The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-11-13
THE SILLY SEASON FOR SENATORS


This appears to be the open season for
political Stiffness and Senator Mcclellan OF
Tennessee takes advantage of the oppor-
tunity by announcing that he proposes to
have the august United States Senate IN
stitute an investigation of the Literary d.
gest straw poll OF 1886 and on top of that
will seek to have Congress enact law
which will place all future straw ballots
under federal supervision.
How some segments of public sentiment
stand in regard to Senator Mcclellan and
his attack of straw ballot rash is illus
trated by the comment of two North Car
DINA newspapers, The Greensboro News
and the Charlotte News The former says;
1T is seldom that an absolute ass is elected to
the United States senate, or to any visible ONCE
in any state, but voluntary assumption of the Ounce
cap is not uncommon in high position, to serve
what are considered as the exgences of political
situation.
Comes now the Honorable Mr.. Mcclellan, of
Tennessee, threatening the Literary Digest, New
York weekly journal, with an inqusition by the
United States senate, for having taken and pub
lished straw vote on the national election More
over this shining light of the most august deber-
alive body is amind to have all straw voting hence
forth regulated by federal statute. Here is one &C
tvity that has escaped federal regulation, so far
Nlanfestly, that is all wrong The game becomes
scarce II is getting to be quite trick to hunt out
something new to investigate.
"The idea is that newspaper. or anybody, mignt
spend decade or two building up reputation for
straw-vote taking, and then by means of cooked
ND ballot persuade the people of the United States
TO cleo: president they did not wish to elect. 1t
may be that the United States senate has counter
anced and spent the pubc's money on notions
more asinine, but II cannot have done that often,
for there cannot be many notions more asinine."
The comment of the Charlotte paper is
as follows:
Senator Mcclellan of Tennessee intends to de-
mand a senatorial investigation of the 1886 Liter
airy Digest presidential poll. With that in view, he
advises the Digest to keep all of its books papers,
ballots and every other fact connected with the
poll so that the committee conducting the investi-
CATION shall be able to get full accurate and true
information concerning the entire poll
THE unacceptable inference is that Senator Nc
Kelar suspects the Digest OF trying TO pun ias'
one on the Democratic party; in fine of trying to
carry the day for Landon. Notification to preserve
all books, papers, ballots, etc, is equivalent to a
warning not to destroy the discriminating evil
dence.
1T is all very silly. The Digest attached Ger
much Importance to its poll, which was no more
than an interesting circulation stunt. When it came
a cropper, everybody, especially the triumphant
Democrats, had a good time INVITING the Digest
If Senator Mcclellan isn't careful,
the twitters may turn on him and the Digest may
have the last laugh, after all"
To the foregoing and much similar COM
ment in other newspapers, The Times
News would add a question:
What is the explanation of the attitude
of the Democrats to the Literary Digest
poll in 1886 as compared with their atti-
tude in 1882?
In 1882 the Digest people were angels
of light In 1886 they are demons of po-
litical darkness.