The Alaska daily empire., 1920-07-29
THE PRESIDENTIAL OUTLOOK

What is the Presidential outlook?" "Is sentiment in country favorable to Gov. Cox or to Senator Hardng?" These questions that are constantly being asked those who have been travelling and who in contact with people from all parts of the country The answer to both questions must be that it is too soon to make predictions. That the drift is toward Gov. Cox is unmistakable. Yet it must be admitted that disposition to await de- velopmens prevails everywhere among large num- bers of independent voters-and the independent voters decide elections.
 The indications at this time that independent voters generally believe that the advantage is with the Ohio Governor when candidates and platforms compared. However, there is also more or less prevalent belief that the psychology of the situation may be with the Republican party. This belief is based the conclusion that three months ago a majority of the people of the Northern States believed that there should be change in the con- tro of the Government-that the Democratic party should give way to Republicans.
 It will be much easier months hence than now make satisfactory predictions to whether not the greater popularity of Gov. Cox and the favorable impression made by the finely representa- tive San Francisco convention and the platform adopted there, which mpelling drift to- ward the Democratic nominee, will be sufficient to the earlier advantage of the Republicans.
 Those Republicans who say the principal question before the country is not the personnel of the tick ests the platforms of the parties but the ''su- perior capacity of the Republican party govern" playing the strongest card held by Senator Hard ing in the campaign that is fast getting under However it is strictly partisan card, and parti- sanship does not usually appeal strongly to inde- pendent voters It will be urged by supporters of the San Francisco ticket that the partisan argu ment is really confession of weakness.
 The result of the election will be influenced largely by the workingmen of the country. That Gov. Cox will get far more of these than Senator Harding is indicated. Cox for President Club recently organized in San Francisco, for instance, contains practically all the officers of organized la bor in that city. The club is composed wholly of members of Union Labor. It is known that Gov. Cox is satisfactory to President Gompers and that Union Labor in Ohio has generally supported him for Governor of that State However it is still too will go to Debs and the third party"
 It is not believed generally that the wet and dry controversy will cut much figure in the campaign. The Ohio record of both candidates has been about the same this question, and both conventions re- fused either to endorse the Volsead Act or to urge its modification
 The paramount" issues of the campaigus have not, in fact, been clearly developed as yet The Presidential year opened with the advantage in fla vor of the Republicans The results of the conven- tions have unquestionably impaired this advantage, and Democratic chances have been improving daily since they adjourned Whether or not the drift of sentiment will continue with the Democrats to the end only the progress of the campaign will disclose.