Evening star., 1932-09-11
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.

America for Americans and the ad-
justment OF economic conditions to the
people so as to provide work for idle
hands, instead Of producing more labor
saving devices that viii throw addi-
tional Thousands out Of employment
Is now receiving serious consideration
Of thoughtful leaders, not only in the
political field, but among church, well
fare and humanitarian groups
Recently Archbishop John @. Muir
ray Of st. Paul, Mimi, pointed out
that, with many thousands of dollars
in snow-removing machinery
Of the highest efficiency, the local
had kept this equipment
within doors and sent out men with
shovels-on the wholesome theory that
men should be considered before ma
chinery or efficiency and that there
was no real economy in operating ma
chinery while men were unable to
earn an honest living.
Now comes a new man in Congress,
Representative Harry L. Haines Of
Pennsylvania, who suggests that mass
production and too much labor saving
In industry Is the cause Of
much Of our unemployment. II this
be true" he emphasizes. then surely
we should all have the courage to
either discard many Of these machines
until we have these problems solved, or
make the machine contribute to the
support Of those it has supplanted in
industry"
And Representative Haines, who has
been q cigar manufacturer for nearly
q quarter Of a century, has put this
theory to . practical and public spirited
test In his own business. He found
q machine doing the work that would
require eight persons to do by hand.
II set the machine aside and put the
human hands to work." he said. my
product cost me a little more, but !
felt it my duty and my own contribu-
ton to that community, so that by my
example might urge others to do
likewise.
IT saw one machine In a steel mill
that was doing the work that required
SO persons before its installation The
gentleman who showed me that ma
chine was proud Of 1t. I have since
regretted that I did not point out TO
him the great danger in the elimina-
ton of those 36 pairs of hands. The
of Labor predicts that
IS ,ooo. 900 Of our people will be out Of
work next Winter"
Representative Haines explains that
he represents "a district with almost
400 cigar manufacturers within its bor-
ders. These factories employ Thousands
Of people and make their cigars by
These factories are employing all their
labor full time. II machines were to
take the place Of handwork. fully SO
per cent Of these people would be un-
employed. The manufacturers Of cigars
using machinery do not report much
business, and the truth Of the matter
Is that handmade cigars not only EN-
ploy more people, but produce cigars
keep this business growing In my dis
the United States today that shows an
local product.
II believe this same principle Of un-
employment relief could be efnciently
applied to many other industries" Rep
Haines concluded.
Declaring that "the election Of Q
President Is the most important routine
political event CT our Nation" Repre-
sentative Clarence r. Lea Of Califoriaia
protests that "the electoral college
system under which we select our Presi-
dent Is the most inept, antiquated and
defective part Of our Constitution"
He admits that ''the funtioning Of
this system, though always crude and
in its political conse-
quences, ordinarily has served salts
factorily to the extent that the ulti-
mate result Of elections has been the
selection of the Nations choice for
President" But he protests that three
times In our history the Nations choice
has been defeated-a candidate having
a plurality has been denied the onice
in favor q candidate receiving fewer
popular votes. In each OF these in
stances the electoral college system
thwarted the will Of the people and
elected President in a manner Often
sive to inherent Justice"
Representative Lea explains that
"the fundamental vice of the electoral
college system Is in counting the State
vote as unit. The plurality candi-
date receives the whole vote Of the
State regardless Of how large may be
the minority vote Of his opponents.
"The returns Of any presidential elec-
ton will furnish an apt illustration
Of this evil. In Massachusetts, in 1928
Smith received slightly over so per cent
Of the popular vote and Hoover over
40 per cent. Smith received the en-
tire Is electoral votes and Hoover re-
cetved none. Hoover received 2,200,-
600 votes in the State Of New York;
Smith received 100000. Hoover had
less than so per cent of the popular
NJ k,,rf itc
entire As electoral votes. Smith re-
ceived over 46 per cent of its popu-
lar vote, but none of its electoral votes.
TN the election Of 1912. In a three
contest, President Wilson re-
ceived AZ per cent Of the popular vote
Of the country and 81 per cent Of the
electoral vote. That was o discrepancy
Of 40 per cent between the electoral
and popular vote.
In 1924 La Folette received 1e per
cent Of the popular vote Of the coun-
try and only 8 per cent Of the elec-
toral vote.
"The unit system of voting means
that the minority voters In each State
are diSenfranchised, even though the
aggregate Of the minority vote in the
State may exceed the total vote of the
plurality candidate. The minority
votes in each State are discarded when
1t comes to computing the final re-
suits Of the States votes at Washing
ton.
I'm 1928 the 2.1o0, 900 votes cast for
Gov. Smith in New York was greater
oy over 400. 900 than the total popular
vote he received in the eight States
ne carried. His New York vote gave
him no electoral vote, but his vote in
the eight States gave him 81 electoral
votes.
by this method Of disregsrding
votes within the States. 80
out Of every 100 voters were disen-
in the presidential cleo
lion Of 1928. Their votes were In ef-
iect counted for the presidential can
didate against whom they were cast,
whether it was President Hoover or
Gov. Smith"
Let 1t Be Hoped!