Show ECONOMIC highlights A major political party can survive a long period ot of defeat ot of its ita presidential candidates as the democratic party which even g get et close to control of the white house in 1920 1924 and 1928 so vividly demonstrates today but can a major party survive an election in which its officeholders who are the sole source of 0 the patronage that is so vital to any political machine are reduced to the lowest number in ili history that thai question is now being considered privately by Ke republican publican leaders and publicly by practically all of 0 the alie count rys publicists and political columnists under the american elective system a party can receive a respectable popular vote and still be out in the cold when the time comes tor for calling the roll in congress state stale legislatures and municipal councils that is what happened to republicans in the debacle ot of 1936 governor landon polled around 37 per cent of the popular vote yet received re only 1 per cent 0 of thi th i electoral college vote republican candidates throughout the country polled about votes as against about tor for the democrats yet they were vere victorious in only a proportion ot of the contests best example of this Is the house of 0 representatives it was universally conceded before november 3 that the republicans would make gains irrespective of 0 who won the presidency democratic spokesman said hopefully that these gaina would not amount to more than 20 90 or 30 seats while republicans claimed they would gain well over seats nonpartisan non partisan commentators placed republican gains at 40 to 50 seats actual result was startling instead of gaining seats the republicans lost 15 instead of 0 losing seats the democrats gained 13 farmer barmor labor candidates gained 2 in ili the senate it was mathematically impossible for the republicans to achieve control but everyone thought they would have a better showing next congress than last result the GOP lost 6 seats the democrats gained 5 the disen discrepancy p of 0 one is explained by the ir ire election of 0 senator norris on an independent ticket worst of all a number of the remaining republican senators belong to the progressive bloc which is bitterly opposed to hoover landon hamilton and other leaders the next congress then will answer the roll as follows democrats in the house republicans 89 democrats in ili the senate 75 republicans 17 also vitally important to any party are governorships Governor ships a great i deal of the patronage that keeps political machines well oiled and members contented flows from state ho houses uses here again the republicans ca made the worst showing in ill their long history there were 33 gubernatorial chairs to bo be tilled filled and democrats won 27 ot of them this gloves gives the democratic party 39 state chief executives so the party that received the largest vote ever accorded see corded a losing ticket got almost nowhere in attaining representation in high offices complete figures for or county and municipal elections are not obtainable tai but the democratic sweep was overwhelming leaders of 0 the party thus say with some justice that our elective system Is unfair to 0 minorities on the other aana handia democratic spoke spokesmen say hay the roosevelt victory Is important not only because of the majorities attained but because it extended to every section ot of the country and broke down long longes established es babl I 1 shed lines of 0 partisan sympathy to get back to the original question can the republicans come back their party pany heads say they will among nonpartisan non rion partisan commentators opinion is that the baity has haa a good chance to come back b but it that considerable reorganization n must take place a new aggressive program must be adopted aal nov new faces aces must replace some familiar milar ta ones in party councils one leading republican representative fish ot of now york has alrea dy demanded that present party heads resign what will happen remains to be reen een the hard tact fact is that no major party ever was at so low a state as the GOP Is at present the democrats in their hungriest days at always had a large representation in congress governorships governor ships state legislatures isla tures municipal councils etc but politics Is a surprising ganie game a and n d the i unprecedented t ap T C ce de n ted can a always aw a y s 4 occur oc e tir 0 one n e g guess I 1 s a as s to can what ha t w wilt 1 i 1 happen to the two party system in the next tour four years is as good as another |