Evening star., 1920-06-16
ST. PAUL REACTION
|SFAVORABLEF0R
HARDING CHANCES
But as a State, David Law
renee Finds Minnesota Is
''OOubtfuI."
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


81. PAUL, Mimi, June 16.-First
Impressions are not always conclu-
sive- but the reaction of this part of
Minnesota to the nomination of Sem
ator Harding is on the whole rather
favorable. And yet reasons entirely
apart from the personality of the
ONO senator make it possible even
at this early date to write Mime
sofa down IS a doubtful state
FOR the truth is the non partisan
league has practically taken posses-
sion of the republican party in Min
nesota and the leagues candidate for
governor In next weeks primaries is
regarded even by opponents of the
league as certain of nomination. Now
the non-partisan league was very
friendly to Hiram Johnson and this
state was for Johnson. Mr.. Harding
is not acceptable to the nom partisan
league because of his conservatism
and with the elimination of Johnson
the leagues vote probably will go
toward Senator La Toilette or who
ever happens to be the nominee of
the party soon to be started at Chi
cago by the famous committee of
forty eight.
Indeed, if the Nom Partisan League
captures the republican primaries in
the gubernatorial race democrats and
republicans alike who are not in
sympathy with the philosophy of the
Non Partisan League will be urged
to use their strength in support of
the democratic candidate. With a re-
publican state ticket favored by the
Non-Partisan League and a demo-
cratic state ticket supported by all
be divided into three parts. which
means that the normally large re-
publican vote could easily be split
so that no section of it would be as
big as the normal democratic vote
and the democrats might win the
electoral vote of Minnesota.
Depends ON Primaries.
Much will depend upon the out
come Of next weeks primaries, but
1t Will not be forgotten that this is
Roosevelt territory and Johnson was
prime favorite, and that in 1916
Woodrow Wilson fell just 397 votes
short of overturning an overwhelm-
ing Roosevelt majority and taking
the whole state from Hughes.
The conservatives in the state, on
the other hand, are rather glad that
Johnson was beaten, and they are
confident Senator Harding need not
worry about the outcome in Novem-
ber. Many Irish democrats are deeply
grieved over Johnson's defeat. They
are among the most bitter critics of
the Wilson administration and were
all prepared to enter the republican
party. Just where they now will go
is hard to say. but 1t is doubtful il
they will vote the democratic ticket
unless something concrete is pledged
toward the cause Of Irish freedom.
And if they do not vote the demo-
cratic ticket. they will probably be
found supporting Mr.. La Toilette or
the Hearst ticket if there is one
They received a rude shock by the
omission of an Irish plank from the
republican platform and are now
will promise at San Francisco.
Bringing Wet" Candidate.
The wet and dry issue will also
enter into ST Paurs decision. This
is a town of decidedly moist procliv-
tiles. In all probability a democrat
will be sent to Congress, for one of
the democratic aspirants has an
nounced himself on platform which
he himself calls ringing wet" Any
such statement or hint Of the same
thing by the head of the democratic
ticket would win votes here, though
it would lose votes elsewhere in the
state.
johnson would have been an ideal
republican candidate for Minnesota He
was damp enough and radical enough
and anti-Wilson enough and anti
league of nations enough to catch
most everybody. This state started
out very favorably inclined toward
the league of nations. Reservations
were, of course. advocated by repub-
lican newspapers. few Of whom saw
any terrible menace in the idea of a
league. But Hiram Johnson came up
here and started things in the op-
posite direction.
Opportunities to Harding.
Business men and conservative DEM
ocrats and republicans see great op-
portunities in the election of Harding
Radicals, and they are numerous here.
see only confirmation of the methods
of the "capitalistic" regime. which
they palaver about so often here
abouts. The call the republican "old
guard who chose Harding, the real
minority trying to rule the majority
Conservative democrats and repub-
licans fully expect a Harding victory
throughout the country. The reaction
against the Wilson administration is
even greater than it was year ago
The request for mandate over Ar
menia, judged by the public sentiment
here at least. was an ill-advised move.
1t was looked upon as proof of the
argument that the league of nations
meant the sending of American troops
abroad. The democratic presidential
nominee Will have to give convincing
evidence of an intention to steer clear
of internationalism to hold the demo-
cratic vote--and, as said before, hold
ing the democratic vote of 1916 might
mean democratic victory here IT, as
seems likely, the republican party is
split by the Vaccinations of the Nom
partisan League.
Copyright. 1901