The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-08-15
MISSOURI Is
PIVOTAL STATE
Attitude of "Show-Me'
May Be Decisive Fac
tor in Nation.
BOTH PARTIES ACTIVE
Women Not Yet Awake, and
Liquor Issue Overshadowed
by School Welfare.

ST LOI s. AUG. Political
activity 900 both tho republican and
democratic r8rtics point 10 "A hard
fight for supremacy in Missouri thin
fall.
Missouri ir pivotal state and the
republican uud democratic national
committee already arc nIuiioHtiug
"A keen interest iu ilo outcome. The
addition of Mi.apuriH IS electoral
votes fl tho republican ~ demu-
cratic columns may elect eithur
Harding pf Cox Tor president
Republicans are cnlsrEiug their
81. Louis headquarters and are pre-.
pairing to start NJ once the work OF
organization, without awaiting the
organization ~ tho new state com
mittco Septmber ~, the date pro
Vded undor the state primary law.
The democrats also are getting busy
and shortly viii open their main
headqunrtor7 ln 81 Louis. probably
In tho quarters occupied by Brock
inridgo Long. senatorial nominee.
zoo, 900 Women Voters.
Missouri women, estimated nj
about 200. 900. have tho presidential
tional organizations are trying 20
land the bulk OF thom. The party
most successful IN organizing the
women may land tho states electoral
ticket. The women virtually are un-
organized. Some work has boen done
by both political parties. but tho
great majority OF the women have
not boon reached. Women In the
rural communities arc Indifferent
and thousands OF women In the
cities huvo given no attention to
politics. The attitude OF the women
In the two state and two national
conventions indicate they viii do
their own thinking which puts II up
to tho political leaders TO present
superior claims for their suffrage
SO far as tho state tickets nomi-
mated at the recent primary election
are concerned, it ~ about "A toss up
between the two parties on the liquor
question. Except upon the national
ticket that issue viii figure little II is
thought, In tho election. Cox was
fought in Ohio by the Missouri Anti
saloon league In at least two of HIS
races for governor, but the National
Executive Board of Anti-saloon
league met In Washington tho nomi-
nations were made and publicly an
nounced after discussing the respec-
two attitude of the two presidential
candidates on prohibition, that tho
anti-saloon league win keep Its hands
off
Hyde and Atkinson Endorsed.
Arthur M. Hyde, republican nomi-
non for Governor, and John nj. Ad-
kinsou, democratic nominee, both
were indorscd by the antt-saloon
league before the primary and tho
majority OF both state tickets noml-
mated are known to be dry. .
Col. Dwight II. Davis. republican.
and Judge IL. ". Priest, democrat,
who opposed prohibition IN their
races for United States senator. were
defeated. Frank II. Farris. who ran
upon platform OF light beer and
wines, also was defeated, MS were
candidates I'm the Fourth and Eighth
congressional districts, who sought
congressional nominations on the
democratic ticket on moist platforms.
Presumably the anti-saloon league
has landed n majority of the legisla-
tive and state senatorial nominees
Only Hiram Lloyd OF ST. Louis,
republican and G. NJ. Buford demo-
crat, candidates for lieutenant COVER
nor who were opposed by the anti
saloon league, were nominated and
neither has a vote except there Is n
tie In the senate,
Neither Selden +. Spencer. repub-
lican senatorial nominee. nor Breck-
inridge Long, democratic nominee.
declared themselves specifically upon
the liquor question, and the anti
saloon league neither opposed nor
supported either. at least openly.
liquor Question Dead.
These conditions should eliminate
the liquor question AS an issue In
Missouri and permit the campaign
to bo fought out upon purely state
and national issues.
The dominant state issue is TO take
care OF the public schools, replonish
them with competent teachers and
TO raise tho standard OF education,
which is low Rs compared with other
progressive states of the union. Tho
only way to strike at the teacher
shortage. which is declared to be
serious in Misourl-perhaps more
so than in otherN rNstates-is to raise
the salary of teachers. and the only
way to raise their salaries is to vote
more taxes.
This issue then must necessarily
involve "A revision OF state Taxation.
a thing which has been kicked about
as a political football for the past
fur,pf ..FI.. l.4ra