Evening star., 1942-12-26
New Deal Drubbino

New Deal Drubbing
The Republicans are taking heart
from the final figures in the recent
congressional elections, in which
they cast nearly million more votes
than the Democrats. This is the first
time this has happened since 1928.
Caught in the shattering depression
IN 1929, the Republicans lost control
OF the House in 1880. If the results
OF the recent elections are to be con-
sldered criterion, the Democratic
party, New Deal and old, stands a
good chance of drubbing in 1914.
1t is a fact that the Republicans
tailed to win control of the House.
ending up with 2O9 seats in that
body to 222 for the Democrats and 4
for minor parties. The only thing
that saved the Democrats, however,
was the unyielding opposition to
the COP in the States of the Solid
South. The New Dealers cannot
congratulate themselves on this
score, however, for the New Deal
has become unpopular in the
southern States. It was no love
OF the New Dealers there which won
for the Democratic candidates. In
deed, some of the Democrats elected
to the House in those States are as
strongly opposed to the New Deal as
are the Republicans. Ten States of
the Solid South, none of which has
single Republican representative.
elected SO Democratic members OF
the new House. With any kind of a
break in those States, the Republi-
cans would have won a majority in
the House beyond the shadow of a
doubt.
Five of these States of the Solid
South reported no Republican votes
cast at all this year. They were
Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi and South Carolina. To say,
however, that there were no anti
New Deal votes cast in those States
would be absurd. These are States
represented in part in Congress by
Senator Cotton Ed" Smith and
Senator George, both of whom the
New Dealers sought to purge" in
the elections of 1938-with sorry re-
suits for the New Dealers. There are
other representatives in Congress
from these and other States of the
South who are no friends of the New
Deal.
The Republicans polled total of
14,217,320 votes in the House elec-
tions, as compared to 1881 PAS for
the Democrats and 563,018 for the
third party candidates. In percent
ages, the Republicans had 50.6 per
cent of the total vote cast, the
Democrats Ala per cent, and other
parties, per cent. In the last off,
year election, in 1898, the Democrats
polled 40 per cent; the Republicans,
47.3 per cent, and other parties, 81
per cent.
The results of the balloting in 81
States which have a total of 344
electoral votes In the presidential
elections are even more encouraging
to the COP as 1t looks forward to
the 1914 presidential race. In all of
those States the Republican vote out
numbered the Democratic. And
these States have 78 more electoral
votes than the 266 needed to elect
a President.
The vote cast in the 1912 elections
was the lightest in years. Efforts
have been made in some New Deal
quarters to make it appear that the
Democratic candidates failed of elec-
ton because so many of the voters
did not go to the polls. Vice Presi-
| dent Wallace even ventured the
statement that it was the we'll to do,
the wealthy of the Nation who voted
on November 3, and that was the
reason the Democrats did not win
more elections. More than 10000
900 persons voted, however. The
wealthy are counted by the thou
sands, not by the millions. The
truth of the matter is that hun
dreds of thousands of voters were
unable to vote because of having left
their homes, either for military serv-
ice or to work in war plants. There
is no sound reason to believe that
the percentages would not have been
substantially the same had all Of
these voted.
Almost two years must elapse be-
fore the voters troop to the polls in
national election. How they vote
will depend upon conditions as they
then exist, and upon the temper of
the people at that time. Already the
New Dealers are seeking to better
their case with the people. But it
will be difficult for them to check the
swing of the political pendulum.