The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-10-27
Mark Sullivan Sees Some Ebb
in Harding Tide-Says Cox
is Gaining Some Votes Since
Eastern Tour Began

National Political Correspondent OF The
Intclligcnccr and y. Y, Evening Post.
Washington, Oct, @7.--The campaign
has entered n new phase. That phase
is steady cbb III the Republican
strength and corresponding growth
in thx Democratic strength. The day
when IL began cnn be fixed with almost
mathematical certainty.
Cox returned To Dayton from his Ions
tour west of the Mississippi on Mon
day, Octber !. and began his campaign IN
the East on The following Thursday. 1t
was on that same day that Harding
made his first appearance west OF inc
Mississippi and delivered his Des MONIES
speech.
CoX's trans-Missssippi tour had been
devoid of results. At that time II WAS
possible Ia say. and il was said in this
correspondence that COXS four weeks IN
the West had not changed the conditions
in any State. and that he would not got
more than unc-fifth OF the electoral
votes in the eighteen States west OF tho
: issis>irpi other than those clasSed
az Southern.
hu, IN, date have mentioned marked
the hlgh tide OF Republican strength,
Whatever may be the exact result next
Tuesday, the Republicans must know
II Will not be as favorable 10 them,
clthcr in terms Df the popular vote or
the electoral vote. or in terms or the
number OF States carried. as II would
have been thrc" weeks ago. From tina
week when Harding crossed the MISS
iSSippi westward and Cox made gains
wherever he has appeared in the East
but also the echo of those gains has
reflected itself in hclterncnt OF MS
fortunes west of the MISSISSIPPI. /
have expressed ii in terms OF Con max
ing gains, and that Is accurate. Rut X
should he additionally expressed In
terms of the Republicans making losses.
Due to Des Moines Speech.
The chang" has been due quite largely
10 HARDING Drs Mnincs speech aud
10 the dIstastcful differences made by
between Senator Johnson aud eX-lresi-
dent Taft.
81 M. substantial quality Of the
change there can br no doubt. Cna
nJmc not fewer than four States and
many smaller communities which, on
October :. the dry OF the Dcs Moincs
speech. were safely Republican,. but
winch are now either probably Demo-
cratic or else IN the doubtful list. One
OF these States Is Itah.
In Utah there has been from the be-
ginning "A strong League sentiment.
When Wilson nrst brought the covenant
back from Europe "A mc"i!ng was h"id
in th@ Mormon Tabernacle III salt axe
CITY. william II. Taft Was the principal
scukrr and he gave the League an en-
thusiaStic endorsement. At the close or
tho meeting vote was taken, and out
Cf AN audience Of about 10000, II was
Said--prOhahly with cNaEgcratton, but
nrvrri hnlrSS with substantial accuracy
that $500 voted aye" and one voted
may" II cnn be- imagined how COM
munity which had once believed In the
League as strongly as this, md stlll be-
licvc sin Tho League with modiftcationS.
was shocked by thr newspaper head
lines tho day after the Des Moines
speech.
In Utah Senator Smoot is having the
hardest kind of Il fight. He Is the one
Senator that the Republican party in tho
nation can least afford TO lose. For that
IN" government business is such that
tn" country as whole can i'll AFFORD to
lose him. senator Smoots' attitude on
the League has been fairly acceptable 10
Utah. and II he loses he Will lose. not
because Of anything he has said or done,
hut because OF Hardng's Dcs Moincs
speech.
johnson Helped Tho Ebb
I have spoken as II Il were llardings
Dos MONIES speech that started the ebb
or the Republican tide. That IS true.
EUt that event alone would not hav"
been 80 marked In its effect il It had not
ho"n followed by tho speeches Of Sena .
tor johnson. in which Senator Johnson
harks back 10 tn" Des Moinrs uttcramcc
and pins Senator Harding down 10 It,.
On this point there Is testimony from
Western city.
"A somewhat critical condition arose
In .hc minds ~ large numbers Of people
when Senator Harding annearcd {" make
an outspoken declaration against all
leagues Of nations at De sMolneS. That