New-York tribune., 1920-08-19
X Republicans Believe Suf-
frage Will Help Them
i'm Presidential Race:
Fear Effect on Senate
Blow Most Serious
To Wet Candidates
Democrats Insist Progress
sive Sentiment Will AL
lure the New Voters
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18.-Enfran-
chisement Of women in very state is
likely to help the Republicans on the
Presidency, but, on the other hand
help the Democrats in their fight to
control the Senate.
Political Washington was busy to-
night checking up, with a view to de-
termining how the situation would be
affected by this army of additional
voters
BY far the most prevalent view. ap-
parently, is that the women voters
will divide along pretty much the same
lines as the men in the forthcoming
election, and as result change the
situation very little. But there are a
few exceptions to thise.
Republican States Lead
Those who think Harding will get
more than the Republican share of the
women voters seem to present the
most convincing argument. They wave
aside the contention that the thirty
sixth state is Democratic, and the
women may therefore be expected to
be grateful, by calling attention to
fact that of the thirty-six states which
did ratify the amendment twenty-nine
ere Republicans and only seven Demo
cratic.
These observers say the proportion
of women favoring prohibition is much
greater than the proportion of drys
among the male voters. The fact that
Cox was nominated by wet political
bosses, and that his campaign is being
aided by subtle moist appeal direct
ed particularly at the wet centers of
New York, New Jersey and Wisconsin
will, it is thought, result in driving a
tremendous number of women to the
polls to vote for Harding as a rebuke
to the wet leaders.
This view, incidentally, is strongly
held by General Counsel Wayne B
Wheeler of the Anti-Saloon League.
Not all women are dry, of course" "
Mr.. Wheeler told The Tribune CORE
spondent after hearing the news from
Tennessee, but the great majority of
women are not only dry, but anxious
to see rigorous enforcement of the
dry laws. You will find that tho
women III thlS elcctlOn Will not vote
for any candidate who makes an appeal
to the hopes of the VETS Their votes
will aid tremendously the candidate
who promises strict law enforcement.
Women Foes to Liquor Interests
"Thcn, too, the women know that the
liquor forces have always opposed
woman suffrage because of the knowl-
edge of the vets that women would
vote for prohibition. SO they have
come to regard the liquor interests as
their enemies, with the result that
their desire to end the liquor traffic is
given an added incentive."
Democrats here wave this aside, say
ing that prohibition is not an issue
in this campaign and that the women
voters, being naturally more eager
about progressive legislation, will
naturally turn to the more progressive
candidates, not only for President, but
for Senators and members of the House
of Representatives. They say the
granting of the ballot to the women
of all the states will be of enormous
help to Cox and to the winning of a
Democratic Senate and House.
The state in which the wet and dry
element is apt to enter stronger than
any other, it IS SAID, is New Jersey.
The tremendous vote given Governor
Edwards, running on "Wet as the
Atlantic Ocean" platform last year,
has encouraged the Democrats to be-
lieve that they could overcome the
normally tremendous Republican ma
jority in that state and win its four
(Conti fbrao