The Nome Nugget

Democratic Party
Suffered Reverses
Says Bartlett

JUNEAU, (AP) — Congressional Delegate E. L. (Bob) Bartlett describes last week's Alaska election, with its patchwork pattern of results, as "an exceptionally hard one to analyze."

He cited the Third Division political puzzle in particular. There, he said, "We find all the Democratic candidates for the House elected and both Republican candidates for the Senate elected. No one has explained to my satisfaction how that happened."

The Democratic incumbent who was defeated was Sen. Victor Rivers. Alaska's Democratic party chairman.

"The Democratic party suffered reverses," Bartlett continued: "It would be nonsensical to claim otherwise.

"As a Democrat who is convinced this administration deserves the support of the great masses of Alaskans, including business groups, I believe the chief reason for the change from 1948 was brought about by failure of the Democratic party to place its record of accomplishment completely before the people.

"Had that been done, there could have been only one result.

"There were other reasons. Democrats were accused-and in my opinion unjustly and improperly-of various crimes and misdemeanors. This campaign had its effect. There also were local causes which contributed in local instances to the result. warfare was not absent. Although the Republican party was not entirely 'unified' either."

Bartlett's analysis of the election results followed by a day the more acid voting post mortem by Sen. Howard Lyng of Nome, the Territory's Democratic national committeeman. Lyng, on his way to California for a several weeks' stay, issued statements at Juneau and Seattle asserting the party's setback was "a registered protest by a majority of Alaska voters against the manner in which the head of the present administration -federally appointed Governor Gruening-has been conducting affairs of the Territory in recent years."