Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-31
DEMOCRATIC WAVE
SWEEPS CHICAGO
But Indications Are Illinois
Will Give Harding Over
100000 Plurality.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO, October Soft noise and
enthusiasm indicate anything Chi
cago is likely to go democratic next
Tuesday. There is no questioning the
fact that a democratic wave has been
sweeping the city in the last week.
and in a sliehter degree the demo-
Gratis downstas- have shown their
enthusiasm. Never in the history of
Chicago. old-timers assert. have there
been such large and demonstrative
meetings as the democrats have been
holding of late, eliminating today in
the big demonstration for Gov Cox.
Three weeks ago it was almost i'm
possible to get crowd out at a demo-
cratic rally. and now~the largest halls
are not big enough.
Candidate Lewis the Attraction.
1t is not enthusiasm for Cox en-
tirely, although the democratic ma
tional ticket is the gain here.
James Hamilton Lewis, democra tic
candidate for governor, is the answer.
He is the great attraction. Few have
the temerity to predict that Cox will
carry Cook county. although Hard
ing's plurality here now is estimated
at 100000 instead of 100000. the mark
fixed two weeks ago. Straw votes
and other tests indicate that Illinois
will go for Harding by at least 20O.-
900. and many conservative prog
nosticators assert that there is to be
a republican landslide and a Harding
state plurality of at least 10000
Many wagers at even money have
been made on 100000 lead.
The democrats really started at zero
and their cause was at such a low
ebb that an improvement had to be
shown if there was any change. Pic
lures of Cox shown at motion picture
theaters receive much applause now,
where they were greeted with silence
not long ago. The demonstrations
for Harding, though, show that he is
the big favorite.
For the most part the democrats
have confined their efforts to the
Lewis campaign and the battle to pre-
vent the Thompson machine from cap
turing more local offices. Most of the
spellbinders sidestep on the league of
nations question. That this was a
tactical error the party leaders now
believe At meeting the other night
in the heart of the Irish district on
the South Side of Chicago not one
speaker touched on the league of ma
lions until Mrs. Kellogg Fairbank
took the platform She spoke for
forty-five minutes and made the hit of
the evening. Now the democrats be-
lieve that they should have cham
pioned the league from the start, as
the people seem hungry for informa-
ton.
Even with the possibility of re-
publican landslide the democrats are
very hopeful of electing Lewis gov
ernor. There would be no question
about it if the democratic wards were
in better shape. 1t is a strange sit
uation. Democratic candidates are
making their best showing in repub-
lican strongholds. and republican as
nj ,tss ara
to win. Republicans are stumping for
the local democratic candidates while
democrats, lured by Mayor Thomp-
sons show of gold, are out for the
republican ticket. 1t is certain that
Lewis is going to make his best
showing in republican wards.
Expects 100000 of Harding Votes.
The demonstrations for Lewis have
convinced his managers that more
than 100000 men and women who in
tend to vote for Harding will vote for
Lewis, and that if Harding's lead in
the state can be kept down to 225, 900
Lewis has a good chance to win.
Mayor Thompson and his candidate.
Len Small. are hogging the republi-
can campaign in Chicago. other state
candidates are being ignored and left
to hunt votes for themselves. There
is bitter feeling even among the
candidates themselves. and several do
not speak as they pass by For every
word that is said for the national
ticket there is volume spoken for
the local candidates on both sides.
Thompson would lose everything else
rather than have his candidates for
county judge and states attorney de-
feated.
Little interest is shown in the con-
test for United States senator and
Representative Mckinley is expected
to win by nearly 100000.
JOHN r. PUTNAM.