The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-29
hrewd Politicians Making An Analysis of Cox and Harding Strength in
 Home State
By CLINTON W. GILBERT


 joan, and Edmond Moore, Btnager of his contest for the Elimination, an important in- Atences in the background
 paw, perhaps the cleverest politician on lear side is an Ohioan. Moreover. fairy Daugherty Senator Hardings for ner campaign manager. and perhaps the ost influential of the republican na- ,nal leaders is also an Ohioan.
 Ohio, too, is a pivotal state. Cox cannot yin without carrying it. Harding might 'o so, but is not likely to. Ohio has one democratic nationally in the last No elections, 1912 and 1916. and it has Hten into the habit of going demo- tic on the governorship, having elected " one republican governor since 1905. lis debatable ground, unless the revul- h of feeling against Wilson and ths Enocratic party is so strong that no Fthern state is debatable ground.
 ! FAIRLY TYPICAL STATE
 fhio. too, is a fairly typical state. It
 border state between the industrial
 an6 the agricultural west. It is an
 k,ultural state tending rapidly toward
 t5trialism. The farm vote is repup-
 N; the city vote is generally demo-
 Yc. The wet issue was sufficient to
 Cox governor the last time he ran,
 IS, when there was a definite trend
 Erd the republican party.
 It across the wet issue lies the
 que of Nations issue, as it does al-
 everywhere, the vets here being
 ely the Germans of Cincinnati who
 lanti-democratic on account of the s3ie. There is also a big progressive
 in Ohio. But against the league
 cuts across that, the progressves
 1Eally being strong anti-leaguers. 1 kE has thus the same job here thai hs all over the country to make the
 lie forget the league and Wilson in
 to really profit by the wet vote and
 Progressive vote to which he would
 his appeal and to lead the agri-
 .al vote to react less sharply than
 " does against further democratic
 N STRENGTH IN OHIO
 E. to man, Cox is probably strong
 Ohio than Harding. He is better
 Nh. He has been governor three 1
 and that means more in a state l
 4being a senator once. A gover- |
 Touches the life of state much |
 le intimately than does a senator, l
 Cox has made a favorable impress l
 on Ohio. But Harding's party is l
 Hger than Cox's party. It is the 1
 kitional party of Ohio. It is more l
 the party to which the whola 1
 stry inclines to lean because of it's | bcontent with the Wilson administra- 1 In. pn the one hand. you have a state |
 mind to reckon with. the state of | Ind of people who want to get | way from one-man government and | iom the party of Wilson. On the | her hand. you have personality to l ickon with. The person Cox, am 1 ltlous. energetic, bold. a force If not | fully developed force. The campaign l Ohio depends upon what the person 1 ox can do to the state of mind of the l eople. It Is not a good bet that the | lsrson Cox can, with Wilson sitting in | te White House reminding the public 1 what it wants to escape from, alter | ie public psychology.
 lBut there Is a chance. and Cox can 1 Z more right here in Ohio than else- i here, and anyway this is the place | '- him to begin. This is the political snter of the country. Past statistics | appen this time. Outside the state, | nd in IL, too, you are told by the {! artisians of each that that Harding Is | wonderful vote-getter. and that Cox | wonderful vote-getter. An analysis | the previous races fails to prove f. 1 -arding ran once for governor and l as beaten. He was elected senator y the big majority of 102. 1000. But l hen you inquire into that majority | becomes less impressive
 ANTT-CATHOLIC ISSUE His opponent was a man named Hogan. | ] the democratic primaries the anti atholic issue was raised against him. arding did not raise 1t in the elec- on. Harding plays the game of poll cs like gentleman, and is doing so day. But the anti-Catholic sentiment | tired up against Hogan by the demo- ats themselves destroyed him and gave arding his big majority. The year 1914 as moreover republican year. The 'untry had turned against Wilson, elect ! President in 1912. Cox himself was de- hted for governor in that year by Willis 5000 There is nothing conclusive bout Harding's l02.000 and there is noth- g conclusive about his weakness in the r hio presidential primaries this year hio did not believe Harding had much E rance to be nominated and they wanted support winner.
 Cox has been elected governor three 'ntests are curiously inconclusive about s vote-getting ability His first success - due to luck He became governor in IA when the republicans and progress VI split into two parties. He carried v state by 16S,000, which was 20.000 more lan Wilson's majority
 Tn . political mess such as existed at | Isf time majorities signified nothing. He ~ elected again in 1916. being carried rough to victory by Wilson. This time } ran S2.0ao behind Wilson and 4o.o00 be- ind Pomerene for senator. Cox's 5000 a1ority looks weak. but the story is tha. le republicans. realizing that the na- onal ticket was defeated in Ohio. spent l their energies on defeating Cox.
 REAL VICTORY IN 1918
 Al any rate there Is no sign of great ability in the first three ox races. His really impressive vic- ,ry. which made him a candidate for le presidency. came in 1918. This was republican year. The reaction against yiKson had started. The republicans ld4 year gained control of both houses Congress. after Wilson's famous e6sAge asking for a vote of confi- snce from the nation. The republicans II Ifried Ohio. but lost the governorship. II oa won by 12.000. It was decided by NJ wet vote in Hamilton county. Cin- nhati. which went for the republican lrldidate for state treasurer by 10000, we Cox l6.500 majority.
 . Q not certain that Cox can count
 6rentinued ep Pare Twol