Evening star., 1920-09-15
.VOTE.0f RADICALS
PLAYS BIC PART
IN WASHINGTON
Eastern Part Of State Slight
Iy Republican, But West
Holds Key.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
4 SPOKANE. Wash. September l5-
Eastern Washington looks republican
by narrow margin. but it is the
western part of the state. where the
radical vote bulks large that will de
termine the complexion of the states
seven electoral votes
This part of Washington, however,
affords glimpse of the normal. Here
the unrest and desire for a. change
is expressed by democrats as well as
republicans of the business and profess
! sional mems class. And the women of
the same social stratum echo the same
l thought. T.
| The league of nations question has
been so completely muddled in this
section of the country as to1be hardly
Il a controlling influence. either with
men or women voters
II Among the masses, particularly the
laborers and railway men and their
II families. the drift toward Gov Cox
is pronounced. and to the democratic
leaders here it spells. the same series
iof turnover symptoms that COVE the
state to Wilson in 1916 by 5000 pIu-
rality. 4
4 Republicans Remember sf9IG. .
i That was much of a surprise to
republicans tnat even they temper their
predictions with a grain IF aremi-
niscence about the surprise of. four
years ago-for it was surprise to
nave normally republican state. go
!: democratic. which even during the split
of 1912 had given its electoral vote to
Roosevelt.
This is indeed a progressive state,
ana the progressives hold the balance
OF power along with the radicals, In
other words, the old-line democrats
and republicans are in the minority,
while the Independent minded voter is
the ruling force at the polls.
Conflicting opinions as to the direc-
ton OF the progressive and radical
vote are expressed in private by the
leaders. The democrats are deriving
comfort out of the fact that Roy. Slater.
formerly progressive republican chA1r-
man, mas come out openly for Cox be-
cause he believes the latter a nro-
gressive and Harding a reactionary.
on the other hand, the usual number OF
cate much shifting of electoral cur-,
rents. Among the business men the
change from democratic to republican
is considerable. Gov. Cox didn't at
tract votes in that class when he was
mere. His tactics were described by
some democrats of the conservative
type as s.'mud singing"
Fund Charges Hurt Cox. &
Mr.. Cox emphasized the republican
campaign fund and read letters bear
ing on the local situation. 1t so hap
pens that the word Of the republicans
VINO nave been raising the funds is a
potent force of the community. So
the net effect of the exposure was to
ALLEVIATE those who believed the dem
Il ocratic nominee had raised a smoke
screen without definite proof of cor
Eruption.
Gov. Cox openly fiirted with the
laboring classes and the radicals
With them, of course, the charge of
large campaign funds is doctrine
much like the stuff the soap box ora
itors and other agitators preach in re,
letting the evils of big business. I'M
1questionably, Coy. Cox won votes
from the laboring classes and, also
drew to his. side those who never
have believed in prohibition h
For while these westerns states have
Igone dry time and time again, the
thirst of great many people has
not entirely disappeared. They talk
Montana and Washington. Indeed,
some people hereabout have a sort Of
an impression that Gov. Cox will not
/ be as hard on parched throats as a
republican administration might.
There Is No Wet Issue.
i Many voters probably will be in
fuenced by statements like that given
to the local newspapers here today by
1 Mrs. Mary Armor of Charlottesville,
Ga. prohibition speaker in Spokane
churches. She said
"As to the presidency. I don't think it
matters which man gets there, SO far
as prohibition is concerned. for 1 be-
! lieve Harding is just as wet as Cox and
! that Cox is as dry as Harding. In wet
| states they try to make cut that they
are wet and in dry states they try, to-
make out that they are dry
| Incidentally the democratic nominee
for senator was, and still is, leader in
the prohibition movement in this state.
| But it is really significant that no issue
is particularly controlling.
| Radicalism is rampant in Washington
and the democrats are trying to con-
vince the masses that Cox is more
| closely akin to the Non Partisan League
/ and the demands of labor than is Hard
ing. So much noise has been made
about Attorney General Palmer's record
in jailing radicals and using the injunc-
| tion that if Gov. Cox does poll a large
| part of the radical vote it will be as
i result of his own record in handling
| labor in the past rather than any par
ticular love for the Wilson administra-
| ton.
Think G. o. p. Is Weak.
Gov. Cox was accorded a good re-
ception in eastern Washington. He
carried his crowds Well.
Franklin Roosevelt made pleasing
! impression and won friends for the
! national ticket
The consensus of opinion seems to
be that judging by outcroppings of
sentiment of the eastern end Of the
! state. Washington will be. close. The
republicans think they will carry
Spokane and vicinity for Harding by
| at least 5000. Such an estimate is
regarded by democrats as confess
| sion of weakness. The fact of the
matter is that western Washington
| will decide the iSSne two thirds
of the registered vote is cast in the
Seattle and Tacoma districts.
| No decisive trend in either direction
appears to have developed in the east
ern part of the state, and the west
coast region will have to tip the
| scales.
Copyright, 19So)