Marked for Victory

Smith Wildman Brookhart stalked to the polls. As he went, he made a gesture of defiance and contempt at Coolidge and Dawes. Everyone recognized that, on his native hearth, Mr. Brookhart was supreme. He was marked for victory.

Then the election was held. Unaccountably, most unaccountably, Daniel F. Steck, Mr. Brookhart's Democratic opponent, led in the early returns. Still more unaccountably, he led in the later returns. Mr. Brookhart went to bed admitting his defeat and remarking that the electorate of Iowa had not understood the issues.

Next morning, things were more favorable for him. He took a sight. The official count was put off for a week. In the unofficial count, Brookhart had 447,523 votes to Steck's 446,407--a lead of a bare 1,100 votes. The Presidential vote, however, was Coolidge 515,759, LaFollette 259,742, Davis 156,548.

Since Mr. Brookhart was openly friendly with Mr. LaFollette and had his support, it is a fair guess that the 260,000 people who voted for LaFollette also voted for Brookhart. In that case, it follows that some 329,000 people who voted for Coolidge must have been at pains not to vote for Mr. Brookhart.

Even if Mr. Brookhart retains his seat, Mr. Steck will probably carry "the contest for it to the Senate.