Election Day 1946 (11-5-46)

[NormanStewart]

GOP leader asks Truman to aid

Reece says party to fulfill pledges

WASHINGTON (UP) – In a victory statement, Carroll Reece, chairman of the Republican National Committee, today asked President Truman to cooperate with the Republicans.

“We will do our part, and I’m very hopeful that Mr. Truman and his subordinates in the various departments of the executive branch will be equally cooperative,” he said. “I mention this only because I desire to make it absolutely clear that while the Republican Party has won a great victory, it is not yet in complete control of the federal government.”

Mr. Reece said that the Republican Party would live up to its promises to provide “the commodities people need and want,” to protect the value of the dollar, to reduce taxes and to balance the budget.

To oust radicals

He said that the Republicans “to the best of our ability and with all possible speed” would perform the duty which the election “had imposed upon them.” Mr. Reece said the promise also included the assurance “that subversive and radical elements which have insinuated themselves into positions of power and influence, will be rooted out and kept out.”

“We know full well that our victory was made possible by the votes of many thousands of citizens who were not registered members of either great parties,” he continued.

‘Let’s roll up sleeves’

“We know, also, that we are all loyal Americans, aside from the subversive radical fringe whose spokesmen during the closing days of the campaign did their best to weaken the nation’s prestige abroad by dragging in outrageous and extraneous issues.

“Now let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work to put the nation back in order. With the help of God and the support of all loyal Americans we shall not fail.”

[NormanStewart]

Philly gives GOP landslide of 100,000

Six Democratic congressmen lose
By L. R. Lindgren, Pittsburgh Press staff writer

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia warned in a smashing victory for Republican candidates in yesterday’s election.

In a stinging repudiation of the Democrats, the city gave the GOP statewide candidates majorities exceeding 100,000, elected six GOP congressmen and four GOP state senators and swept into office all but two of the 41 Republican candidates for state representatives.

All six congressmen, one of the state senators and 32 state representatives had been Democrats prior io yesterday.

Big turnout

Surprising the leaders of both parties, more than 750,000 voters went to the polls to roll up a victory of landslide proportions for the Republican Party. This compares to 330,661 votes cast in the May 21 primary election.

With only one district of the city’s 1,352 still unreported, the count stood:

U.S. SENATE
Edward Martin (R)	441,412
Joseph F. Guffey (D)	325,151

GOVERNOR
James H. Duff (R)	435,802
John S. Rice (D)	329,391

From the moment the first returns began coming in from the machine wards, it was apparent that the election was a rout for the Democrats.

GOP margins swelled steadily and well before midnight the result was in the Republican bag. The Democrats managed to carry only nine of the city’s 52 wards – some of them by slim margins.

Incumbents lose

All of the Democrats, with the exception of one, are present congressmen. Albert S. Townsend was slated in the Third Precinct after Congressman Michael J. Bradley. Democrat City Chairman, decided not to seek another term.

The only two Democratic state representatives to come through are Earl Chudoff and Joseph A. Scanlon, both incumbents.

The Democratic state senator unseated is John J. McCresh. He was defeated by Bertram G. Frazier, former senator.

Republican leaders said the vote clearly demonstrated the power of the protest against federal regimentation and controls – and showed the CIO’s Political Action Committee, which was active here, to be ineffective in the face of such conditions.

[NormanStewart]

Truman refuses election comment

Promises press conference soon

WASHINGTON (UP) – President Truman returned to Washington on his special train from Missouri at 11:25 a.m. today, still silent on the sweeping Republican victory.

Smiling broadly and apparently in good spirits as he left his special train, the president turned down all requests by newsmen for comment on the election.

“Not even a small comment?” a reporter asked.

“No, no comment, but I’ll see you at a press conference in a day or two,” the president replied.

Previously. the only thing Mr. Truman said about the election was that “the Democrats will win of course.” That was in St. Louis, before tabulations began and the returns began to show Republican victories in House and Senate.

With the president were members of his immediate staff, his wife and daughter, Margaret.

Mr. Truman slept a little later than usual this morning. At breakfast before reaching Washington, he received up-to-date summaries on the results of the voting.

The president watched returns intently during last evening. He retired about 2 a.m., without voicing any reaction whatever to the returns showing the Republican victories.

[NormanStewart]

Youngest representative elected in Philly

PHILADELPHIA (UP) – A 27-year-old Marine Corps captain, running on the Republican ticket, defeated a Democratic incumbent in yesterday’s balloting to become the youngest member ever to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Capt. George W. Sarbacher Jr. of Philadelphia, who enlisted as a private in 1941 and served with the 2nd Marine Division on Guadalcanal, Bougainville and Guam, polled 72,775 votes against 55,496 for his opponent, Willam J. Green Jr. in the 5th Pennsylvania district.

Mr. Sarbacher, a father, served 2½ years in the Southwest Pacific and holds a Presidential Citation and a Navy unit commendation. Mr. Green was elected two years ago while a private in the Army.

[NormanStewart]

Republican tide hits New England

BOSTON (UP) – A Republican tide swept New England today. In Massachusetts, the veteran Democratic chairman of the Senate Naval Affairs Committee, 74-year-old David I. Walsh, was unseated by youthful Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.

In Connecticut, the Republicans achieved a net gain of four seats in the House of Representatives previously held by Democrats.

Elsewhere in New England, normally Republican districts piled up substantial pluralities.

Only in Rhode Island, where Democratic forces managed to defend all top offices, did the Republican bid for power fall short.

GOP strength was greatest in Connecticut where that party elected a U.S. senator, six members of the House of Representatives and a governor.

[NormanStewart]

Key sates give GOP gain in Congress

Pennsylvania adds 9 seats in House

NEW YORK (UP) – The Republicans netted House and Senate gains in key states from coast to coast to win control of the national legislature in yesterday’s off-year election.

Here’s where they did it:

House gains included: Pennsylvania 8, New York 6, Connecticut 4, Missouri 3, Illinois 3, two each in Kentucky, California and Ohio, and one each in Delaware, Minnesota, Nevada, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Martin helps ticket

New Senate seats were picked up in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Idaho, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Washington and Wisconsin.

The surge of Republican power was greatest in Pennsylvania and New York where Gov. Edward Martin and Gov. Thomas E. Dewey lent strength to their colleagues on the Republican slate.

Mr. Martin beat Democratic Sen. Joseph F. Guffey by nearly 600,000 votes and Gov. Dewey won re-election against the opposition of Democratic Sen. James M. Mead with a margin approaching 600,000.

John W. Bricker also ran powerfully in Ohio, defeating Democratic Sen. James W. Huffman by nearly 300,000 votes.

Rep. May loses

But it took gains in many more states than these to give the Republicans control of the 80th Congress. And in by no means all cases were the gains scored by candidates riding the bandwagon of some individually popular vote-getters like Mr. Dewey or Mr. Martin.

States contributing to the Republican margin of control included notably the border states of Missouri, Kentucky and West Virginia.

In Kentucky, the Republicans manifested their new power by defeating a couple of Democratic House veterans, Reps. Andrew J. May and Emmet O’Neal, who had seemed unassailably entrenched.

And in Connecticut they won all six House seats for a net gain of four.

[NormanStewart]

District of Columbia asks voting right

WASHINGTON (UP) – District of Columbia residents have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal for home rule and the right to vote in national elections.

Capital residents went to the polls with the rest of the nation yesterday for the first time since 1871 to demonstrate to Congress their sentiment on suffrage issues. The voting had no official standing.

Returns showed 169,659 votes cast. Of these, 139,272 – or 84 percent – favored national suffrage for the capital, while 26,687 opposed it.

The vote on home rule was 116,559 for, and 49,669 against – a margin of 70 percent.

Washington is barred by the Constitution from voting in national elections.

[NormanStewart]

Chicago upsets Kelly machine

CHICAGO (UP) – The Kelly machine, one of the most powerful political organizations in the nation’s history, crumbled today under the Republican landslide.

On the basis of almost complete returns, Republican candidates appeared to have won the important county posts of sheriff and treasurer.

In addition, Republicans led in the races for president of the county board, for county assessor, county superintendent of schools, clerk of the criminal court, clerk of the probate court and judge of the probate court.

The vote marked the possible end of another colorful era in Chicago’s turbulent political history. The Democratic machine under Mayor Edward J. Kelly had ruled the city and Cook County – the nation’s largest county – for 16 years without a challenge.

It had been a potent force in national politics since the early days of the New Deal, delivering a heavy Democratic vote in all national elections from the nation’s second city.

With 435 precincts unreported, the Republican candidate for sheriff, Elmer Walsh, led Democrat Richard Daley, 942,473 to 907,559.

In the race for county treasurer, Republican Louis Nelson moved ahead. Mr. Nelson had 933,999 to Democrat Michael Mulcahy’s 913,097.

[NormanStewart]

Martin victory hailed by Tobin

INDIANAPOLIS (Special) – Daniel J. Tobin today hailed the election to the U.S. Senate of Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Martin.

Mr. Tobin, president of the powerful AFL General Teamsters’ Union, now engaged in a struggle with CIO Brewery workers in a jurisdictional dispute in Pittsburgh breweries, said:

“I am very glad to see a man of Gov. Martin’s caliber elected to the Senate.

“The returns from Allegheny County indicate that the Teamsters contributed considerably to the result.

“We have great confidence that the governor will make a fair and enlightened senator.”

Gov. Martin conferred with Teamster officials late last week after they had threatened to impose an embargo on all rail shipments coming into Pittsburgh. The Teamsters withdrew the threat after talking to the governor.

[NormanStewart]

Hoover hails swing to right

NEW YORK (UP) – Former President Herbert Hoover issued this election statement last night from his hotel suite:

“This has been much more than just another congressional election. The whole world, including the United States, has been for years driving to the left on the totalitarian road of ‘planned economy’ socialism or communism.

“America is by this election the first country to repudiate this road. And it defines that the Republican Party is the party of the right. We are again moving toward the goal of free men. This decision of the United States will have a profound effect on the nations which have been following along the road to the left.”

[NormanStewart]

Elections in Hawaii quiet despite fears

HONOLULU (UP) – Hawaii’s territorial elections proceeded quietly yesterday after Gov. Ingram Stainbeck rejected a request that martial law be declared throughout the islands to prevent “intimidation” of voters.

William J. Nobriga, Republican candidate for the Territorial Senate, requested the action. He said he had been warned that the CIO and Political Action Committee planned to “intimidate union members.”

[NormanStewart]

Sweeney cuts Kilgore’s lead in W. Virginia

Republicans claim 4 of 6 House seats

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (UP) – Republican Tom Sweeney pulled closer and closer to U.S. Sen. Harley M. Kilgore today as all but 26 of the state’s 2,799 precincts were tabulated.

The race was so close that Republican National Committeeman Walter S. Hallanan said its outcome may depend upon recounts in certain counties.

With 2,773 precincts in, the vote was:

Kilgore	270,158
Sweeney	267,044

Republicans meanwhile jubilantly claimed four of the state’s six seats in the House of Representatives. Two incumbent Democrats, M. M. Neely and Jennings Randolph, conceded to their Republican opponents.

With 408 of 416 precincts in, the count stood at 45,231 for Love and 39,624 for Neely, in the First District; 39.557 for Snyder and 37,642 for Randolph in the Second.

In the Third District, E. G. Rohrbough of Glenville, held almost a 3,000-vote margin over Rep. Cleveland M. Bailey (D-Clarksburg).

The count of 310 of the 518 precincts gave Rohrbough 41,578, Bailey 38,963.

Rep. Huber E. Ellis (R-Huntington) apparently was returned over M. G. Burnside, Democrat in the Fourth, holding a count of 53,006 to 47,789 in 459 of the 482 precincts.

In the Fifth District, Democratic Rep. John Kee, a seven-term veteran, clung to a 10,000-vote margin over Hartley Sanders, Republican. Tabulation of 395 of the 398 precincts showed Kee 43,000, Sanders 32,765.

The only other Democratic incumbent who was out in front was Dr. E. H. Hedrick of Beckley, who in 479 of 513 precincts, led Harold Neff of Charleston, 35,277 to 48,802.

In the State Supreme Court judgeship contest, Frank Haymond of Fairmont, the Democratic incumbent, had 250,033 votes against Republican Lewis H. Miller’s 246,743 in 2,565 precincts.

[NormanStewart]

Bricker’s victory in Ohio raises presidential hopes

Margin of senator-elect exceeds 300,000; Democratic Gov. Lausche loses close race

COLUMBUS, Ohio (UP) – U.S. Sen.-Elect John W. Bricker, Ohio’s economy-minded Republican, today was catapulted back among the possible 1948 presidential nominees.

Election of the 1944 unsuccessful GOP vice-presidential nominee was conceded early today by Sen. James W. Huffman, incumbent Democratic appointee. Mr. Bricker’s majority was more than 300,000.

The latest unofficial returns gave Bricker 1,125,401; Huffman, 813,024.

He was all but eliminated from the national Republican scene in 1944 by his vice-presidential defeat. But when Mr. Truman appointed Sen. Harold Burton to the U.S. Supreme Court, the way was paved for Mr. Bricker’s national ascent through the Senate chambers.

His election set the scene for a battle in the Senate of the 80th Congress with the state’s senior Sen. Robert A. Taft. The two presidential aspirants are expected to begin political jockeying to become Ohio’s favorite son.

Mr. Bricker’s sweeping victory over Sen. James W. Huffman carried Thomas M. Herbert into the governor’s office. He was leading Gov. Frank Lausche, 1,141,180 to 1,095,693 with 184 precincts out.

In addition, the Republican Party picked up two Ohio congressional seats and named Kingsley A. Taft of Shaker Heights, short term senator.

Ohio’s congressional delegation will consist of 19 Republicans and four Democrats.

…

[NormanStewart]

New York votes complete GOP slate in sweep

Democrats suffer crushing losses

ALBANY (UP) – Gov. Thomas E. Dewey scored a landslide victory in his bid for re-election, sweeping into office all his Republican running mates including New York State’s first GOP U.S. senator in 20 years, virtually complete returns showed today.

With only a few districts missing, Dewey appeared to have won by a plurality unequalled by a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the past 50 years. He became the sixth GOP governor to be re-elected.

Reports from 9,427 of the state’s 9,534 districts gave:

Dewey	2,797,085
Mead	2,136,693

Roosevelt record stands

The Republican governor’s plurality of 660,392 surpassed former Gov. Herbert H. Lehman’s margin over William F. Bleakley in 1936, but was still short of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s record 700,000 over Charles H. Tuttle.

Dewey’s landslide vote carried former Assembly Leader Irving M. Ives to victory over Lehman in a bitterly contested fight for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Ives was running almost 200,000 behind Dewey, but his victory was assured. He will be the first Republican senator to represent New York State since James J. Wadsworth sat in the upper house in 1926.

Lt. Gov. Joe R. Hanley, Attorney General Nathaniel L. Goldstein, Comptroller Frank Moore and Associate Judge Stanley Fuld of the Court of Appeals rode the landslide to a second term.

GOP gain in House

Republicans strengthened their position in the House of Representatives, gaining six seats. The new lineup for the 1947 Congress will be 28 Republicans and 16 Democrats and one American Laborite. The previous representation was 22 to 22 was one ALP member.

Of the two upstate Democratic incumbent congressmen, only William T. Byrne of Albany survived the landslide. Byrne’s district is controlled by the powerful O’Connell Democratic machine.

Rep. George F. Rogers, veteran Monroe County politician, was defeated by ex-G.I. Kenneth Keating, a Republican seeking his first public office.

Marcantonio returned

Rep. Vito Marcantonio, only ALP representative from the state, was returned to his House seat from the 18th District.

Dewey, a strong contender for the 1948 presidential nomination, ran better than his Republican associates anticipated in many areas including Erie County. The governor carried Buffalo, Mead’s hometown, by more than 20,000. The most optimistic Republican forecasters gave him only a 15,000 majority in pre-election surveys.

[NormanStewart]

Kentucky voters oust Rep. May

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (UP) – A 16-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives ended today for Andrew J. May (D-Kentucky), who conceded defeat by the Republican candidate In Kentucky’s Seventh District race.

The 71-year-old congressman, whose campaigning was hampered by illness, polled 18,452 votes in 325 of the district’s 366 precincts. The incomplete count for his Republican opponent, W. Howes Meade, 34, of Paintsville, was 25,527.

The heart ailment which kept Rep. May confined to his home at Prestonburg for three months also prevented his testifying before a Senate committee investigating wartime operations of the Garsson munitions empire.

Despite predictions that May’s clannish friends and kinsmen would “stick by” him this time, the voters preferred Navy veteran Meade, who campaigned the mountainous Seventh District in a jeep.

Rep. May served continuously in the House since 1931, obtaining easy re-election until 1942 when he defeated Republican opponent Elmer Gabbard by a scant 540 votes. In 1944, his majority jumped to 3,251, when he again defeated Mr. Gabbard.

[NormanStewart]

Knowland beats Will Rogers Jr.

Republicans sweep California races

SAN FRANCISCO (UP) – The Republicans gained a sweeping triumph in California today, as voters chose them for all major national and state offices.

The important contest for the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Hiram Johnson was won by William E. Knowland (R), who had been appointed by Gov. Earl Warren to finish out Mr. Johnson’s term. His opponent, Will Rogers Jr., son of the late humorist, conceded defeat.

Lead In Congress races

Republicans led in nine of the 13 contested congressional districts.

If the trend continued, the GOP stood to gain seven seats in the House, raising their total representation from six to 13. House Democrats from California would drop from 17 to 10.

Latest returns from 11,216 of 15,206 precincts gave for senator:

Knowland	608,100
Rogers	526,699

Vote down dog racing

Voters emphatically rejected proposals to legalize betting on dog racing and set up a state fair employment practices commission. Important propositions receiving approval were one for state veterans’ bonds and one providing a $2,400 minimum annual salary for elementary school teachers.

Although the Republicans led in most congressional races, two prominent Democrats were ahead in their districts.

They were Rep. Helen Gahagan Douglas of Los Angeles, and veteran Franck Havenner of San Francisco.

[NormanStewart]

GOP to attack OPA, high taxes

End of war powers also on program

NEW YORK (UP) – The resurgent Republican Party was committed today to a broad legislative program calling for lower taxes, an early burial for OPA and an end to most of the emergency powers vested in the Democratic presidents during the last 14 years.

This would mean also a formal end to this country’s state of war sometime in 1947.

The extent to which the Republicans will succeed in this program, which will provide the party with its talking points in the presidential elections two years hence, depends on whether their legislation will get by the obstacle of a veto by President Truman.

Lacks two-thirds

The Republicans won’t have the two-thirds vote necessary to override a veto. Thus, the chances are that the Republicans may find themselves forced into compromises or stalemates on many issues.

In any event, the program will be undertaken because the Republicans, by their control of the House, have a launching platform for their legislative efforts.

The major congressional objectives of the Republican Party were set forth by its leaders in Congress. The program, however, will be worked out in more detail at a meeting of the Republican Steering Committee of the House called for November 18 in Washington.

Then, on December 2, House Republican Leader Joseph W. Martin Jr. of Massachusetts will meet with all Republican representatives-elect to brief them for prompt action when the new Congress convenes in January.

OPA and taxes first

There appeared little doubt that the GOP will use its recaptured power first in an attempt to wipe the OPA off the statute books and to reduce taxes.

Sen. Robert A. Taft of Ohio, chairman of the Senate Republican Steering Committee, has promised that “by April 1, the OPA and price and wage control should be completely abolished.”

[NormanStewart]

Conservative U.S. trend ‘disappoints’ Briton

Editor in city for Jewish fund

Richard Howard Stafford Croffman, British labor editor and Socialist member of Parliament, expressed “sincere disappointment” in Pittsburgh today at the conservative trend of the American election.

“We’ll expect the New Deal back about the middle of the next decade,” he said. “But at least we’re glad to know where the United States stands.”

Such a trend in England, he maintained, is at least 10 years off. “By that time the conservatives will be fighting valiantly to conserve gains we’ve already made.”

To speak for fund

Mr. Croffman, whose home district is industrial and bomb-devastated Coventry, is in Pittsburgh to address the tenth annual meeting of the United Jewish Fund of Pittsburgh tonight.

He is one of Britain’s foremost exponents of the partition of Palestine for a separate Jewish state.

As a member of the original Anglo-American Committee on Palestine, he filed the minority dissenting report, urging immediate formation of a Jewish state on lines suggested by the Jewish Agency.

“The state already exists,” he said. “Political recognition is the only thing that lags behind.”

‘Jews sold down river’

The Jews of Palestine, according to Mr. Croffman, were “sold down the River Jordan” by the British shortly before World War II. He charged the White Paper, which limits immigration, was issued solely because the Arabs threatened to sell their oil to the Nazis, and Britain needed oil.

“Now,” according to Mr. Croffman, “a new bugaboo has appeared. The Communists are also interested in the oil.”

The Jewish party in Palestine today, he said, was “no different than the Irish or the South Africans – or the Americans of 1776.”

U.S. ban scored

There are 600,000 Jews in Central Europe who, Mr. Croffman believes, must be moved immediately. Committee investigations show that 70 percent want to go to Palestine, 15 percent to the United States and 15 percent to any country that will receive them.

“There is resentment in Britain,” he says, “that the United States urges admission of Jews to Palestine, but will not open her doors to the 100,000 who want to come here.”

His speech to the United Jewish Fund will be at 8:30 p.m. at the Y. M. & W. H. A.

[NormanStewart]

Rep. Martin to be speaker of House

Republicans will take key positions

NEW YORK (UP) – The Republican Party’s first national political success since 1930 brings new men into posts of power, and blacks cut many famous Democratic and New Deal names and races.

The man who will be speaker of the new House, Rep. Joseph W. Martin Jr. (R-Massachusetts) already has announced plans for intensive GOP organizing work in Washington during the next two months.

When the new Congress meets in January. Rep. Martin will succeed veteran Speaker Sam Rayburn (D-Texas).

Martin ready for job

The short, chunky, rasping-voiced Martin long has been ready and eager to take the gavel from Speaker Rayburn. With 21 years of House service behind him, he has been minority leader for seven years. He was Republican national chairman in 1938.

Mr. Martin was opposed in yesterday’s election by a Martha Sharp, Democratic wife of a Unitarian minister. She entered the campaign with the expressed belief that an intelligent woman could beat Mr. Martin, but he won, handily.

Leadership at stake

Mr. Rayburn, who had been speaker since 1940, also won re-election.

A Republican scrap may develop over the majority leadership, Mr. Martin’s old post. Best bets appear to be Reps. Clarence J. Brown of Ohio, chairman of the Republican Congressional Committee, and Charles A. Halleck of Indiana, who headed the House Campaign Committee.

[NormanStewart]

Republican probes to blast at administration activities

Handling of food production, price control, war surplus disposal to be under fire

NEW YORK (UP) – Republicans, back in the driver’s seat again, today talked of sweeping congressional investigations into the Democratic administration.

A GOP spokesman said that special committees headed by Republicans were likely to rival in number and activity the congressional investigations immediately following World War I, when the Wilson administration found itself with a Republican Congress.

First of the investigations, which the Republicans expect to provide ammunition to fire at the Democrats in the 1948 presidential campaign, probably will be aimed at the administration handling of food production, price control and various wartime and post-war activities.

Another surplus probe

Disposal of surplus property and operation of the War Assets Administration and its predecessor agencies will be looked at again, but this time under Republican auspices.

A war investigating committee, similar to the Senate Mead Committee, once headed by Mr. Truman, will be kept in operation with possibly a similar group set up in the House, the Republican official said.

The GOP also wants to probe wartime shipping loans, the sale of surplus ships, and loans made by the Reconstruction Finance Corp., especially to Henry J. Kaiser’s interests.

May reopen Pearl quiz

There is some talk, too, that the GOP may reopen the Pearl Harbor investigation which was carried on late in 1945 and early 1946 at Republican insistence, but under Democratic committee control.

The activities of the Civilian Production Administration and its predecessor, the War Production Board, also were likely investigation targets.

House Republican Leader Joseph W. Martin Jr. of Massachusetts already has called for investigation of the Federal Communications Commission. His request came about the same time Rep. Chester Merrow (R-New Hampshire) called for a probe of State Department personnel.