The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-01
COX'S FIGHT FOR
NEBRASKA UPHILL,
EXPERT DECLARES
Declares DistruSt of NOmi-
nee's Views on Prohibition
Works Against Confidence
in Brightness of League.
PA BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Correspondent Of the News
49, Ce;ra;kanN

OMAHA, Neb., Oct. NEBRASKA
has had the same layer of Republic
can confidence spread over its electo-
rate as has obscured the Democratic
chances of other states. Governor
Cox's visit made some. votes. but
mostly 1t revived a moribund organi-
zation, though the task of achiev-
ing victory in Nebraska In the re-
naming weeks of the campaign is
An uphill climb, with the prospects
That the summit cannot be reached
in the short time available between
now and election.
Democratic confidence in the right
ness of the league of nations issue
is abundant, but with many of the
voters who favor the league there is
a conspicuous distrust of CoX's views
on the prohibition question. They are
dry in Nebraska and Bryan's influ-
ence is strong on that phase of the
campaign. On the other hand, the
wet elements in the state are pre-
dominantly German and Irish, both
Of which groups have a grudge
against Wilson and Cox on the league
Of nations and the foreign policy.
Gets It Going and Coming.
So the Democratic presidential
nominee gets it going and coming in
Nebraska. There will be a saonsid-
cradle number who will vote Tor Cox
because he appears more friendly to
the league of nations than Harding
But the other groups, who are OPP
posed to the league, will be suffi-
cient, with the dry vote, to insure
q victory for Harding.
Governor Cox received an unusual
ly impressive welcome in Omaha. The
city and county is wet and the fight
for the league of nations has been
Successfully waged by the Omaha
World Heraldh owned by Senator G..
NJ Hitchcock.
Governor Cox's audience and the
reception he got was as big as any
thing Wilson or Bryan received in
recent years. And the governor made
a big hit with his crowd. He was
not slow to draw questions from his
audience-his handling of hecklers
has always been adroit. Every now
and then a crowd shouts its disap-
proval of Interruptions and calls Of
put him out" are hurled toward the
section of the hall where the in
truder sits With wave of the hand
and generous smile on his face,
Governor Cox Gains his audience and
says This is a free country and l
believe in free speech. Let the man
have his say" This wins a roar of
approval and applause
Naturally, Governor Cox is making
capital out of the fact that Senator
Harding failed to give his protection
at Baltimore to a heckler and did
not protest when the chairman Of
the meeting took Avote about GUST
ing the interrogator. The incident
will hurt Harding to some extent.
But hardly anything can hurt
Harding's chances Of carrying this
state.
The press is friendly to Cox, but
the elements. with a grudge and a
desire for q change are numerous.
Enthusiasm for Harding himself is
conspicuous by its absence. Yet Re
publicans who tell you this say that
with the women voting the majority
for Harding will be in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000,
Estimates on Majority.
Democrats who know the state
well, but who, of course. can not be
quoted. told the writer they would
not be surprised If the Republican
majority was as large as $4,000. Nor
mally they would expect a 10000 ma
jority, but the women vote is counted
upon to double the ordinary Republi-
can margin.
Although Gov. Cox's visit made
friends, a fair example of the Ne
braska situation is afforded by the
attitude of a newspaper like the Ne
braska Journal, which is a stanch
advocate of the league of nations,
but takes the Democratic nominee
to task for his failure to say un-
equivocally that he will not weaken
the Volstead act and criticises Hard
ing for not coming to Lincoln, though
he plans to speak at Omaha, two
hours away.
For the present." says the Journal,
which is published in Mr.. Bryan's
home town, I'VE must compare the
Cox seen with the Harding heard
about and the familiar figures of pre-
vious campaigns. No one will dis