Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-05
BELIEVE KENTUCKY
REALLY DOUBTFUL
Republicans Expect to Win Sen
atorship, but cox-Harding
' Race is Close
WET ISSUE WILL FIGURE
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
STAR Csrrespondent Evening Public Ledger
CopprS0ht. 1850, bp Public LEDGER 90.

BY CLINTON w. GlLBEHT
STAR Csrrespondent Evening Public Ledser
Coputohs. 1859. oy Public LEDGER 90.
Louisville, KY, Oct. 5.-Kentuck,
Is a genuinely doubtful state, probably
Democratic on the national ticket,
probably Republican on the senatorship.
It presents two or three anomalies. In
the first place, the Republican candi-
date for senator Is going to run from
10000 to 10000 ahead Of Senator
Harding. In virtually every other state
the reverse is true. Again the League
Of Nations is the leading issue. Both
sides agree that Il Is. IL is about all
that ,s being talked from the stump
and Republicans and Democrats alike
claim that this issue favors them.
. And third, one hears little In Ken
lucky of the desire for change In Wash
ington which Is the controlling factor
in 30 many other states. The. Demo
Gratis have been loyal to the Wilson ad-
ministration and proud Of 1t. 1t is
probably this fact which has elevated
the League Of Nations to the place OF
leading issue. The league would be
the great issue. all over the country. II
dissatisfaction with the democracy at
Washington had not settled the ques-
tion how they should vote in the minds
Of q big majority Of the people in most
Of the northern and western states.
Weakness in Democratic Ticket
Projections that Kentucky would 60
Republican, which one hears at head
quarters In Chicago, seem to have
sprung from the idea that the result
in Maine indicated an irresistible swing
toward Harding all over the country.
II any such swing exists in Kentucky.
the best political observers here have
failed to detect It. The Democra,n
national ticket has certain weaknesses
in this state. The Democratic candi-
date for senator, Mr.. Beckham, who Is
seeking e-election, has certain greater
weaknesses, but they. are all definite
appears to be nothing In the nature Of
swing about them.
Wilson carried this state four years
ago by a majority Of 5000. Nobody
will carry by any such majority this
time. unless there. Is something going
on beneath the surface of which neither
Republicans nor Democrats are aware
and which will sweep Mr.. Harding
through to victory. a.. e..
Governor Morrow, Republican. car
rleu tne stdtc ldst year ny 1O,uOO, Uut
no one sees any sign Of any such victory
victory naturally makes the Republicans
hopeful. But Il was achieved az the
consequence Of an extremely unpopular
Democratic state administration and
against an extremely weak Democratic
candidate.
The Wilson administration is not un-
popular in Kentucky, and Beckham, the
candidate for senator, while he has
certain weaknesses, Is not so weak as
Black, whom Morrow defeated last
year.
From the $4,000, by which Wilson
carried Kentucky, you have to subtract
some votes to find what chance Cox
has. In the first place, there Is the
German vote. It was rather largely
with Wilson four years ago. Ordinarily
it Is fairly evenly divided between the
Republicans and Democrats. The Ger
man vote is numerous in that section
Of the state which lies across the river
from Cincinnati, which is largely a
German town In its origin.
There Is also In Louisville consid-
cradle German element. which ordi- =
narily was divided between the two
parties. In 1915 Germans all over
tuc SOuhtiN NOtcu lOT w liSOn ON
the issue that he kept us out of war.
Virtually all Of this vote which went
to Wilson in 1916 will 60 to Harding
this time.
Irish Vote Against Cox
In addition. Cox will lose a part of
the Irish vote, Of which there Is con :
siderable in Louisville. BY no means
all Of the Irish vote will be lost to Cox.
But what is lost, together with the lost
German vote. will cut pretty deep'y
into the Wilson majority Of $4,000.
On the other hand. 1t Is claimed that
Cox will gain some Of the labor vote
in the mines of eastern Kentucky, a
Republican stronghold, and in the rail :
road shops.
The wet issue here is more of an is
sue than t is IN most states. One hears
of it especially in the cities of Louis.
vile, COvington and Newport. Louis
vile is normally a Republican city. so
that If Cox profits by the wet vote IL is
likely to be at the expense of the Re =.
publican candidates. Gains Of the wet
vote and the labor vote will not off =.
set losses of the German and Irish vote
that went to Wilson, but they will helm
to keep the state In the Democratic
column, so far as the national ticket
Is concerned.