1948-05-28 — Page 4

Queen's ALHAMBRA

AIR-CONDITIONED

SHOWING TO-DAY

AT 2.30; 5.15; 7.20 & 9.30 P.M.

Spencer

Zachary

TRACY TURNER SCOTT

Good Writing Clever Direction and excellent acting a commanding film drama, solid and Satistying

FILM GOERS

MGM's

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1948.

HAROLD E. STASSEN

THOMAS E.. DEWEY

ARTHUR

ROBERT A. TAFT

DOUGLAS

MACARTHUR

VANDENBERG

HOW AMERICANS

Cass Timberlane ELECT THEIR

SUNDAY MORNING SHOW

QUEEN'S AT 11.30 A.M. ONLY

Hody LAMARR "THE STRANGE WOMAN”

Paul LUKAS

AT REDUCED PRICES!

LEE THEATRE

ADVANCE BOOKING OFFICE: ST. FRANCIS HOTEL BOOKING HOURS: 11.00 A.M. TO 5.30 P.M. DAILY COMMENCING TO-DAY AT 2.30, 5.15, 7.30 & 9.30 P.M.

LUNAT

USH

The Marx Bros

"A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA

wah

CHARLES DRAKE - LOIS COLLIER

LISETTE VEREA

DAN SEYMOUR

Directed by

SIG RUMAN

*

LEWIS RUSSELL

Released thr

ARCHIE MAYO - UNITED ARTISTS

A DAVID & forW PRODUCTION

ADDED: LATEST GAUMONT BRITISH NEWS SILVER WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF THE KING AND QUEEN

ORIENTAL

COMMENCING TO-DAY: 2.30-5.15-7.30-9.30 P.M. MIGHTY DRAMA OF MEN WHO WERE TITANS....AND A WOMAN WHO WAS THEIR MATCH! Ho feared nothing but this woman he couldn't tame....who hated him as only a woman in love could!

RAY MILLAND BARBARA STANWYCK

BARRY FITZGERALD

And

lo Cast of Thouson

PRESIDENTS

A

SIDE from reasons of in- BY WILLIAM IR. SEARS

ternational interest, the American elections Chris autumn will be of vital concern to every one of the 140,000,000 persons living in the 48 United States.

Every village, town and city will be affected as voters show their preferences for aspirants to office from the highest in the land to the lowest.

The U.S. Constitution-supreme law of the land-guarantees not only the basic rights of free speech, assembly, press, worship, etc. 1t also guarantees the right to vote and how that vote may be translated into an administration of the Con- stitution,

American

To understand how electoral processes on the national level affect the lives of Americans, a small outline of government is in order.

THREE BRANCHES

THREEST

HREE separate branches of gove ernment are described in the Con- stitution the Judiciary, the Legisla

tive and Executive,

United Press Staff Correspondent

blem adequately, the Senate is com- posed of two Senators from each state-thus assuring equally for statehood in the upper house, Texas, for example, is larger than France. But Rhode Island is very smali. Each is quality represented in the Senate.

all of

On the other hand, the House of Representatives, or lower house, is apportioned on the basis of popula- lion. Wyoming, for instance, has twice the area of New York. But New York? population of over 13, 000,000 is about 52 times greater. Therefore, New York-on a pro rata basis-gets 45 representatives, and Wyoming qualities for minimum of one.

A

to

Hence, it is very common for popular Presidential candidate sweep into office with him a great number of minor functionaries. In "off-years," many of these lessor their merit officials must rely on alone.

Political experts realise that in a Presidential year, the entire political climate of the nation can be deler mined within 24 hours.

PHENOMENON

Wiicans busily prepare themselves HILE the Democrats and Repub-

for the contest, it is noteworthy that never since the Civil War of 1860-65

has any party but the Republican or

its Democralle installed a candidate In

the White House.

Senators serve she years, Repre- sentatives two years. And, it is so arranged, that at least one-third of the 98 Senators come up for election every two years.

A candidate for the American Presidency can poll a smaller num- ber of votes than his chief opponent and yet win the highest ofce in

the land.

This phenomenon is due to the American vollag workings of an procedure for the top executive office, "The Electoral College" system.

This electoral college acts purely as an administrative affairs when tho Presidency is being contested, and then tapses into inactivity for an- other four years. But it holds the country's political future in tha balance.

Ti is a majority in this body that determines the winning candidate- the popular vote notwithstanding.

It is conceivable, then, that n candidate could eke out victory in the popular balloting in states hav- ing great blocs of electoral votes. And then, he could trall hopelessly in the states having small Electoral College representation. Overall national balloting might, show the country at

his large favoured opponent, but popular victory in the crucial states would give him the election popular victory in the election nevertheless.

The widely-cited instance of this Tilden polled is the election of 1870. Samuel J. over 250,000 more popular voles than his opponent, Hayes lost, he was badly Rutherford B. Hayes. In the states boaten. But in those he won and they were the big ones-ho won by enough to have them counted in his favour. The count in the Electoral College was 105 for Hayes, 184, for Tilden,

GREW IN SIZE

RESULT: Hayes was declured win- ner and went on to survive the ensuing protest and take his place in the White House. The United 13-the States began with but original colonies--and expanded to the present number of 48. Naturally, the size of the Electoral College grew until now there are 08 Senators and 435 Representatives.

So today, the Electoral College consists of 531 votes, and the winning candidate must poll a majority-260

or more.

As a matter of fact, a candidate need win only 12 states to gain 260 electoral votes. It is interesting to last Pre- study the results of the sidential election, in 1944, to show

The year of a Presidential election, then, concerns not only the President and Vice-President, but one-third of the Senate and, for all practical entire House. Many ather federal elective positions are 1876. But political experts think a purposes, the

It once happened that way-In

at stake, too.

repetition this year is unlikely.

There pre 00,000,000 eligible KEEN INTEREST

voters in the American population NATURALLY, the entire country of 140,000,000. Main qualifications how a candidate could win that way. the Supreme Court, n nine-man body takes a keen interest in the clec- require a voler to be a citizen, over charged with seeing that Con- stitutional principles are justly aption of the nation's topmost officials,-21-years old, have no record of In1044, when Franklin D.

But to make the elections. even moro arrest for felony and plied..

Interesting, a whole host of lesser residence requirements. officials face their constituents at the ballot box.

The Legistative branch makes the tive, although many judges gain office by election. It is topped by

The legiative branch makes the Inws through Congress, a body of two houses. The Executive branch, headed by the President, enforces those laws.

1

meet local

ever

Thomas

E.

Roosevelt won Dewey, the total number of popular votes cast was 48,025,084.

Won

over-

Mainly because of voting de-

President Roosevelt linquency, no more than half of the Each of the 48 states is headed by eligibles have ever cast ballots. And whelmingly in the Electoral College governor. Tenure varies froin this year, the 50,000,000 expected to with 432 votes as compared to 60 for state to state, with 28 having four-

turn out will constitute the largest Dowey. But his popular majority A President, naturally, prefers year terms, 21 having two-year electorate in the nations history. was tie more than 3,900,000 votes. oficials of his own political views in terms and one, New Jersey, having Congress, so that his theories for

CLOSE RACE When the voters living in the 48 a thre-year term. national welfare will be embodied in

states cast their ballots, they signify their legislation. But the govern-

Several four-year governorships their preferences for candidates by TERE is the breakdown showing Hhow a simple popular majority ment is so constituted that Congres- coincide with the Presidential four- name. But actually, their votes are

behind the names of in twelve states sional will must

whose elec- be overwhelming cycle, and this year 34 governorships counted to deny the Presidential will, while

are at stake. If this were not an "electors." When a candidate polls toral he is powerless to act on anything ough to make

year of nation-wide the majority of popular votes in a without Congressional authority.

state, all of that state's voting important, there are a whole given

to municipal, village and country ELECTORAL VOTES

voles total 200 would have provided victory although popular wil might have favoured the loser:

Slate

On top of this, the people have host of other state offices in addition electors are counted for him. an opportunity every two years to

New York voice their feelings at the polls about elections. These contribute to make

Pennsylvania the performance of their representa- it a year when polities are at their

votes Illinois. electoral tives-returning supporters of

the height.

THE number of

California President if they

alloted to each of the 48 states is so choose. ог electing opponents to his programme.

For 88 years, the United States has computed by adding the number of Ohio

Texas had but two Important politeal Senators to the number of Repre-

Michigan TWO HOUSES

the sentatives from that state. Each

Massachusetts partles the Republican

New Jersey Democratic. While but a small por- stale, of course, is equally represent

with two.

But

Missouri THE President and his

advisers tion of the electorate joins either of ed in the Senate

population differences the basis for Indiana may conceive an emergency ald these as active party workers, a

In the House-give Arizona Europe, but only programme for

representation great segment of the population

some states more Representatives Congress can enact the laws dis-

identifies itself with one party or the than others. bursing the money.

other.

two

and

This Congress consists of

New York's population of over houses the Senate and House of This is true to the extent that 13,000,000 qualides that state for 15 Representatives. Representation in many voters make a habit of voting Representatives.. This plus two each has been planned so that each "the straight ticket." This is an Senators gives New York 47 electoral of the 48 states will receive the other way of saying that the voter votes in the "Electoral College," greatest possible opportunity to ex votes for every candidate running press the will of people residing in In the name of his party. This is Wyoming, on the other hand, has them.

true of a drifting. vote, which shifts such a sparse population it qualifies Some states are larger than others. from one party to another, depend only for the minimum of one Re- Some states, while large, have sparso ing on the issues involved and presentative. With two Senators,

this makes three electoral votes, populations. To deal with the pro- various personal considerations.

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HENRY DANIELL ROBERT COOTE NIGEL BRUCE

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It

Totals

29

All five publicans.

are

abova

Ro- Four have cam- paigned intensively in pro- paration for the National Con- " vention in June. Vandenborg is a dark horso, and is men- tioned as a possible com- promiso candidato. Wallace will run on a "third party" tickot. Harry Truman, pra- sont incumbent of the White House, has so far not been opposed

Democratic candidate.

FO

HENRY A. WALLACE

HARRY S. TRUMAN

Electoral Total Voter

Voles

Cast

47

0,310,700

35

3,704,767

22

4,030,031

25

25

23

3,520,875 Tilden election as an example of 3,153,050 what can hoppen. Not since that 1,150,330 time, however, has a raco 2,203,217 close.

been so

2000.903

It is a

15

'1,671,670

13

200

is conceivable

1,003,781

pretty safe bet that the

1,672,001 winning candidate this year will be elected through a majority in the 137,034

the Electoral College, which reflects

31,532,273 a majority of the popular vote.

Shortly after the polling places then, that a close, the popular votes are counted... candidate in the last election could It is usually around midnight or have won those 12 states by simple some hours later that the popular popular majority of

the 31,532,273 totals аге computed by states. votes cast in them...say 10,000,000 Losing candidates seeing electoral votes. This would establish him 'as

votes mounting in the column of winner.

their opponents, concede the election. Some observers are

sharply when all hope is lost. The official the Electoral critical of

College announcement is merely a formally. system, and point to the Hayes-

(TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW)

By Ernie Bushmiller

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