Evening star., 1942-10-28
BY GOULD LINCOLN.
Star Staff Writer.


BY GOULD LINCOLN,
Star Stan Writer.
PROVIDENCE, r. l., Oct. 28.-A
eolorless and apathetic campaign i!
drawing to a close in Rhode Islane
with the probabilities pointing thu
way to close election next Tuesday
Not since. 1924 has a Republican
Presidential candidate carried thu
State. Voting Democratic has be-
come a habit here in consequence
In 1888 the Republicans showed
signs of reviving, and elected
Former Governor Vanderbilt, large.
ly because the then Governor Quinn
q Democrat, mad become unpopular
Rhode Island is one of a very
few States in the country in which
President Roosevelt's plurality in
each Of his successive three elections
has shown an increase. He led the
Republican candidate In 1882 by
1000, in 1896 by $4,000 and in 194C
by $4,000. However, the Union
Party candidate, William Lemke
received $4,000 votes, which is prob
ably responsible for the Roose-
welt plurality being less in .93e
than it was in 1910.
Irked by War Situation.
On the face of the record, II
would appear the Democrats have
the better chance in the coming
elections. A great deal depends
however, on the conditions and the
sentiment of the voters growing out
of war conditions. The Republicans
are claiming victory-though mild
ly. The Democratic campaign man.
ayers talk very confidently of coming
success.
If the COP wins it will be be-
cause of discomfort with the con-
duct of the war, both at home and
abroad, not because of any particu-
lar love of the Republicans.
The voters are dissatisfied with
the manner in which the fuel oil
situation has been handled. There
are 1875 5000 who heat their homes
with fuel oil in the State. Not only
do many of them feel that the ad-
ministration In Washington has
bungled the problem of supplying
sufficient fuel oil, but they resent
the manner in which the rationing
has been undertaken, with compli-
Gated systems of arriving at the
ration to be allowed and with many
OF the oil users compelled to stand
in line for hours in order to file
their returns.
The voters are irritated, some of
them. with the way war news has
been given to the public up to date,
with much of it withheld.
1t is estimated that some 10000
young men have left the State to
60 into the armed forces, which re-
moved large slice of the voting
population. The Democrats have
relied particularly on the young
voters in past elections.
Green Up for Reelection.
The voters will elect next week a
United States Senator, two Repre-
sentatives in the House and a Gov
ernor and entire State ticket, not to
mention the Mayors of Rhode Is
land cities and members of the
State Legislature. Notwithstanding
all these contests, there has been
singularly little interest in the cam
paign.
Senator Green, Democrat, is up
for reelection, running against
former Federal Judge Ira Lloyd
Let's, prominent attorney in
Providence, who was appointed to
the bench by Former President
Hoover. Senator Green was Gov
ernor of the State for two terms
Immediately before he was elected
in 1886 to the Senate.
Senator Green comes of one of
the oldest families in the State,
graduate of Brown University and
Harvard law school, and attended
also the Universities of Bonn and
Berlin. He is a Spanish-American
War veteran and has taken an &C
tive part in Democratic politics for
years.
His Republican opponent, Mr..
Let's. was drafted for the Republi-
can nomination. He resigned from
the bench in 1885 to resume the
private practice of law. The Repub-
licans are prodding Senator Green
because, at the age of rs, he is
seeking reelection, and during the
Supreme Court fight, led by the
President in 1887, Mr.. Green took
the position that the members OF
the then Court were too old.
Green Key Figure.
Senator Green is expected to lead
the Democratic ticket in the cleo
ton, If the Republicans can defeat
him then it is expected they will be
successful all down the line.
If Senator Green wins it is likely
to be a clean sweep for the Demo-
Gratis, too, although the Republicans
feel that even then they might win
in the second congressional district.
There Representative Fogarty, DEM
ocratic incumbent, is running against
former Representative Sandager,
who was elected to the House in
1888 and who is Republican national
committeeman.
Mr.. Fogarty was union organizer
for the building trades before he was
elected to the House two years ago.
He has the backing of organized
labor. While there are many in
dustries in his district, there are
also many farmers and small towns.
He is only 20 years old, Of draft age,
and the Republicans have been
going after him on the ground he
should be in the military service.
In the first district Representative
Forand, Democrat, is opposed by
Charles H. Eden, former United
States district attorney. This is
regarded as tougher district for
the Republicans to capture.
French and Irish Feud.
Mr.. Forand is Of French extrac-
ton and there are many French"
voters in the cities of Pawtucket,
Woonsocket and Central Falls, all in
the first district. The French vote
In the State is estimated around
$4,000. There has been rift, how
ever, between the French Americans
and the Irish-Americans, the latter
always strong Democrats, with the