Evening star., 1934-11-04
BY GOULD G. LINCOLN.

BY GOULD G. LINCOLN.
New Deal, Roosevelt-backed2 2-year-
old, will romp home a winner in the
Congressional Handicap on Tuesday.
The Republican entry, unable to
decide definitely in which direction to
run, seems to be in for trimming.
The gamble which the American
people took two years ago for better
times will be continued.
Concretely, the Democrats on elec-
tion day will increase their already
large majority in the Senate. Their
net gain in the Upper House will lie
somewhere between four and nine
seats. Since they already have so of
the 90 seats, in the new Congress they
will hold a two-thirds lead over the
opposition. or even more.
In the House elections, the Demo-
Gratis, although they may lose some of
the seats they now occupy, are ex-
pected to keep the Republican gains
to such small proportions that the
result will be regarded as virtual
victory for the New Deal.
Maximum Gain Of 80.
With a number of the congressional
districts really in doubt. it looks as
though the Republican net gains
would not exceed 80 and, indeed.
there are chances that it may be con-
siderably smaller.
The coming election has been called
the most important "off-year" elec-
ton since the Civil War, and perhaps
as important as any of the presi-
GENITAL elections. There has been
great interest evinced in the New
Deal issue and all it stands for. De-
spite marked antaeonism TO many OF
the features of the New Deal, the cam
paign of opposition has been so weak
that the battle was over almost before
1t started.
For the first time in history, the
"feed- -'em-and-vote 'em" issue is be-
ing tried out nationally. 1t has been
effective in great centers of population
in the past. in New York, Philadelphia,
Chicago and Kansas City, where
strong political bosses and machines
have existed. 1t does not make the
slightest difference, so far as the prac-
tical political effect of the huge ex-
penditures for relief are concerned,
whether the Democratic administra-
ton is merely coming to the aid of
suffering humanity or whether it is
seeking to buy votes thereby
If the politicians guess right, the
vast majority of the persons on relief
will vote Democratic And not a few
of the Democratic candidates and
leaders in many of the States are de-
lberately seeking to make capital out
of these Government expenditures.
Precedent Is Set.
With the "reliefers" on all rolls in
many States ranging from Is to 25
per cent of the total population, their
votes will have a tremendous effect.
In the past, Republican and Demo-
cratic candidates for Congress have
sought the favor of their constituents
because of their success in obtaining
Federal funds for various projects in
their States and districts. The Re-
publicans have held out the hope of
the full dinner pail if the G. o. P.
was successful att the polls. But this
is the first time, on a national scale,
that an administration has put food
directly into the dinner pail and has
put actual cash into the pockets of
the voters through made Government
work.
Thus huge Government spending
may have the effect of minimizing the
economic phases of the New Deal as
issues in the election. However, the
big spending program is part and par
Gel of the New Deal. The corn-hog,
wheat and cotton and tobacco checks
which 60 to the farmers are part of
the New Deal program for curtailing
crop production. The billions put out
for public works and for refinancing
home and farm mortgages, and for
improving and building homes, are
wrapped closely into the New Deal.
If conditions fail to improve or
II they grow worse, the attitude Of the
people toward the New Deal and its
economic and spending programs may
be very different year from now.
At present, the great majority of the
voters. for one reason or another,
seem bent on going further with it..
House Losses Usual.
1t is to the House elections that the
country will look on Wednesday to
decide whether the New Deal and
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