The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER, 7, 1928. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1928, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER, 7, 1928. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

The greatest election in. the world, says the Lyttelton Times, is that for the Presidency of the United States. Actually, the electors do not directly elect the President, for their votes are cast for delegates to an Electoral College, and that body elects the head of the great Republic. In practice, however, the part played by this strange excrescence on the body politic is moro or less nominal, for when the election results in the States are known, the next occupant of the presidential office is also known. American elections have always l>eou characterised by great public demonstrations and much perfervid oratory of the spread-eagle typo. Certain features, however, have disappeared in recent times to make room for those that take advantage of modern developments, and some writers, while pointing out thavt old-time torch parades have been [abandoned, note, the very important part that broadcasting is playing in, the present contest. Tbe latest cable messages mention a new feature of. the elections

tliat is typically American. Jt is referred to as a “straw’ ’ vote, indieati ig the direction of public opinion in much the same way that straws show bow tbe wind blows, and apparently tie . American electors are coming to 1 lace some reliance on these unofficial 1 !st« of party strength. A cable message this morning refers to one jour.i.al that in 1924 was able to anticipate the result of the Presidential election vitli surprising accuracy, and the reference undoubtedly, was to a “straw” vote taken by tbe “Literary Digest,” in which some millions of electors recorded their votes. Somewhat of an experiment, tbe poll conducted by thos magazine was the target of miiC*» criticism, but when tbe actual election figures were announced the critics were silenced. According to tbe “straw” vote of tbe “Digest,” it was predicted that Mr Ooolidge was due to receive 56.5 per cent of tbe total vote, and when the State ballots were counted be actually polled 55.2 an error of less than 2 per cent. That poll also indicated that Mr La Folette would carry one State Mr Davis twelve, and Mr Coolidge thirty-five, and that was precisely what happened. The ballot now being taken by this enterprising journal is on a huge scale, for T 0,000,000 voting papers have been distributed with absolute impartiality as regards States and sections, city and country, classes and occupations. From tbe first returns received in this year’s “straw” vote a great Republican victory appears to be indicated, the voting being two to one in favour of that party’s candidate. Loss of the election would come as an undoubted surprise, for since Cleveland’s Administration, 1893-7, there lias been only one Democrat in occupation of the "White House, Dr "Woodrow Wilson, and his first election was largely due to the formation of a third party under tbe direction of Mr Theodore Roosevelt, which split tbe Republican vote. Since 1921 there have been two Republican Presidents, and it will require a very pronounced turnover to ensure the defeat of Mr Hoover.