Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-28
WYOMING ADDED
IN SWEEP CLAIMED
FOR REPUBLICANS
Cox Put Life in His Party
There, But 5000 G. O. p.
Majority Is Prediction.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

CHEYENNE, Wyo., September 28.-If
there are many more states like Wyo-
ming the sweeping prediction of repub-
not be far afield. Splendid republican
organization at work ever since last
January; democratic neglect and not
even a state headquarters established
at this late date-that tells the story.
Gov Cox himself put such life into
the democratic party as it has. Before
his arrival in the state the morale OF
the democrats was low. If his speech
did nothing else, it convinced the men
on the platform that they had an ag-
gressive candidate with a good case.
But the problem in Wyoming as else
where with the democrats is to get that
case before the Independent voters. The
republicans have in the last year or SO
secured control of an increasing number
of newspapers, so that today about
forty-five publica tons, the largest in the
state, are supporting Harding and only
eighteen are inclined toward Cox.
Cox Awakens Democrats.
The real trouble is that democratic
prospects got SO low last spring that
the leading democrats thought 1t
hopeless to do anything. They voted
didn't know much about Cox till he
got here the other day and made some
stirring speeches. The democrats grew
enthusiastic and privately said that
if the nominee could stump the state
thoroughly he could carry it. That.
however, is nothing more nor less
than a conviction as to the strength
Of the Cox argument If it could be
presented to all the voters.
The crowds greeting the Ohio gov
ernor were fully as large as those
President Wilson had a year ago.
Even republicans say a good word for
the nominees speechmaking and ad-
nit it made votes. But the republic
cans have such big handicap that
they are not bothered about the few
thousand people reached by one voice.
Democrats Yield State.
It is true that the democrats have
taken on a new lease of life, but they
have no money or organization and
some of the democrat chieftains
whose judgment given privately to
the writer can certainly be accepted
as accurate predict that the state will
go republican by 1000.
The republicans showed me their
canvass of the state, and while this
would indicate an overwhelming vic
tory. the most conservative of the re-
pubiicans place the probable majority
at 5000.
It will be recalled that Bryan car
ried the state IN IN iSSs 7Se ang Dy tha Soo @ yRa
son in 1912 won the electoral vote by
only 700. However, Mckinley carried
the state by 5000: Taft by about the
same figures in 1908. and Wilson by
5000 in 1916. Roosevelt alone carried
it by the record figure of 1000.
So it will be seen that an estimate
of four to five thousand for Harding
is about the normal republican ma
iority again. The reasons for the
shift from Wilson majority to
Harding are not hard to find.
A farmer-labor ticket is in the field
and will draw votes from the mining
camps that ordinarily go democratic
Much of the railway employees vote
will go democratic, and will, to some
extent, offset the loss of the miners
Rut on the ranches the fall in the
nrice of wool has revived the cry
for the tariff and Influenced stock
men to argue for a change of ad-
ministration as possible means or
relief from financial embarrassment.
Bankers testify to the depression
in the stock-raising business, and
blame it on the absence OF tariff
some of the same symptoms of dis
content because of declining wool
nrices were encountered in Idaho.
Democrats Get Blame.
Whether it is true or not, the fash
ion of the day seems to be to blame
everything on the democratic admin
istration. For instance, many stock
men are being led to believe that the
federal reserve banks are giving credit
to the cotton growers and discriminat-
ing against the sheep raisers. This
has been denied, but an impression of
a fact sometimes gets far ahead of
for voting purposes any way.
Unless there is a break in the re-
publican campaign and the democrats
Suddenly acquire wealth enough at
least to put a banner of their candi-
date somewhere in Cheyenne, the state
ca pital, the size of the republican VIC
tory may be a surprise to the repub-
licans themselves.
(Tomorrow's dispatch will deal with
the political situation in Colorado.)
...-l.A Fnan