Evening star., 1954-09-25
The Political Mill
The Political Mill lf~~Nsk
New Voters Hold Kew
To November Elections
6. o. P. Hopes Eisenhower
Admirers Will Come Out

y. y. r. ROPES Eisenhower
Admirers Will Come Out
By Gould Lincoln
Considerably less than half Of the
estimated 100 million potential voters
in the United States will go to the polls
November 2, when the 84th Congress
will be elected. unless the strenuous
efforts Of President Eisenhower and
the Republicans on the one hand, and
Of Adlai Stevenson and the Democrats
on the other cause an unprecedented
vote.
Congressional Quarterly, in its sur
vey Of potential voting strength in all
the States and past performances. sug-
gests that voting this fall will follow
the pattern of 1950-the last mid
presidential term congressional elec-
ton. That year only about AZ per cent
Of the eligible voters took the trouble
to vote.
What happens If there is big turn
out of voters? Both the Democrats and
the Republicans can and do make
claims that the larger the vote, the
better for their respective candidates.
The largest vote ever cast in presi-
Dental election, or any other election,
was in 1952-61 ,552, 900, about 627 per
cent Of the total number of citizens of
age to vote. That year Republican
President was elected In the congress
sional elections of 1852, nearly mil
lion fewer votes were cast than in the
presidential election. and the vote
margin between Republicans and Dem
ocrats in the congressional contests
was very close. It is easy to conjecture
that if the millions of voters who
plunked for Gen. Eisenhower Che out
distanced his rival Stevenson by ap-
proximately million votes) but failed
to vote in the congressional contests
had balloted. more Republican Con-
gressmen would have been elected. OBJ
viously, with this record in mind. the
Republicans will seek this year to get
the Eisenhower vote out for the Re-
publican candidates for House and
Senate.
Few Aroused.
UP to date, there have been few indi-
cations that the public has been so
aroused 1t will take an unusual interest
in the elections this year. No one ap-
pears to hate Gen. Eisenhower. In fact,
every poll seems to indicate that the
President is popular, and that what he
has been trying to do, both legislatively
and enthusiastically for the American
people has been we'll received. The
followers of Mr.. Stevenson, now out of
office and anxious to get back into
power, are doing their best to show the
people they are worse off under Repub-
lican rule than they were under Demo-
cratic. And where they cannot demon
strate this, they seek to convince the
voters, or frighten them into believing,
that they will be worse off in the
future.
The potential voting strength, ac-
cording to the Congressional Quarter
lys analysis. based on Census Bureau
figures, is growing faster in the West
than in any other area of the country.
From 1850 to 1854, the potential voting
strength of the West increased 1,279,000
or 10.1 per cent. The Southern and
border States showed the next greatest
increase in voting strength-802, 900 or
an increase of 80 per cent. The Mid
west States increase was $4,000 or
1.9 per cent. and that of the Northeast
States, $4,000 or 1.8 per cent. This
all presents another problem for the
estlmatorS of political strength between
the two major parties.
Vital California.
California, a key State in the coming
elections. has $4,000 more potential
voters this year than it had in 1880 In
1850 the State went Overwhelmingly
Republican. Earl Warren, then Gov
ernor of California and now Chief JUS
tice, defeated his Democratic opponent
for Governor, James Roosevelt, eldest
son of the late President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. by more than million votes.
That same year, Vice President Nixon
was elected Senator with lead of 68O,-
600. Today, the campaign in California
is for Senate seat, now held by Sem
ator Kuchel, Republican, by appoint
ment. and delegation in the House 80
strong, of whom l9 are Republicans and
IL are Democrats. To what party are
the new voters going?
In three other Western States where
senatorial campaigns are briskly waged
there has been an appreciable increase
in voting strength-Colorado $4,000,
Oregon $4,000 and wyoming 5000. Also
in New Mexico there has been an in
crease of $4,000 in the potential vote,
or TT per cent. In this last State, Sem
ator Clinton Anderson, Democrat is
seeking reelection, and his opponent
is Republican Gov. Edwin L. Mechem.
In Wyoming. the increase in the poten-
tial vote is 80 per cent There former
Senator O'Mahoney, Democrat, is try
ing for comeback and his Republican
opponent is Representative William
Henry Harrison. Out in Oregon, Senator
Guy Gordon. Republican, is fighting for
another term and is being opposed not
only by the Democratic nominee but
also in the campaigning by Senator
Morse, one-time Republican. Here
again, 1t is of much interest to figure
out where the new voters will go.