Evening star., 1936-09-06
$4,000 IN EXCESS
OF FIGURE IN 1882
Neutral Observers Report
Michigan Is Headed
Democratic.
BY H. C. GARRISON,
snecial CORRESPONDENT Of The Star.

DETROIT, Mich. September S.
Politicians indigenous to these parts
have been doing lot of puzzling re-
Gently over the tremendous registra-
tion in Detroit. When the pre-primary
registration season closed, 1t was found
that the number of those who had
qualified themselves to vote had
reached an all-time high for the city,
$4,000 higher than the previous peak,
in 1882, and 10000 above the regis
tration total before the municipal
election a year ago.
When 10000 additional people
register in a single city within one
year, there must be season for it,
and that's what has the politicos biting
their nails.
Attaches of the city clerks office
can't explain it. There has been some
accretion of population here within
the last year, but nowhere near that
much. The City Hall clerks say that
many of those who registered this
Summer are old residents who never
have registered before. The only
answer they can advance is that there
is lot of interest in the coming elec-
ton. Even the duller political scholars
would have figured that one out, but
1t doesn't answer the question of just
what it is they are interested in, and
what they plan to do about it.
Various Versions Given.
Each side has its own versions. The
Republicans say the new registra-
tlons come from the stolid citizen who
never has taken any interest in poll
tics, but who has been goaded by his
mounting taxes to go out and vote
against the Democrats
The Democrats claim the new reg
istrations are coming from the poor
folk who are set on showing their
gratitude for the relief they have
received, and who think that by
voting Democratic they are arranging
for a continued supply. They scott
at the Republican claim, taking the
position that the taxpayer always has
been the most politically conscious
of all the citi1enry, and the most
apt to vote faithfully because he
understands the connection between
taxes and politics. They contend that
1t is the propertyless and not the prop
ertied who have been careless of their
franchise in the past.
Well, you can pay your money and
take your choice. No one knows the
real answer. nor will they know it
until the votes are counted in Nov-
ember.
Neutral political scouts who have
few weeks almost all bring back with
them the prediction that Michigan
will be in the Democratic column in
November. Everv straw vote taken
so far has shown the same result. The
margin does not seem to be wide. but
1t Is there. Whether it will still be
there in November is something else
again.
One unlooked-for result of the dec
iaration of Senator Couzens for Presi-
dent Roosevelt has been the decision
of numbers Of Democratic Couzens
supporters to vote in the Republican
primary to help their old favorite.
Such q movement If 1t were wide
spread enough, might prove sufficient
to put the Senator over, despite the
almost universal opinion that he faces
defeat.
Primary Effect Question.
Another angle of this particular
situation is the effect such desertion
Of the Democratic primary, il it is
at all widespread, will have on the
fortunes of Frank Murphy, high COM
missioner to the Philippines and
Democratic candidate for Governor
Il is pretty generally conceded that
the man who would vote for Couzens
quite likely would also vote for
Murphy. They appeal to the same
type of voter. So that a general
hegira of Couzens supporters from
the Democratic to the Republican
primary might be very fine thing
for Couzens and very bad thing for
Murphy.
One of the interesting events of the
coming week will be the State con-
vention of the Farmer-Labor party
Of Michigan at Owosso September IL.
1t becomes more and more apparent
that there the battle will be fought
out over whether or not Lemke
electors will get place on the Mich
igan ballot. Coughlin and Lemke
seemingly have failed to induce any
other party to give the Lemke electors
q ride on their ticket, and their last
chance is probably the Farmer
Laborites. A Farm Union meeting at
Grandville few weeks ago voted to
send delegates to the convention
pledged to vote to put the Lemke lads
on their ballot. On the other hand,
the Wayne County Farmer-Labor con-
vention in Detroit pledged its dele
gates to fight against including any
presidential electors of any kind on
the party's ballot. The battle at
Owosso gives promise of being a hot