The Washington times., 1920-10-16
G.O.P.MOD|F|ES
VICTORY CLAIM.
HSafe Majorities" Replace "Rec,
ord Breaking PluraIities" in
Party Predictions.

NEW YORK, Oct. Is.-Ths NsO
York World (Democratio) today
prints the follososng from q staU
correspondent:
COLUMBUS, Oct 16.-Republi-
can leaders of the doubtful States"
in the Middle West in which the
final activities of the Presidential
campaign will be staged have stop
ped predicting 'walkovers," land
slides" and "cinches."
ADMIT TIDE TURNED.
Democratic leaders in those States
y Ohio, Kentucky. Indiana, West Vir-
ginia and Missouri-assert that ''the
tide has turned" in their favor. Theii
Republican rivals admit 1t. but de-
clare that not enough. votes can be
| won by the Cox Roosevelt ticket to
justify any confidence on the part or
the Democrats or doubt by Republic
ans as to the inevitable result
The two sole sources for Republican
F, perpleAity concerns the actual value
Or the League OF Nations as a cam
paign issue and the distribution OF
the (white) woman vote which may
be Influenced by it eighteen days
hence.
That there has been an improve
ment in the Democratic outlook Is
manifest in not only the so-called
"doubtfur States. but in all sections
of the country, and that the more Ia
vorable prospects have been entirely
due to the Democratic strategy In
putting all its eggs in the League
basket there is not the slightest room
for controversy.
G. o. Il. SUCCESS SURE
But to offset this awakening OF
the moral conscience of America" as
It is described by President wilson
and Presidential Candidate Cox. sur
face conditions revealed BY obvious
conditions easily, to interpret and re-
cent developments point unJnistak-
ingly to Republican success after
muh closer fight than the Republican
managers were willing to concede
. month ago.
Three weeks ago the Republicans
were inclined to claim almost every
Northern and Western State, with one
or two unimportant exceptions, as
we'll as the so-called BORDER States.
They even asserted they had a chance
of winning at least one (Tennessee)
and possibly two North Carolina) OF
the Commonwealth in the solid South
Revised Republican figures do not
assert anything like those extrava-
giant claims. Further than this, in
formation given me by men who have
canvassed the situation pretty thor
oughly concede Missouri, Kentucky,
Indiana and West Virginia to the
Democrats "by small pluralities" fur
nished by later support
NEW SeDOUBTFUL" STATES.
Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska,
South Dakota and Utah have become
~doubtfur' in Republican calculations.
Ohio is designated as uncertain" by
the Democrats but Is claimed by the
opposition by 100000, which means
half that figure. The reason for Re-
publican confidence in Ohio is that the
150, 1000 colored votes (more than one
third Of which will be cast by the
women Of that race) are certain to be
cast for Harding.
Confidence Of the Republican man
ayers of other States is also predi-
Gated on the knowledge that this vote
will go to the Republican candidate.
This is not wholly true of Kentucky,
Indiana, Missouri, West Virginia, Ok
lahoma and, to some extent, Tennes-
see.
During the visit of Governor Cox to
these States, on which I accompanied
him, l gained tho impression that the
Nineteenth Amendment, which he
greatest obstacle to his chances for
success in several States.
NEGRO VOTE TO AID G. o. p.
The meetings he addressed in the
States named were almost exclusively
attended by white men and women:
sthose which Harding has been ad
dressing in the same territory the
last few days by crowds quite as
large but with a preponderance of
negro attendance. The recruiting Of
the negro vote by the Republican
managers has been both systematic
and methodical, capably organized
and adequately financed. In some of
the typically Industrial States con-
tanning a large percentage of negro
vote the alignment of it to Republi-
can advantage has had the effect Of
driving independent and even radi-
cal voters to the support of Governor
Co.
But in the agricultural regions,
where the negro vote is compare
lively negligible in a political sense,
events have favored the Republicans.
The refusal of Secretary of the Treas
ury Houston to assent to the revival
of the War Finance Corporation to
help farmers maintain prices for their
products is hailed with delight by the
Republicans and CONSERVATION by the
Democrats, though the former con-
cede the soundness of his decision.
The Republican managers assert
that the act of the Democratic Sec
retary Of the Treasury will "win us
millions OF votes" 1t will undoubt-
edly cause 4 substantial loss to the
Democrats. Democratic confidence
that the prejudice against their party
of various nationalist groups. not
ably those OF Irish. German, italian
and other alien origin, is abating
was not confirmed by the develop
ments of Governor Co1's tour
through the doubtful States.
Even in Ohio he encountered com
munities largely populated by aliens
that reflected a distinctly hostile at
mosphere. His charge here at Column
bus last night that the Republican
managers have organized these groups
by appealing to race prejudice is
therefore fully Justified.
The most hopeful reaction from the