Evening star., 1936-10-28
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Despite indications of an all-time high
popular vote of As, 600 900, a 5000, 900 in
crease over 1882, the stay-at- home vote
promises once again to be disreputably
big. If, as an Associated Press analysis
has just shown, there are approximately
55,50o,oOO eligible voters, the Stacker"
vote would be in the neighborhood of
10000 900. representing about fifth of
Uncle Sans enfranchised children who
prefer golf, motoring. bridge. the movies
or other pastimes to performance OF
their duty at the polls. The actual num-
Der of persons Of voting age is between
5000, 900 and 10000 900, or 10000, 900 to
15,000, 900 in excess of the number quail
fled for the ballot box on November 3
by registration. So the chances are that
roundly third Of the Nations electors
will play hooky next Tuesday, thus main
tanning the American peoples record for
wholesale indifference at election time.
Several foreign countries, notably Ger
many under Hitler. where non-voting Is
virtually a Jail offense, far outstrip the
United States In balloting percentages.
In the Na1 Reich more than 80 per
cent OF the electorate has been polled
on several occasions. Now and then
American get-out-the-vote advocates
suggest that the best way to make our
people election minded might be to i'm
pose fines or taxation as a penalty for
staying at home.
By general consent, the third party
ha % kA fhA ravrHo
f1op OF the campaign. Father Coughlin
was once credited with believing he would
roll up 100000 votes either for Lemke
or Coughlinite congressional candidates,
or both. That claim did not seem SO
tall when the Townsend Gerald Smith
forces decided to make common cause
with the radio priest and Lemke. But
on the eve of battle there's no political
authority Of consequence who expects
third party strength in any formidable
degree to cut into either Roosevelt or
Landon. In this connection you hear
two things-that the situation might
have been different Cd II Huey Long
had lived, and 90 II Coughlin had re-
Trained from personal vilification of the
President.
N1Ot. AaIloOu ID 1uE l1OfC CACCLVe
his attacks on domestic phases of the
New Deal, especially in the constitutional
realm, then when he tackles foreign
affairs. After both his Minneapolis
speech assailing reciprocal trade agree
ments and the Indianapolis address on
external relations in general, the Gov
ernor took some pretty severe wallops
even in quarters favorable to his cause.
Although hamstrung by the isolationist
shackles Of the Cleveland platform, many
thought Landon might have advanced
his prospects by assuming personally
q bolder leadership in foreign policy than
the Borah-bossed convention Committee
on Resolutions was willing to sponsor.
1t is one thing, in these interlocking
international times. to talk about Uncle
Sam "minding his own business, as
Landon advocates, but quite another to
be able to adhere to that laudable
purpose.
Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, ST., has Just
come out eloquently for Gov. Landon:
So far as yet publicly known, none OF
the other surviving former first ladies
has emulated T. RS widow IN formally
declaring her political position. 1t Is
taken for granted that ardently Demo-