The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-10
10000 WOMEN
POLLED; 5000
FOR HARDING
Herald NOn-Partisan Cam
vass of New York City Re-
yeals Amazing Facts.
SHOWS TREND OF VOTE
More Than Half Opposed to
League of NatiOns-Amer-
icanization Is Strong.
SOME COMMENTS UNIQUE
Neighb0rhOOd and Social Club
Lists Drawn On for Timely
Postcard Survey.
SOME COMMENTS UNIQUE


on-partisan postcard poll taken by
THE NEW YORK HERALD, will. In cast
ing their first ballot in a Presidential
election on November 2. vote for Sem
ator Harding Harding leads Gov.
Cox in proportion OF more than four
to one.
More than one-half the women, In
indicating what they believe to be tha
issues OF the campaign, put the League
Of Nations first, and nearly all give 1t
a prominent place. Greater emphasis
is placed upon it than upon all the
other issues combined. 1t Is especial
ly interesting to note that only one
woman in forty deems the high cost of
living to be the leading question OF
the campaign, although many of them
give it a subordinate position.
The poll was undertaken for the pur-
pose Of ascertaining the sentiment of
the great body OF voters. who. as they
never have participated before in the
choice of President, are regarded on
all sides as the most uncertain guam
tity in the electorate. To accomplish
this il was necessary to question wom
en- OF all sorts of positions and oc-
cupations in the community and whose
political leanings were unknown to
this newspaper.
1t seemed fair to assume that the
membership OF women's clubs. provided
all sorts of clubs except the political
ones were included in the canvass. would
be a representative field for the straw
balloting. So TO each of 10000 women
listed as members of clubs a return
postcard was sent. To insure freedom
OF expression 1t was understood that the
names of the voters would not be pub
lished. The card read as follows:
"TaE New YORK HERALD win appreci-
ate II II you will kindly answer these
questions and mail the card:
"I shall vote for. Observation-Disclosures.
II think the issues of the campaign
are ........................ ....................,..
Numerous Replies Received.
Replies have been received In n large
and gratifying number.
For purposes OF classification II would
have been easier for THE HERALD to have
named n number OF subjects which may
be regarded ss involved in the cam
paign. asking the voter to check in their
order those which they regarded as
most important. But as the main thing
was to get absolute freedom of express
sion IL seemed better TO have the women
themselves indicate the Issues. withou.
outside suggestion.
The various issues which they listed
are scattered over a wide field and run
up into the scores. 1t is therefore. all
the more interesting 10 find that more
than half OF all the women who sent in
n
Nations and that two-thirds OF those
who mention any Issue at ell place the
League Of Nations first.
Nearly all of the women who will vote
for Cox explain that they Will do so
because he Is for the league. The mat
ter Is not SO sharply defined among
those who prefer Harding. Some say
they are for Harding because he Is
against the league and some because
he favors reservations protecting
America If we enter the league.
The majority Of those who win vote
for Harding are dead set against Presi-
dent Wilson's League. Some who wish
to see America enter n league say they
would trust Harding. rather than Cox,
to see that the interests OF the United
States are properly represented.
Although the poll reached neighbor-
hood and social welfare clubs as we'll
as the general women's organizations
whose members pride themselves on
their social standing. few replies were
received from Socialists. The number
exprese TX n preferenc for DeNs 70 one
.auth of ono Of t'e whole
ChIi5tenser. e.. Ft.r e,-Laicr "a ndi-
date, co5nes after D,b and leniri him
Watkins, the Prohittonlst There are
a few stray votes for Wilson and Bryan.
Americnnism watchword.
Many OF the women who think tho
League OF Nations outranks all other
issues use the word "Americanism" as
embracing the whole question. Rank
ing next In Importance. In the opinion
Of these new voters, Is the question OF
antocracy versus constitutional govern
mcnt The next largest group gives
"the need OF q change from the Wilson
Administrator" as the prime reason
for electing Harding.
Other issues. ranked according to the
number OF times mentioned first on the
pos,cards. are: wisconsin. business ef-
flciency, high cost OF living. need for
economy in administration, tariff and
prohibition.
The Harding voters who regard pro-
hibltion ne an issue almost uniformly
call for enforcement or tne GiEntoeutn
Amendment and tho Volstead act.
the Cox voters who regard prohibit
ton as an issue almost uniformly call
for n modification Of the Vols,ead act
a few of them specifying return %
light wines and beer, and n few Of them
demand repeal OF the constitutional
amendment.
Other issues rated ~ of first i'm
pcrtance by smaller groups of women
are; Settlement OF Industrial disputes,
revision OF the Federal tax laws. par
ticularly of tho law relating 10 the ex-
cess profits tax. and suppression OF the
extreme radicals.
Tho women who givo prohibition o
place In the great political debate arc in
y small minority Some of those who DO
speal, Of u say q IL a dead issue. In
some form or another nearly all the
Harding voters insist that Democratic
misrnanag cement has leading place In
their thoughts. The Harding voters are
much freer with their answers than the
Cox voters The former have so many
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