and Democrat have prac- tieally ceased to denomnate anything except the rival structures of political machinery Time was when, broadly speaking, it could be said that Democrat stood for liberty and Republican for authority, but have witnessed in this election an odd reversal of parts, for it was Governor Smith who was accused of enthus-
 asm for State regulation of business and MT Hoover who championoed non-interference. Time was, tco, when the tariff issue sharply separated the parties, but Governor Smith so handsomely swallowed high protection towards the end of his campaign that there little here to choose between him and his opponent To an impartial observer, indeed, there appeared to be so little of principle to divide the candidates that Smith might quite concevably have acted as the ora torical star in campaign to send the silent Hoover to the White House.
 If. then, in his political views the former Governor of New York State is scarcely dis- tnguishable from a progressive Republican, why should his cheerful and engaging personality fail so dsmay in this contest? The reasons lie out side politics as we know them It is safe to as- sume that in a country predominantly and in parts fanatically Protestant his religion lost him many votes It is probable, too that just as big business was resolved to continue the prohibition experiment in the interests of better production, so the same motive determined the votes of a large proportion of the 900 women, who are not likely to forget the effect on the domestic budget of the Eighteenth Amendment Further | it is' not unlikely that since the White House has certain social and spectacular importance the Hoover menage seemed to many more in keep ing than the South with the ceremonial tradi- tions of the Presidency. Lincoln has been dead some time and modern America is not more free than other lands from an undue regard for ap- pearances But above and beyond all these causes of the Democratic catastrophe is the un- doubted complaeeney with things as they are of a country in the midst of astonishing era of prosperity. MT. Hoover has said little in his but most of the oratory on which he Ventured was concerned to link high wages with Republican management. That good deal of rather appalling corruption in the matter of oil leases has attended these years of well-being ap- pears to trouble The American voter is less concerned that his politicians should be impeccable than that they should deliver the goods" And MT. Hoover, whose personal record is, of course blameless, has deservedly high reputation for business efficiency of which mod ern America is proud His capacity for organi- | -N'ioii' p' "hieh s'iiehoh Eulope DeneHteu In the years, has lately been applied with mark ed success in the United States Ministry of Com | meree It is of the duties of the President | sometimes perfunctorily performed-to super- l intend personally the activities of the Ministers he appoints and it is in the confident belief that MT. Hoover will in this respect run the | country we'll and maintain it's high standard of | living that he goes to the White House with general acclaim. The rest of the world may be assured that to the great problems of paci- | hseation and disarmament which deeply concern | it he will bring the same energy clear sight | and sturdy common sense.
 pr. J. H. Paul, of Salt Lake City was do |