PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1928, Page 2

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

AN INTERESTING REVIEAV. Australian Press Assn.—United Service NEW YORK, September 4. With the summer rapidly drawing to a dose, both of the Presidential candidates and the huge campaign organisations of both Parties are completing their plans for an intense effort to secure the support of flic country’s electorate.

Both Governor Smith and .Mr Hoover will have chartered trains, which, interestingly enough will proceed in directly opposite directioifs, the former going to tbo West for an invasion of Mr Hoover’s strongholds, possrtily including California, which is avowedly the most Republican State in the Union.

M.r Hoover’s train is coming East, ostensibly to storm the industrial areas of America, where Governor Smith’s appeal is distinctly predominant. The speeches of both candidates will be broadcast so that they will virtually reach the whole country every time thev make an address.

Governor Smith says that lie will speak wholly extemporaneously. Mr Hoover’s pronouncements will bo prepared and will be carefully considered. Tlio Vice-Presidential candidates, due to the deep cross currents that are underlying the Presidential contest, are scheduled to play strategically defensive roles.

Mr Robinson will tour the Southern States, which, despite the lact that they are traditionally Democratic, but this year require some attention. Mr Robinson will act as the salesman of Governor Smith’s good points particularly engaging in the interesting venture of reconciling Governor Smith’s avowed intention to onloi’co prohibition with his promise, if elected, to counsel Congress to . modify the Prohibition Law.

Mr Curtis (Republican) will take for bis battlefield the broad flat acres of a great agricultural .Middle AVest, where the McNary-Haiighen agricultural measure is the Bible of iarm relief. Mr Hoover is against this measure. Air Curtis will endeavour to explain the overwhelming superiority of the substitutes which Air Hoover lias in mind.

Since the new House of Representatives and thirty-five Senate seats are to .he filled this November, the campaign strategy is producing plans for the winning of the great Congressional plum. Last Senate was Republican by 11 io grace only of Senator Shipstead’s vote. He was a Farmer-La-bourite. The Republicans say it is very necessary that they should control the Senate, since they have in mind a possible special session, shortly alter the election for the revision of the tariff. They say that only seven thousand dollars are all the funds that are needed for their Senate campaign. Actually, however, it is estimated that the party which will win the Senate will probably spend one million dollars. Twenty of the thirty-five seats of the Senate to be filled are now occupied by Democrats, thirteen ’by Republicans, and there are two vacancies, due to deaths.

Ten of the Democratic seats at issue are in States, one Senator ol which is Republican.

'J’li© issue ns it concerns Senate is not joined, and it is quite conceiv-’ and wholly possible that a Republican President might find himself with the Democratic Senate, or vice versa.

This has happened before, notably President Wilson's second administration.

Far and above all the other issues, Prohibition has progressively assumed the largest proportions, nml it promises to absorb the popular interest at a rate which will make it probably the single issue when the ballots are cast.

Prohibition has markedly cut across the party lines, and in many eases it will break them. It must lie remembered that although the Presidential campaign may lie fought exclusively on this one question, it is not the President who can alter the Prohibition law. That is principally in the hands of Congress, and even if Governor Smith is elected. Congress can still remain predominately “dry.” Small “ dry ’ constituencies and well-organised “dry” lobbies can assure a “dry” majority in Congress, even if the Presidential election should prove a Prohibition referendum. It is for that reason that an assault lias bosun upon tile candidates for Congress. The Association against Prohibition Amendment is asking all off its candidates for Congress to express themselves on the Prohibition issue, and there is some expectation that, because of its preeminence, this ‘issue may penetrate into every Congressional district.

FEMALE AND COLOURED VOTES. NEW YORK, September 4. Regarding the political situation, an important role may be played by two comparatively now elements in American politics—namely the women and the negroes. It is increasingly evident that more women will vote this year than ever before, and the party managers are making shrewd bids lor this vote. The female members of the traditional Republican and Democratic families will probably vote with their husbands, but prohibition is aligning the women according to their personal views, as also are the personal appeals of the candidates. Air Hoover’s work as a food administrator during the war, when he co-operated with large bodies of women, has given his managers a basic organisation on which to appeal to the female electorate, and this is being done.

One of Governor Smith’s closest advisers is a woman, and she is conducting a campaign in the female ranks for Governor Smith. < Moreover, the nomination off a. Negro Congressman in St. Louis by the Democrats lias led this party to attempt to organise the negro votes in such debatable states as Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, and -Maryland. This is an effort to change the negroes’ politics, which if anything, have been Republican since Lincoln’s days.