The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-11-12
Democrats Hold Record
for Strength in Congress
New York City and Washington
Accord Roosevelt Rousing
Victory Celebration
ELECTION MAKES HISTORY

Not since 1869 has any party held
such large percentage of the SEN
ate's membership as the Democrats
won in Tuesdays election, and rec
ords as far back as 1855 show no
House majority to equal that assur-
ed in the new Congress.
u There will be IS Democrats and
<NRepublicans in the Senate which
4 Cts next January. In 1869, when
Gilt was President, the Republi-
cark-Ait,a high mark of 81 members
while the Democrats had only IL.
This was ratio of 80 per cent,
slightly higher than the Democratic
now.
Since 1855, neither party has held
as high percentage of House
strength as the 334 Democratic
members elected Tuesday will pro-
vide. The new House will have only
SO Republicans.
Numerically, the D EN- ocr t. C
strength will be the greatest in the
country's history in both Houses, The
previous high marks were the mem
berships of 322 Democrats in the
House and 70 Democrats in the Sen
ate last year.
History Made
The American electorate made
history on Election Day-when Pres
ident Franklin D. Roosevelt was
elected for a second term by the
most nearly unanimous electoral
vote received by any candidate since
James Madison.
The only candidate of major
party within 116 years to receive
only eight electoral votes was Will
liam Howard Taft, Republican cam
didate in 1912, when his party had
split and a large section of it gone
to the support of Theodore Roose-
welt, candidate of the Progressive
party, who received SO votes. Wood
row Wilson was elected for his first
term that year.
President Roosevelt carried Gov
ernor Landon's usually Republican
home State of Kansas, and the Re-
publican stronghold OFF ennsy1vania.
It was the first time in 80 years
Pennsylvania had voted for Demo-
cratic candidate for President
President Roosevelt carried every
State but Maine and Vermont, twin
New England commonwealth that
stood alone but firm for Governor
Landon. Their combined electoral
vote is eight, giving President
Roosevelt the record-SmaShing total
of 523 of the 531 votes in the Elec-
tortal College. No candidate for
President ever had received such an
electoral vote.
HOnOred by Celebrations
Fully a million persons milled in
Times Square from And street north
to 48th Tuesday night as New York
celebrated the election results as it
never had celebrated any event be-
fore, according to the Associated
Press.
All traffic stopped, police laughed
help1essly, horns and automobile 81
rens and other noises filled the air
with ear-cracking bedlam for hours
after the reelection of New York'S
favoritec son, Franklin D. Roosevelt,
was announced. Said the Associated
Press writer, Edward j. Neil:
There have been celebrations
along Observation-Disclosures ewes,
New Years ewes, Armistice, Lind
bergh'S return, the end OF pronlDl-
tion-but there never has been any
thing quite the equal of the hilarious
rough and tumble in the streets that
greeted the word of the Presidents
reelection"
An uproarious welcome back to
Washington was given President
Roosevelt Friday upon his return
from Hyde Park, where he voted
I Tuesday and received that night the
news of his reelection by the ''big-
gest vote ever cast for anybody In
a free election since the world be-
gan"