Evening star., 1936-10-18
HELD ROOSEVELT
ANDLEHMAN BOON
IS to 20 Per Cent Rise Over
q Years Ago Indicated
Upstate.
BY THOMAS COMPE2E,

NEW Io1bIA, SCbObCl enA4A
Of 560,319 registrants this year over
the 1882 figures for New York City.
where normally the total vote is ap.
proximately 10 per cent Democratic,
has been interpreted by political OBJ
servers here as favorable for Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Gov. Herbert H.
Lehman. The total registration was
2,899,123, an all-time high for this
city.
Marked registration increases in
Republican-controlled areas north OF
the Bronx line, however. at least
partially offset these tremendous
gains in normally Democratic New
York City. Tabulation Of upstate
registration will not be completed
for several days, but the early returns
indicate a Is to 20 per cent increase
over the 1882 figures. That would
result in upstate registration totaling
approximately $500, 900, and a total
for the State of nearly 6,500,000.
100000 Roosevelt Margin Seen.
On the basis of the New York City
registration, James A. Farley, State
and national Democratic chairman,
predicted that the city would give
President Roosevelt a plurality of at
least 100000. In 1882, when the
registration totaled 2,338,804. the
President received a plurality of 871,-
120 in the city.
Although Republican leaders have
emphasized their belief that the rec
ord-breaking registration here was
due almost entirely to revolt among
the electorate against the New Deal
policies of President Roosevelt. prac-
tical and experienced Tammany pol
iticians are jubilant. Their private
figures, not compiled for ballyhoo
purposes as some of Mr.. Farley's
predictions have been labeled. show
that the President will take this city
by from 100000 to 925,000 votes
Whatever doubt hovered over Tam
many Hall about the chances of the
Democratic ticket in this State was
dispelled completely by the tremen
dous gain in the registration here.
a plurality of 100000 in this city
almost certainly would put New York
with its Al electoral votes, in the
Democratic column. 1t is considered
a certainty that the Republicans vii
take upstate by large plurality. bu
few observers believe it will be any
thing like as great as 100000.
Democrats Well Organized.
The Republicans never before have
been able to do that we'll upstate
and this year for the first time The
Democrats have a well-organized ma.
chine, built from patronage and re.
lief, which is Statewide. Also, tn,
Democrats will get heavy labor vott
In some Of the large upstate indus
trial centers. These factors will hell
the Democrats in their fight to keel
the Republican upstate pluralit!
down enough so that the expected
Democratic sweep in the city will b
sufficient to win.
The real hope Of the Republicans is
that the Independent vote in the city
this year will cut down the plurality
expected by the Democrats. There
unqueStionably will be tremendous
Independent vote in the city this year
but there Is no way of any one tell
ing how 1t will go. Men and women
who never before had voted registered
this year by the thousands. Some oi
them even went in wheel chairs, ano
at least one man went to the polling
place in an ambulance. The young
voters also turned out in unprece-
dented numbers.
1t is this independent vote, includ-
Ing the heavy registration of first
voters, which keeps this State squarely
In the doubtful column.
Analyses Comfort Democrats.
The Democrats, however, have
found much comfort in analyzing the
districts in which the registration
gains were made. There was an in.
crease of approximately 10000 ir
Brooklyn, where the Democratic ma.
chine is considered all-powerful. In
fact, the Brooklyn leaders have prom
ised to give the President and Gov
Lehman a plurality of 100000. The
total registration for Brooklyn was
21,2l5. Also, in the Bronx ano
Queens, where the Democrats are ex-
ceptionally strong, sharp gains in the
registration were noted. Registration
also increased in Harlem and the
Democrats contend that they will get
an unprecedented Negro vote this
year.
Although the large independent
vote here remains doubtful, the ma
chine vote does not. The Democratic
organization in the five boroughs has
put its full power back of the Presi.
dent and the Governor. The so-callec
Farley-Federal machine, composed o.
Federal employees, relief workers anc
their families, forms another strons
factor in favor of the Democrats. Tht
American Labor Party is supporting
the Democratic standard bearers with
telling effect. This party is wagin,
. Statewide campaign for the labo
vote which most observers believe will
prove important. Also, the Progress
sive Independents, led by Mayor F. H
La Guardia. are campaigning for tn
Democrats in the city.
Cover Wide Range.
These organizations overlap il
spots, but when taken as a who'll
they form the broadest political from
ever to take part in an election il
this city. Anything from an out
right radical to an old-line conserva
tive Democrat could find an effec
tive organization within which +
wc<k this year for Roosevelt an,
Lehman here.
The Republicans are banking heav
fly on an anti-Roosevelt vote to max
this combination ineffective. The
believe that there has been great de
fections within the Democratic or
canization. They point to Alfre