The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-10-26
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1920.

eernOr COXS chances OF carrying ONO
have seemed to depend largely on what he
can do in such Republican strongholds as
Hamilton county, which includes in its
boundaries the city of Cincinnati. Every
time Cox has run for Office in Ohio he has
either cut down the Republican majority
or carried the county. The Republicans
explain that it was on the ground that
the vets helped Cox or that the Re
publican organization itself was luke
warm toward such pronounced ''drys" as
Frank B. Willis, the opponent of Cox in
two of the gubernatorial races.
What. therefore, will Cox do this year
in Hamilton county? 1t seemed worth
a special investigation. First of all,
Much to my surprise, there is no wet and
dry issue. Liquor organizations, as such,
are not active or visible. The Republican
workers, however, being not at all blind
to the fact that Hamilton county contains
many Republicans who have voted in the
past for Cox on the wet issue, simply re-
printed IN large quantities one of the
newspaper dispatches from the far West,
wherein Cox said in fact he would have
voted drv had he been a member of the
question is not factor of Importance.
The same friendly sentiment for Demo
cratic governor prevails toward the Dem
ocratic nominee for governor, {. y. Dona-
hey. Yet with respect to the national
ticket. traditional party lines seem to be
followed. The Republicans talk of carry
ing Hamilton county by $4,000. The
Democrats privately concede Cox cannot
carry the county, but they insist the ma
iority for Harding will be not much better
than the Hughes majority of 14,OO0 or its
eoItiyalent % 900 with the women voting
this year If Governor Cox can come
down to Hamilton county with lead OF
D., 900 to 10000, he would still be able to
carry Ohio by a majority of from 10000
to $4,000. That's Democratic optimism
in southern Ohio. Workers whose morale
must be kept up, and leaders whose hopes
are never dashed to the ground till the
last vote is counted firmly believe the re-
duction of the Harding majority in Hamil-
ton county win mean a Cox victory IN
the state. t5[ Ast a
To dispute or rather to determine the
validity Hof the foregoing argument of the
Democrats, one must journey to northern
Ohio and other sections of the state where
Cox must pick up the aforesaid lead over
Hapiing That will be the writer's task
in Toledo and Cleveland and the northern
tier of counties. AS for Springfield,
Ohio. this correspondent learns that the
ably be increased there and that in Day
ton. Ohio bitter fight is being made
which will have the effect of keeping down
the decisive majority. which the friends
of Cox have been expecting in his home
county.
The governor is due to speak here this
week and the local Democrats who have
been stimulated by the noticeable drift
, to Cox in the last few days think the
effect of the visit viii be to cut down
further the Harding majority in Hamil-
ton county.
1t is easy to dismiss Ohio with the
whispered statements of several weIl-in-
formed Democrats. who think the state
is lost on purely Wilson and anti-Wilson
issues, but there is no denying the steady
growth of Democratic strength ever since
Senator Harding made his speech at DeS
MOineS, which was interpreted as a rejec-
ton of the present league of nations.
One of the newspapers here printed
100000 copies of the covenant for free
distribution and the supply was quickly
exhausted. The Democrats who were in
clined to scott at the league of nations
issue as a votegetting proposition admit
that they should have become enthusiastic
about it earlier in the game. They now
see its possibilities. They insist that a
mere reading of the covenant has made
votes simply because the text of the doe
ument refutes many of the arguments
and Misrepresentation that have been
made by opponents of the pact
On the other hand, Hamilton county
reveals. as elsewhere, a fundamental de-
sire for change in government at Wash
ingtOn, based entirely on domestic issues
Some of Governor Coxs campaign
speeches have not awakened the ardor
of Independents. His slush fund talk and
constant criticism of his opponents have
failed to win him votes and in some cases
indeed have lost for him such strength as
he had. There is a distinct friendliness to
Cox in this county. He knows personally
many of the voters. There's a swing to-
ward Cox on now, but whether it will be
sufficient to win Ohio is a question
Drifts are largely conjectural, though they
are reflected in street talk and the an
nouncement of Independents and pro
league enthusiasts that they will vote for
Cox. The Republicans themselves admit
that their gubernatorial candidate-Harry
Davis-is losing strength and that this
may affect adversely the congressional
ticket which is on the same ballot, but
they do not agree that Cox is benefitting
particularly By that phase of the situa-
ton.
Hamilton county, which helped elect
Cox governor of Ohio, will go Republican,
If the remainder of the state gives Cox a
lead. he could win without Hamilton
county. To determine how Ohio will cast
her electoral vote, the political wayfarer
must go to northern Ohio.
(TomorrOw's despatch will deal with
thn qit1y finu in mort hnpn Ohio \