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Show SEEN SEENand SEENancHEAR . and HEAR , . around t/ie t ie the theNATIONAL / \ NATIONAL NATIaNAn NATIaNAnCAPITAL CAPITAL CAPITALBy By Carter FieldFAMOUS FieldFAMOUS Field \ FAMOUS WASHINGTON WhSHINGTON CORRESPONDENT Washington 1Vashington WashingtonNot 1VashingtonNot -Not Not - Not much attentIon attentIonhas attentionhas attentionhas has been paid pl1d : the recommenda recommenda- recommends recommendation recommendstion - tion of the federal power commisZion commis commlS commission ' sion SlOn Zion that some 12,000 12000 , additional additionalmdcs additionalmiles additionalmiles mdcs miles of railroad rmlroad trackage in this thiscountry thiscountry thiscountry country should be electrified electr1fled , In- In Includmg in including . - cluding cludmg that of the Boston nnd and nndMame andMaine andMaine Mame Maine railroad from Boston to Troy Troymd Troyand Troyand and : md Rotterdam ; : the New York YorkNew , , Nt-v Nt v N4.w N4w - . , Haven and Hartford line hne fromNew fromNew from fromNew New Haven , Conn , . to Providence ProvidenceR , , R . I ; and the New York Central Centraltrom Centralfrom Centralfrom trom from Croton to BuffalothIch Buffalo \thIch thIch which ( \ ( whichwould whichwould thIchwould , would mean an nn electric line lme all theway the thev.ay theway v.ay vay way . from trom Boston to Buffalo , nnd and nndtrom andfrom andfrom trom from Providence to Washmgton Washington Washingtonand ) and various other projectsThere projectsThere projects projectsThere There is some suspicion that the thepo thepower thepower po power " er commission commlSSlon was seeking seekmg fur fur- further further . - ther customers for proposed and andexistmg andexistmg andexisting existmg federal government owned ownedelectrIc ownedelectric ownedelectric electrIc plants , such as TV TVA A But Butthis Butthis Butthis this suspicion SUsplclon Is rather discounted discountedby discountedby discountedby by the fact that of the three men menwho menwho menwho who drew it up , two had formerlybeen formerly formerlybeen formerlybeen been in railroad electr111cabon electrification electrificationwork electr111cabonv electrificationwork v . work ork , , . and might be regarded as asJmowmg asknowing asknowing Jmowmg knowing some of the practical pracbcal ends endsof endso1 endsof of o1 the businessTc busmessTc business busmess businessTo To Tc begin begm with . , the bulk bullt of ot the rec rec- recommendations recommendations - ommendations would would affect rail rall rail- railroads railroads . - roads in m the Northeast , whereas thegovernment the thebovernment thegovernment bovernment government electric projects , forthe for forthe torthe the most part , , . are in the West Itmight It Itmlght Itmight mlght might be suspected by someone someonewho someonewho someonewho who knew little bttle of railroad rl.llroad rlllroad : . inter inter- interests interests . - ests that the proposals for the theChesapeake theChesapeake theChesapeake Chesapeake and Ohio Oluo , , and the Vir Vir- Virginian Virginian . - ginian gmian rail\\a rail a railway \ ) ' , . were v.ere vere designed to toprovide toprovide toprovide provide customers for TV TVA A power power.But powerBut . But no one familiar farrullar with the tv . two tworailroads tworailroads 0 0ratIroads ratIroads railroads in m question questlon would figurethat figure figurethat figurethat that as logical . The answer here is isthat isthat isthat that the Virginian V1rgmian and the C.O CO C.Ohave C & . & . 0 0have 0have have such close tieups with coal coalmme coalmine coalmine mme mine operators , , who provide mostof most mostof mostof of their the1r revenue tonnage , , that it itJs itis itis Js is almost unthinkable unthmkable they wouldbuy would wouldbuy wouldbuy buy power to operate their trams trains trainsfrom tramstrom trainsfrom trom from a distant . water-power water power v.ater.power vater.power vaterpower waterpower - . source . It is 15 common knowledge Jmowledge that thatelectricity thatelectricity thatelectricity electricity can be produced just as ascheaply ascheaply ascheaply cheaply , by modern devices , , fromcoal trom from tromcoal fromcoal coal as from trom water power , taxes taxesand taxesand taxesand and interest rates being what they theyare theyare theyare are Whereas Whcreas the pressure of thecoal the thecoal thecoal coal miners mmers " , would ould be heavy on the theratIroads therailroads therailroads ratIroads railroads in m question to use coal coal- coalproduced coal-produced coal produced - . produced currentSt current currentSt St . Lawrence Seaway SeawaySo So far as the New England and andMiddle andMiddle andMiddle Middle Atlantic Atlanbc roads are con con- concernedseveral concerned . - cerned-several cerned several cerned - several projects for the thePenfJ.syh thePennsylvama thePennsylvania Pennsylvama PenfJ.syh PenfJsyh . ama and the Baltunore Baltimore Baltimoreand Baltunoreand Baltimoreand and Ohio are suggested-those suggested those suggested - those whosuspect who whosuspect whosuspect suspect an nn ulterior ultenor governmentownership government governmentownershlp governmentownership ownershlp ownership objective obJcctIve have suggest suggest- suggested suggested . - ed the St St . . Lawrence seaway . . But two facts stand m in the . way v.ay vay of ofthiS ofthis ofthis thiS theory . One is that the offi- offi officials offi officials - . cials clals of the railroads rallroads involved mvolved , 11 sf 11they sfthey ifthey they thought that any electrltcatlon electrification electrltcatlonthe electrificationthey electrificationthey they the ) didould did , would \ould ould \ help the St Law Law- Lawrence Lawrence . - rence seaway , . would rather have havethelr havetheir havetheir thelr their freight trams trains drawn by oxenObviously oxen oxenObviously oxenObviously Obviously the St Lawrence seaway seawaywould seawaywould seawaywould would dl\ dl divert dlert \ ert so much busmess business busmesstrom businessfrom businessfrom trom from the New England and Middle MiddleAtlantIc MiddleAtlantic MiddleAtlantic AtlantIc roads , especially the New NewYork NewYork NewYork York Central , the Pennsylvania Pennsylvaniathe , the Baltimore Baltlmore and Ohio , as to make makea a serious senous dent in III their gross receipts re recelpts receipts receiptsWhich celpts ceipts ceiptsWhich Which Wluch is especially pertment pertinent because be because because cause there are only two good eco eco- economic economic . - nomic excuses for electrification clectnficatlon- clectnficatlon electrification- clectnficatlondenslly electrificationdensity electrificationdensity - density denslly of ot traffic trafllc traffichich traffichlCh , \\hich hich \\hlCh hlCh which \ \ Jusbfied justified Jusbfiedelectrl1 justifiedelectrification justifiedelectrification electrl1 electrification catlon of the Pennsylvama Pennsylvania Pennsylvaniarailroad Pennsylvamarmlroad Pennsylvaniarailroad rmlroad railroad from New York to Wash Wash- Washington Washington . - ington , and the New Haven hne line hnetrom linefrom linefrom trom from New York to New Haven- Haven Havenand Havenand Haven Havenand - and sharp moantam mo.mtam momtam moantain . climbing clunbmg , in- in involving in m involving . - volving volvmg pusher engines engmes where wheresteam wheresteam wheresteam steam is used , and . , wasting wastmg the thepower thepower thepower power of ot steam ste\m ste m \ } trains trams going gomg down downhillhlCh downhillwhich downhill hill-\\hlCh hill hlCh hill-which which - \ which \ justified Jushfied the Chicago ChicagoMilwaukee , , . M Milwaukee , \ aukee and St Paul m ill in Its ItsRocky itsRocky itsRocky Rocky and Sierra mountain mountam electri electn electri- electrifications electrifications . - fications ficationsDiversion Diversion of ot traffic to the StLawrence St StLawrence StLawrence Lawrence would cut into mto the density densl densi denslty density ty of o1 traffic of the Eastern Eastcrn roadsmake roads- roads roadsmake roads roadsmake - make their electr electrification cahon uneco uneco- uneconomic uneconomic uneconomic - - nomic . But the St St . . Lawrence project isdead isdead is isdead dead as Hector anyway , , . for some someyears someyears someyears years to come President Roose Roose- Roosevelt Roosevelt - velt ven discovered that . . He found he hecould hecould hecould could not induce mdllce senators from trom At- At Atlantic At Atlantic - lantic and Gulf states to vote to toapprove toapprove toapprove approve the necessary treaty , , re- re regardless re regardless - gardless of ot politics POl1tlCS pohtics , , regardless of ofthell oftheir oftheir thell their ' views on government owner owner- ownership owner-ship owner ship - . slup ship of electric electnc plants , regardless regardlessof of eerythmg everything ev e\ e \ erythmg Their states did notwant not notwant notwant want their thell ' ports hurt by dIverslOn diversion diversionof dIverslOnof of traffic , , . or their thclr ra railroad road em em- employment employment - ployment cut down by the same samethmg samething samething samethingLemke's thmg thing thingLemke's Lemke's Lemkes ' ImportanceWilliam Importance ImportanceWilliam William Wllham Lemkc's Lemkcs Lemke's Lemkes ' ' Importance In Inthe inthe inthe the presidential presldential race is not-as not as not - as somany so somany somany many commentators have seemed seemedto seemedto seemedto to thmk-how thmk how think-how think think - how many electoral votes voteshe voteshe voteshe he may win wm It is how many elec elec- electoral electoral . - toral votes he may switch from one oneof oneof oneof of the regular parties to the other otherby otherby otherby by the simple sunple expedient expedlent of takIng takIngenough takingenough takingenough enough votes from trom what otherwise otherwisemIght otherwisemight otherwisemight mIght have been the stronger to tomake tomake tomake make it the weaker of ot the twoMuch twoMuch two twoMuch Much has been said in the last lastfew lastfew few . weeks v.eehs veehs about the fact that the theelder theelder elder La Follette , v . when hen he ran for forthe forthe forthe the presidency m In 1924 , , only carried carriedone carriedone carriedone one state , , Wisconsin But La FolIctte's FolIcttes Fol Follette's Follette's lette's lettes ' ' candidacy was overwhelm overwhelm- overwhelmingly overwhelmingly . - ingly important in that election de de- despite de despite . - spite this thlS fact . . . It is not generally known in the theEast theEast theEast East East , , but in that campaign the theDemocratic theDemocratic theDemocratic Democratic management , , , despair despair- despairmg despairing - . ing mg ot of o ! a straight out victory for forJohn forJohn forJohn John W . . Davis , urged local Demo Demo- . - cratic leaders in some Western Westernstates Westernstates states , normally Republican , to try tryto tryto to throw those states to La FOl Fol-lettc Fol lettc - ' lette The idea of course was W3S that that1f thatif thatif 1f if La Follette had obtained obtamed enough enoughelectoral enoughelectoral enoughelectoral electoral votes , the election v . would wouldhave wouldhave ould ouldhavc havc have been thrown into the house oirepresentatives of ofrepresentatives ofrepresentatives representatives . In those days da ) s it would have been beenthe beenthe beenthe the old house , not the newly electedone elected electedone electedone one , which would then ballot for forPresIdent forPresident torPresident PresIdent , , , , with Vlth every state h3ving having h3vingjust havingjust havingjust just one vote , and the majority maJonty of ofits ofits ofits its delegation in m the house de- de determming de determining - . termining termmmg termming how that vote should be becast becast becast cast . . Which would have worked workedsome workedsome workedsome some queer inequities meqUlbes For example examplealthough , although Coolidge carried New NewYork NewYork NewYork York by 869,000 869000 , , had the electIon electIonbeen electionbeen electionbeen been thrown in the house . , New NewYork NewYork NewYork York would have ha\e ha e \ voted for Da DavIs Davisi DavisiA vis IA ! A majority of its delegation was wasDemocrabc wasDemocratic wasDemocratic Democrabc Democratic . Now it is the new house WhlCh which WhlChhas whichhas whichhas has this power , under the new newamendment newamendment newamendment amendment to the Constltubon Constitution Constitution.eliminating Constitutioneliminating . , elunmatmg eliminating lame duck sessions ot of otcongress ofcongress ofcongress congress And in m all human prob probability probability ablllty ability , . no matter . whether v.hether vhether the thehouse thehouse house is Democratic or Repubhcan Republican Republican.this Republicanthis . , thIs curious method of electing electmg by bystates bystates bystates states , with each state statc having havmg only onlyone onlyone onlyone one vote , would probably give the theDemocrats theDemocrats theDemocrats Democrats the victory this time bme if 11 ifthe 11the ifthe the election should be thrown thereSure there thereSure Sure Delegations DelegationsFor For instance Landon could carry carryNew carryNew New York by a million , but not notpull notpull notpull pull through a majority of the thehouse thehouse thehouse house delegation delegabon . . Twenty - five fivestates fivestates fivestates states is a majority . The Demo Demo- Democrats Democrats . - crats , counting New York due to tothis tothis tothis this peculiarity pecul1arJty of New York's Yorks ' con con- congressional congressional - gressional gresslonal districts , start off with with19 19 sure delegations delegabons The Republi RepubU Republi- Republicans Republicans - . cans have only ten fairly sure dele- dele delegations dele delegations - . gations gatlons , and one even of them , Or- Or Oregon Or Oregon . - egon , is a bit v . wobbly obbly . So if , along in October , the Dem- Dem Democrats Dem Democrats - . ocrats should become frIghtened frIghtenedthat frightenedthat frightenedthat that Gov Alt AU All M Landon might wm win wma wina wma a majority of the etectoral electoral votes votesthey , they would be employmg employing employing rather rathershrewd rathershrewd rathershrewd shrewd strategy if 1f they could ac- ac accomplish ac accomplish - compbsh'hat complish compbsh " \ ' what \\'hat 'hat hat they fa failed ed to do ill in ill1924throw in1924throw m1924 1924-throw 1924 throw - - throw tlie the election m In the thehouse thehouse thehouse house by diverting dlvertmg Democratic m- m in- in mdlvldual individual in individual - dividual dlvldual votes from Roosevelt to toLemke toLemke toLemke Lemke in order to divert electoral electoralvotes electoralvotes electoralvotes votes from Landon to LemkeNone LemkeNone Lemke LemkeNone None of this is lS at all likely l1kely It Itis Itis Itis is almost impossible for Lemke to tocarry tocarry tocarry carry more than a handful of elec elec- electoral electoral - . toral votes This writer would be besurprIsed besurprised besurprised surprIsed it 11 if he even carried North NorthDakota NorthDakota NorthDakota Dakota , his ovvn own state and his best bestchance bestchance bestchance chance And this thlS writer wnter in m 1924 1924conceded 1924conceded 1924conceded conceded Wisconsin Wlsconsm and North Da- Da Dakota Da Dakota - kota to La Follette , thus erring errmg on onNorth onNorth onNorth North Dakota He claimed clalmed Iowa IowaNebraska , Nebraska , South Dakota and other otherradical otherradical otherradical radical states predicted for the LaFollette La LaFollette LaFollette Follette column by so many ob observers observers observers servers , for CoohdgeThe CoolidgeThe Coolidge Coohdge CoolidgeThe The importance of the Lemke Lemkevote Lemkevote Lemkevote vote , which is apt to |