The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-11-06
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
1T WAS MR.. RoosEvELTs ELECTION

The country the states the communities, Tues
day elected Franklin Delano Roosevelt president,
congress, governor legislature, sheriff, precinct
committee. Organized opposition is all but obliter-
ated. The Republican party following President
Taft in 1912 had but eight votes in the electoral
college in its own name, but it gave 80 votes to
Roosevelt L. heading the Progressyes, to practical
intents and purposes a section of the Republicans
Thus the total opposition on the basis of the cleo
toral VOTE and carried fairly substantially into the
senate and the house, was tremendous, compared
70 the opposition as represented by Republican
presidential returns today. .s ,.,. -.- a..
These millions hurrying to the polls and stand
ing in line piling up through the hours OF tuesday
popular vote like to the sands OF the sea, were
not voting for the Democratic party; the Demo
cratic party of history, Notwithstanding the nomi-
nal advantages it has had, of place and power, IN
the past four years. is at most negligible factor
They were not voting for a program of Legislation
or administration, for but small percentage could
cav what commitments are made in the Phlladel-
mia platform, there were few, if any, issues grow
ing out of that document emphasized in the cam
nagn: and Mr. Roosevelt gave the country no spe-
cifc commitments. There is nothing palmer IN TINS
tremendously dramatic demonstration than the IN
dicaton that the multitudes voting for Roose-
Welt. Even if they were voting against wealth and
power against the status quo of American tradition
and history, they were voting for Roosevelt with
out any clearly defined idea or promise as to what
is to be done. 1t is left to Franklin D. Roosevelt
to translate a vast, epoch-making mandate OF the
multitude into the concrete, day-to-day perform
ance of the government of that multitude. Every
thing is put into his hands except the Supreme
court-and there is growing doubt about the
steadfast independence of that body
Here is, on the basis of the early returns, con-
press chosen and appointed to fetch and carry. On
the face of the situation there is hope of efec-
tive opposition, either for those who distrust Mr..
Roosevelt and the general new deal concept, or Tor
those well-wishers who would like to see the ad-
mnistration protected against the extremists OF us
own diverse inharmonious household. The real
hope of the opposition has been, not for the over
throw of what goes by the name of the Democratic
party. but for congress minority respectable in
numbers declaration that proportion Of the
citizens too large to ignore wished the government
to pause reflect digest; try out the extreme agen-
cies and methods it has adopted in the past four
years. Many of those who have felt that way are
earnestly mindful of the good of the country, II Is
conceivable that Mr.. Roosevelt himself would hke
some assistance in changing the machinery over
from an emergency pattern. He insists that the
course for four years has been restorative, RENE
dial. Now very little can be said for restoratlVes
that do not restore remedies that do not remedy.
II the country is back in health, or conValescent'
Il is not the part of providence to treat 1t as II IL
were still in a critical condition of iliness-Greens-
boro News