New-York tribune., 1920-09-30
Conceded to Have a Good
Chance i'm Montana,
Which Went for Wilson
Overwhelmingly i'm 10
Democrats Split
By Nonpartisans
Many Interesting State
Contests Look Favorable
for the Republicans
By Carter Field

in 1916 went for Hughes by about $50
margin, and which the Democrats have
always said would have been moved
over into the Wilson column had re-
count been demanded, is as safe this
year for Harding and Coolidge as Penn
sylvanla SO far as the national ticket
is concerned. the Democrats are not
really making fight.
The Democrats, as a party, are not
even active in Minnesota this year.
There Is no Senatorial election, and,
with the entire interest centering on
the gubernatorial fight, did not meet
a Democrat who thought his party'S
nominee for Governor had a chance.
The truth is | did not meet a Democrat
who would not privately admit that the
Democratic nominee for Governor
would run third.
Democrats May Quit
The real battle is between j. a. 0.
Preus, which they pronounce as though
it were spelled Price," the Republican
nominee for Governor, and DR.. Henrik
Shipstead, a dentist, nominated for
Governor by the Nonpartisan League
The Democratic nominee. who from
present indications may be openly
abandoned by the Democratic conser-
Natives before the fight is over, so
that they can insure the defeat of the
Nonpartisan League, is Mayor L. c..
Fodgson of st. Paul. Most of the
Democratic leaders who are not in SYM
paehy with the Nonpartisans are won
der!ng if it would not be better to ef-
feet combination with the Republi-
cans. as they did two years ago when
confronted by the same danger.
While the Nonpartisan League has
gained slightly in strength in this state
since two years ago, there is nothing
to indicate that Shipstead can defeat
Preus. Even if the Democrats loyalty
support Hodgson, as is not probable in
the face of the league menace, Preus
probably will be elected by handsome
majority. 1t will not approach Har-
dings.
The Republican national ticket, from
present indications, will sweep the
state by more than 100000. AS a mat
ter of fact. several Nonpartisan lead
crs with whom l talked. men who are
most optimistic about the leagues
prospects. and who are little discour-
aged by their recent se.backs in North
Dakota, privately conceded that Preus
probably would be elected.
The !caguers arc frankly disappoint-
cd at the outcome of the Republican
primaries They mad confidently count
ed on shipstead. winning by big ma
lorsty- Against him in the primary
ver" five REGULAR Republican candi-
oates: four o. whom they thought
you'd split the regular Republican
vote, while the fifth, running on rad-
cal platform, would not, they thought
cut !ato their strength deeply.
Nonpartisans Confident
".0verconsdence was our trouble, -
said one Of the Nonpartisan Leaguers
20 whom / talked about this I'VE ought
TO have won easily, and if we had it to
co over again we could win. We will
win the next time
On the other hand. the regular Re-
puollcans with some logic point out
Mat the field was badly split, with FIVE
regular Republicans running for the
gubernatorial nomination and only one
Nonpart!san candidate. They are proud
OF the success of their slogan, "Concen-
trate on Preus.' which the newspapers
Of the state urged, and which was so
successful that ~ per cent of the total
vote was obtained by Preus, as against
IL per cent of the total to Shipstead
50 hat the four remaining candidates
divided only IS per cent Of the total
primary vote among them.
Tie regular Republicans are count
ing on tremendous number of Demo
cratic votes to make up for the votes
Of normally Republican farmers which
may be cast for Shipstead. They fig
ure that the same logic which whipped
the Republicans into lire behind Preus
hind the Republican ticket. There is
TO doubt. judging from the figures
that thousands Of Democrats voted in
the Republican primary, most of them
hoping to prevent the nominations OF
Shipstead, and few Of the farmers
who had joined the Nonpartisan League
and hoped TO put Shipstead over.
There were 319.860 votes cast 70,
Governor in the Republican primary
while the Democratic primary mustered
only 27.233
A little element which will probably
aid Preus is that Cyrus NJ King, run.
ming on the ticket Of the old Farmer.
Labor party, is apt to poll few thou
sand votes, at least, and every one OF
them would probably be cast for Ship
s.ead If King were no. running.
The Nonpartisan League has ten can
didates for the House Of Representa-
.ives out Of eleven districts. Five Of
:hese are Independents. one is Repub
Ncan-Kel.er. of St. Paul. One is {
Democrat-W. L. Carse, now serving
as an independent--and three are Fa:
merLaborites. Carse is the man wht
defeated Clarence 3. Miller. Of Du
iutn, now secretary OF the Republican
National Committee. One of these
Farmer Labor candidates, Lynn Thomp
son, in tn" Fifth District, is in jail. An
other. Julius Ritter. is the only nomi
nee against Representative Sidney An
d"rson, the Democrats making no fgh
whatever in that district.
Dakotas for Harding
The Twin Cities are the gateways Il
'he Dako.as and Montana, and politi
cal gossip from these three states j,
diseussed with almost as much inter
est here az the politics Of Minnesota it
self. No one here has any doubt aeou
Harding and Coolidge carrying both O
the Dakotas, while in Montana they are
conceded good chance. The inforna
,jon II the Nonpartisan Leaguers, mos
Of whom / found to be very candid il
d!scuEsinz prospects. coneeding defea
With as much {rankness as they CLAIM
Victory, is that Cox will carry Montana
~ narrow margin. They conccd'
that Harding has a chance there. ane
admit that the Republican awing. which
is very obvious in this part Of the coun
try. may sweep Montana into the Re
publican column. The probability IL
however, that Of this group Of fou
states Harding will have landslides ir
Minnesota and South Dakota, which
Hughes barely carried in 1918, and ir
nAL fak To- ts