Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-17
MINNESOTA NOW IS
PLACED IN COLUMN
Of DOUBTFUL STATES
Republican Party There Vir-
tuaIIy Is Dominated by
Non-Paftisan lie ague,
Hiram johnson Popular
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

Copyright, 1920, for The Atlanta Journal.)
ST. PAUL, Mimi, June 16.-First
impressions are not always conclu-
sive, but the reaction of this part of
Minnesota to the nomination of Sena-
tor Harding is on THE whole rather
favorable. And yet reasons entirely
apart from the personality of the
Ohio senator make it possible even
at this early date to write Minnesota
down as a doubtful state.
For the truth is the Non-Partisan
League has practically taken possess
sion of the Republican party in Min
nesota and the leagues candidate for
governor in next weeks primaries is
regarded even by opponents of the
league as certain of nomination. Now
the NonPartisan League was very
friendly to Hiram Johnson, and this
state was for Johnson. Mr.. Harding
is not acceptable to the Non-Partisan
League because of his conservatism
and with the elimination of Johnson,
the leagues vote probably will go
toward Senator La Toilette or who
ever happens to be. the nominee of
the party soon to be started at Chi
cago by the famous committee of
forty-eight.
Indeed, if the Non-Partisan League
captures the Republican primaries in
the gubernatorial race, Democrats
and Republicans alike will be urged
to fuse their strength in support of
the Democratic candidate. With a
Republican state ticket favored by
ocratic state ticket supported by all
parties, the vote on president may
be divided into three parts, which
means that the normally large Re-
publican vote could easily be split
so that no section of it would be as
big as the normal Democratic vote
and the Democrats might win the
electoral vote in Minnesota.
Roosevelt Territory
Much will depend upon the out
come of next weeks primaries, but
it will not be forgotten that this is
Roosevelt territory and Johnson was
a prime favorite and that in 1916,
Woodrow Wilson fell just 397 votes
short of overturning an overwhelm-
ing Roosevelt majority and taking
the whole state from Hughes.
The conservatives in the state, on
the other hand, are rather glad that
Johnson was beaten, and they are
confident Senator Harding need not
worry about the outcome in Mo-
vember. Many Irish Democrats are
deeply grieved over Johnson's de
feat They are among the most bit
ter critics of the Wilson admins
tration and were all prepared to en-
ter the Republican party. Just where
they now will go is hard to say but
it is doubtful if they will vote the
Democratic ticket unless something
concrete is pledged toward the cause
of Irish freedom. And if they do
not vote the Democratic ticket, they
probably will be found supporting
Mr.. La Toilette or the Hearst ticket
if there is one. They received a rude
shock by the omission of an Irish
plank from the Republican platform
and now are waiting to see what
the Democrats shall promise at San
Francisco.
The wet and dry issue also will
enter into st. Pauls decision. This
is town Of decidedly moist proclivi-
ties. In all probability a Democrat
will be sent to congress for one of
the Democratic aspirants has an
nounced himself on a platform
which he himself calls ringing wet"
Danger Of Split
Any such statement or hint Of the
same thing by the head of the Dem
ocratic ticket would win votes here
though it would lose vote else
where in the state. Johnson would
have been an ideal Republican can
didate for Minnesota. He was damp
enough and radical enough and anti
Wilson enough and anti-League of
Nations enough to catch most every
body. This state started out very
favorably inclined toward the League
of Nations. Reservations were. OF
course, advocated by Republican
newspapers, few of whom saw any
terrible menace in the idea of
league. But Hiram Johnson came
UP here and started things in the OPP
position direction.
Business men and conservative
Democrats and Republicans see
great opportunities in the ELECTION OF
Harding. Radicals, and they are
numerous here, see only confirma-
ton of the methods Of the capital
istic" regime which they palaver
about so often hereabouts. -, Ihey
call the Republican old guard VINO
choose Harding, the real minority
trying to rule the majority.
Conservative Democrats and Re
publicans fully expect a Harq1n In
victory throughout the country. The
reaction against the Wilson admin
istration is even greater than it was
a wear ago. The request for a man
date over Armenia, judged by the
public sentiment here at least, was
an ill-advised move. 1t was looked
upon as proof of the argument that
the League of Nations meant the
sending of American troops abroad.
The DEMOCRATIC presidential nominee
will have to give convincing evil
dence of an intention to steer clear
of internationalism to hold the
Democratic vote-and, as said be-
fore, holding the Democratic vote of
1916 might mean a Democratic vic
tory here, if as seems likely, the Re-
publican party Is split by the ma
chinations of the non-partisan
league.
ny