Evening star., 1936-09-13
Wy REGISTRATION INCREASE SHOWN in PENNSYLVANIA
25PER CENT GAIN
IN PHILADELPHIA
Democrats Lead Enrolment
in Pittsburgh First
Time in History.
BY WALTER d. ROOS,
Special Correspondent of The Star

BY WALTER ID. ROOS,
Special Correspondent of The Star
HARRISBURG, Pa, September H.
Registration increases, general
throughout the State, indicate the
number of persons eligible to vote
in November may exceed the 4 400 900
qualified last year and set a new high
record.
Rural enrollmentS, already COM
plete. show slight gains with few
changes in party strength which gave
Republicans control of most of the
country districts in recent years.
., City registrations, which continue
until October 3. also have shown
number of increases.
In Philadelphia approximately 400
600 qualified during the first days
enrolment, gain of about Is per
cent over the first days registration
for last years hotly contested mu-
nicipal election. Two additional regis
tration days remain in the city. The
first days total shows approximately
100000 Republicans and 100000 Dem
ocrats. The Republicans registered
their heaviest ajority in independent
wards. The Democrats made their
largest gains in the river wards,
where the number of w. P A. en-
ployes and persons on relief is great
' est.
$4,000 Already Qualified.
In Allegheny County, which in
cludes Pittsburgh, incomplete en-
rollments already have qualified
$4,000, compared to the total of 475,-
600 eligible in the last presidential
election. Republicans have lead of
only 10000. In Pittsburgh. which
went Democratic in each of the last
four years, despite Republican regis
tration majorities. the Democrats
have taken the lead in registration
this year for the first time in history.
The Republican campaign. which
was launched in Western Pennsyl-
vania by Gov. Landons West Middle
sex speech August %, opened in the
eastern end of the State last Satur-
day when Col. Knox addressed rally
at Allentown. Judging from listener
reaction, KnoX's most telling point
was his promise that Gov Landon if
elected President, will clean house"
at Washington as soon as he arrives
That statement brought a prolonged
roar of approval from the crowd
which, accustomed for years to shar-
ing in Republican patronage of Fed
eral, State and local governments. in
the last two years has been on the
political short rations afforded by Re-
publican control of some of the coun-
ties and cities.
Both parties are planning to con-
centrate upon the big cities for the
final stage of the campaign. Demo-
cratic leaders hope President Roose-
welt will be able to speak in Scranton
and Pittsburgh Republicans expect
Landon to be in Philadelphia in the
last week of the campaign and hope
to have him in Pittsburgh. too. Knox
is scheduled to return to the State
for Western Pennsylvania rally.
Meeting in Pittsburgh.
A meeting of the Republican State
Committee to adopt State platform
and squirt the campaign for its final
weeks will be held late this month
The meeting will be in Pittsburgh
IN order to stimulate the partys fight
in the western end of the State, which
went solidly Democratic two years
ago.
Gov. George H. Earle this week
started his campaign swing around
the State, which he has promised will
take him into each county at least |
three times to strengthen the New
Deal battle lines. While campaign |
ing energetically for President Roose-
welt. the Governors chief objective |
is Democratic control of the State
Senate, only important unit in the |
State government which has been Re- |
publican in the last two years.
Barred from using the Union party |
name in Pennsylvania because the
major parties beat them to pre-empt-
ing that party here, the Coughlin |
supporters have entered the Lamke- |
O'Brien ticket under the name of the |
Royal Oak party. They also filed |
petitions to give Royal Oak nomina- |
tions to congressional candidates in
IS districts, chiefly in industrial Sec
tions, and announced in rural dis
tricts they will indorse candidates
previously in the field. Townsend |
supporters have filed no Statewide |
ticket, but have filed for many con-
gressional and legislative candidates |
in some districts splitting to support |
rival candidates.
Voting Machines Out.
The large number of mushroom"
parties which have been formed fo-
this years election will prevent use
of voting machines in most sections
of the State. Most of the machines
eight Statewide parties and numerous
capacity for nine parties. but with
eight Statewide parties and numerous
other pre-empted in districts, the
total number of parties in the various
counties ranges from 10 to 10.
Democrats have charged the Re
publican organization in Philadelphia
Intentionally filed extra parties to
prevent use of voting machines in
order to be able to manipulate votes
during the slower count of paper
ballots. Their argument, however, is
somewhat weakened by the fact that
extra parties also will force use of |
paper ballots in Pittsburgh, where
the Democrats control the election
machinery.
Republicans find two especial caus-
es for optimism regarding November
results. One is that the Democratic
organization; experiencing the grow
ing pains of a party recently come |
into power has developed bitter fac
tional fights over patronage in dozen
important counties. Another is the
greatly increased number of contribu-
tors to the Reublican campaign, indi- |