The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-02
HOPE OF WET MASS LIES IN DECISION
 OF 10 DRY STATES
Republicans Confident That Wet States of East Will Give Harding and Coolidge
 Substantial Majority
Fly LOUIS sEIBoLD

Fly LOUIS SEIBOLD
 New York, October L. (Special.) - It is one of the ironies of present-day politics that the great mass of the democratic wet voters-in in the east are compelled to acknowl- edge that their only apparent chance of winning the presi- dency depends on the decision of about ten dry states. Developments of the campaign have inspired confidence in the republicans that the eastern states that were op posed to the prohibition amendment will give substantial majorties to the Harding and Coolidge ticket. At the outset of the contest democratic lead CTS of the eastern and northern states who counted upon the support of the large cities and the industrial centers thought that the wet and dry issue was destined to play decisive part in the presidential battle.
 The manifest success of the repub- lican strategy inaugurated by National Chairman Hays two years ago to foment hatred of the Wilson admins tration. is admitted by democrats so have impaired their chances of carr. ing the more important states on arS issue The realization of what appea to be the inevitable trend of public sentiment in these sections of the coui try toward the republican party ha 1 unques stionably influenced a reformir | of democratic lines of attack. The ns 1 tional leaders Of that party have thert | fore responded to the cue given lg | Governor Cox in his recent speeches sn | the west which have reflected ha 1 determination to direct his appeal 70 | those states where the dry policy has ] either become an established institd- 1 ton or is finding increasing favor. QUICK TO SEIZE ADVANTAGE The republicans have not been slow | to take advantage of this condition of l affairs. For instance Judge Miller | the republican candidate for governo of New York, who was regarded moist" has switched around to tn dry end leaving his democratic or ponent, Governor smith. the sole cham pion of the wet issue.
 The democratic managers find soi1i { comfort in the fact that Governor coF, l will lose very few votes in the wcf
 
 ability of the local candidates to hold them. Another source of consolida ton is the prospects that some of the very dry states whose views have been met by Governor Cox, that their electoral will be given to him.
 Republican managers admit that the position of Governor Smith on the wet and dry issue will rebound to his ad 1 vantage but they are quite confident that Governor Cox will not benefit thereby.
 They are centering their attention on candidates for Congress and state legislatures since 1t is from them that any change in the present law must come.
 l Republican mana gers assert full credit l for bringing about what they describe as the alienation of the wet vote from 1 Cox" As a matter of fact the repub- lican managers are felicitating them selves for having accomplished the alienation" of the Irish Italian, Ger man and of the great number of voters who are not catalogued for any dis tinct national inspiration from the democratic party
 REASONS FOR CONFIDENCE
 Perhaps the chief reasons for republican confidence Is the belief that they have successfully confused the public senti-
 
 scldfied the sociaiistic vote and given couragement to the promoters of the farmer labor party and other sporadic political agencies that will draw most , heavily from the democratic forces; that they have weened a substantial perceu- tage of women voters from the League of Nations and that finally they have met with a great deal more satisfactory ! suits than they expected. In melting public resentment against the Wilson ad- ) min stration of the most important republican cheftans told me yesterday that the original republican plan was to : tie Governor Cox completely up to the Wilson administration. This, it appears, , has been changed to some extent Pres ent republican strategy is to compel the democratic presidential candidate pudiate all Of the Wilson policies during the next four weeks of the campaign. 7 he theory of this move seems to be } that without the support of President Wilson Governor Cox will be more easily l 'heaten
 The persistency with which the League I nf Nations iutrudes itself into the re- | publican campaign has caused apprehen- , sion among leaders There is, in fact. much uneasiness among republican chef
 tains who are otherwise completely san gulne of Harding's success that the league issue contains enough Dynamite , to portend an immense amount of trouble ; to their presidential candidate. ' COUNT ON WOMEN , Democratic managers claim that their ! appeals to the conscience of America" will swing the larger number of women ' oters into line and influence citizens generally in those states that gave the decision to President Wilson four years } lago.
 For reasons that do not appear to bs S satisfactorily explained the democratic managers in New York far from l discouraged. The advices that reach them ' from the western states are most en- . ;couraging'' and they have not abandoned u entirely hope of carrying two or three eastern states. The democratic leaders
 corcede that all of the breaks have So far been with the opposition and I that A change in democratic luck is inevitable.
 A recent development of the campaign ithat makes for concern in both partiee is the growth of sentiment favorable to r the farmer-labor ticket, Even New York has begun to take an interest in the as ltlvities of Dudley Field Malone, the farm- ler.labor candidate for governor.
 He is addressing big meetings, has tho support of the Hearst newspapers ana. if the claims of his supporters are jus
 tHied. is cutting into the republican farmer vote and winning the conseryastvs
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