STATES: Governors

U. S. voters mulled over many a Governor (33) this week, but when all the mulling was over, the score (barring late upsets) remained exactly as before: 19 Democrats, 14 Republicans. Some of the hotter contests: ^-Illinoisans, chronically pink-eyed from blinking at politicians, found their new Governor, Republican Dwight Herbert Green, a sight for sore eyes. The upstanding, good-looking, grey-haired former U. S.

Attorney, who helped send Capone to prison, had gone all out on a roaring campaign against the Kelly-Nash machine, which had chosen his opponent: long-faced, long-nosed, curly-haired Harry B.

Hershey, party hack and former State’s attorney.

^ One of the most distinctive faces in U. S. public life belongs to Massachusetts’ Governor Leverett Saltonstall, a Boston blueblood and Harvardman who resembles a well-worn U. S. antique. This week Massachusetts demonstrated that it liked his visage better than his opponent’s, blank-faced Irish Democrat Paul A. Dever.

Back for a second term went Republican Saltonstall and his whole State ticket.

^ Connecticut’s big swing to Franklin Roosevelt was too much for its bland, blond Republican Governor Raymond E.

Baldwin, pipe-sucking Willkie stentor, who had actually balanced the State budget during his able administration. He was beaten by Democrat Robert A. Hurley, State Public Works Commissioner, who was running for his first elective office.

^ Conservative, uppity little Rhode Island went Democratic with a bang, tossed out young (38) Republican Governor William H. Vanderbilt, of “the” Vanderbilts, horseman and gentleman farmer. In by a mere 37,000 votes squeaked younger (36) James Howard McGrath, real-estate and insurance man, who was U. S. Attorney in Rhode Island for the last six years.

^ In Michigan, a vote against godly Governor Luren Dudley Dickinson, 81, Republican, was by implication a vote for sin. Nevertheless, Michiganders sided against the angels, voted in up-&-coming Highway Commissioner Murray D. Van Wagoner, who had quietly built himself a steam roller to ride in on.

^His businessman’s budget was a bust; he attempted to repeal the oleomargarine tax in a State whose car license plates slogan “America’s Dairyland.” Nevertheless, Wisconsiners tramped through snow and rain to give Republican Julius (“The Just”) Heil, 62-year-old millionaire industrialist, another try at the Governorship.

>-In Minnesota silo-huge Harold E. Stassen, youngest (33) Governor of them all, who had expected to ride to victory with his friend Wendell Willkie on the handle bars, pedaled home barely leading two opponents: Farmer-Laborite Hjalmar Petersen and Democrat Ed Murphy.

^ Ohio’s Diesel-smooth Republican machine is reminiscent of the days when well-oiled U. S. Republican machines ran almost everything that moved. Although it couldn’t carry the State for Wendell Willkie, silver-haired Governor John William Bricker rode in on it ahead of his Democratic opponent, natty, spatty Tree Surgeon Martin Luther Davey.

^ With Boss Hague delivering the votes of Hudson County, N. J. as of old, his candidate, energetic Charles Edison, former Navy Secretary, seemed certain to be New Jersey’s new Governor. Although pre-election indications were that some of Boss Hague’s iceboxed votes had spoiled, Hague’s delivery was still O.K. In the campaign, his candidate had avoided mention of the boss’s name.