Ke Alakai o Hawaii, Volume IX, Number 22, 10 September 1936 — 0n These Here Straw Votes [ARTICLE]

0n These Here Straw Votes

"Landon Leads FRD" 2 to 1 As First Literary Digest Pool Returns are C9unted J " scare-headlines The Star-Bul-over»a (Special Star-Bulletin Wireless) message from New York, in the hope, no doubt, that President Franklin Roosevet and Natipnal Democratie Chairman James A. Farjey will forthwith throw up the sponge and permit the ICansas Sunflpwer to c.oast into the White House without any more argument or struggle. - The Star-Bulletin's "Special D_ispatch" did point out, however, that "none-of the ballots were taken in New York City, Philadelphia or ; Pittsburgh, 'where Roosevelt's strength is claimed by m.any politic'al observers to be greatest.* " On the face of 16,056 votes for Landon and 7,645 for the President, it wōuld appear to look pretty bad for the cause of Demoracy. But let's not give up the ship quite yet, for a little light wouīd seem to be cast upon the Literary Digest pool methods bj the following letter, whieh appeared in the New York fev2»ing Post over the signaturc of H. R. Jacobs: "It seema very possibīe that the coming Literary Digest pool wHI give Landon quite a majority, judging by the experience of this household. We are seven registere#voters —-six Democrats and one Republican. To date> one ballot has been received, addressed to the one ! Republican. It is impossible to figure any classification ..or list from \<hich that name cou)d be taken except the actual Hst of registered Republican voters. This might be ascribed to the long arm of coincidence, except that none of my Democratic friends elsewhere has received a ballot eith.er. I have laken the trouble to inquire of many aome of whom have telephones listed in their own I mames and also possess drivers* licenses." ! On the other hand, The Advertiser cōmments editorial-! ly upon the poll being conducted by the Institute of Public! Opinion whieh gives Presiderit Roosevelt 274 eleetoral eol-/ lege votes t,o Landon"s 257, while the President's popular' vote was 52.5 percent as compared with 52.4 precent two| weeks previously. ! As the Public Opinion Institute poll embraced almost 2,000,000 votes in Pennsylvania and aTmost 5,000,000 votei in New York State, it should carry .considerably more weight than the picture drawn from the measly 23,701 votes counted in the Digest poll. This wou!d apparently give the Democrats thezr own favorite poll, while the Republicans, for the time beipg only, could take what solace they might from the returns in the Digest poll. However, this poll business somehow reminds us of the old saw—"Figures don't lie—but some awful liars figure!"