Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-24
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
COLUMBUS, Ohio. October %
Events of the past week have had
a SOLDERING effect on the republican
leaders here, confident of victory IN
the state next month and inclined
to iollify over the result in advance.
Though probably neither overconh-
dence nor anything else could turn
the prospective republican victory
info defeat. realization on the part
~ The republicans that their ancient
enemv is by no means dead Will IN
all probability prove a gooo thihs
for them.
Mr.. Bryan, who has always appealeo
atronriy to the people of Columbus
vas ever greeted with SO large an
audience as that which welcomed GOV.
Cor when he spoke few days ago
at the Coliseum on the Ohio state ialr
grounds And their enthusiasm ielt
nothing to be desired by the speaker
in that regard. The meeting was
nieasant surprise to the democrats,
and to the republicans 1t was aston
ishine. Local Chairman James ROSS
was severely criticised by many OF ms
associates for staging the meetins;
which was the second to De aooresseo
nv the governor here since the cam
paien opened, in the Coliseum. when
stands on the state fair GROUNDS
three miles from the downtown as
trict. 1t was too far out, they salo;
People would not go so Tar 10 attend
the principal speaker was one that
thew had often had the opportunity 10
hear before.
Thousands Turned Away.
The Coliseum is a large building
with a seating capacity of $4,000 ana,
with the arena also filled as 1t was
the night Gov. Cox spoke, capaDie
of accommodating 5000 more. Inc
chairman's critics predicted tnat tne
audience that would face the gov
ernor there would in that vast cham.
her look like a corporafs guard ana
cause chagrin both to the speaker
and to the party management GoN.
Cox. it is known. felt the same way
about it, but did not insist tnat nus
judgment should prevail over tnat
of the local party management. Inc
Governor was late in reaching Co
iumbus, and before going to the meet
ing visited a throat speclahst, SO
the meeting opened late. But long
before the time for the meeting 70
onen the Coliseum was densely filled
and several thousand persons were
turned away, unable to gain admfs-
sion. ..;
in the meeting. There was neitner
red IRE nor the booming OF cannon:
There was. the inevitable parade OF
local clubs, but it was of such small
proportions as hardly to attract at
tention in the streets. Nor hao tnere
been any extensive advertising OF the
meeting. The only feature tnal couio
have been expected to pique the at
tention of the people and attract
them to the meeting was the state
ment of Chairman Ross. carried In
the newspapers the day before. to the
effect that Gov. Cox had something
up his sleeve" to give to his hearers
AS a matter OF fact he drew nothing
surprising from his sleeve.
He made an earnest and enect1Ve
address. but outside of the meeting
itself there was nothing notable
about IL Naturally it has set people
to thinking that perhaps after all, in
spite of the apparent apathy of the
people in the issues of the campaign.
there is a deep interest in them-too
deep for the ordinary modes OF ex-
preston.
Evidently the republican leaders
here are bordering this. and the first
indication that they are unwilling to
let the matter stand as it is, with Its
inevitable psychological effect on the
public mind without an effort to undo
same Coliseum they will stage meet
. ing for Senator Harding to address.
The date set is the evening of the 30th
instant, and it is already announced
as a grand closing rally and cam
paign closing. The democrats made
their meeting a purely local one. but
the republicans are announcing theirs
as a state campaign closing and will
probably invite clubs and delegations
from other central state cities and
towns.
Interested i'm Economic Conditions.
The remonstrance on the part of
the element of the republicans in this
state who are in favor of the principle
of the league of nations-if not the
league as proposed in the Versailles
treaty--to the declaration. of Senator
Harding in his Des Moines address
that he would scrap the league" has
largely died down, and with the state
ment in the senator's favor by the
thirty-one intellectuals who wish to
have some kind of league it looks
now as though that declaration on the