Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-07
MONTANA POLITICS
: BADLY MIXED WITH
]: NO NATIONAL ISSUE
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journel.)
Copyright, 1927

HELENA, Mont, oct. o.-P0llJlcS
IN Montana, as in Iowa, Wisconsin.
and North Dakota is topsy turvy.
Persons-and not parties-are DOM
5nant. There are no national issues.
Whether man labeled Republic
an or another labeled Democrat goes
to the United States senate turns on
) state issues and here, as in North
Dakota, the Democratic candidate is
conservative while the man who
won the Republican primaries Is
tied up with the radical elements to
such an extent that old line Repub-
licans will be found supporting the
Democratic ticket in large numbers.
>, Speaking Of persons instead OF
parties, Governor Joseph Dixon is
responsible for the upheaval in Mon
tant. He will be remembered as
having represented this state in the
United States senate and as one of
the original insurgents who managed
Colonel Roosevelt's pre-convent1on
fight for the presidency in 1912. He
was elected governor two years ago,
on the regular Republican ticket. Hs
won many Democratic votes because
he was considered a conservative as
compared with B. K. Wheeler, for
mer United States attorney, who with
the help Of the Non-Partisan league,
became the Democratic nominee Tor
governor.
{. Today Mr.. Wheeler is running for
the United States senate and the
old line Democrats are behind MIN:
Although he had a background OF
-sadicalism to overcome, he sat down
with the regular Democratic organ
ization and a platform was formulat-
ed which is eminently satisfactory
not only to conservative Democrats
but conservative Republicans. This
is because the Democrats have eX-
amined their platform at Governor
.Dixon's taxes policies, as far as con-
-servatives are concerned, stamp Mr..
Dixon as more of q radical than
they thought Mr.. Wheeler ever could
be.
Dixon Is Storm Center
= The fight here is really pre-Dixon
or anti-Dixon. The governor has
made up his mind to levy heavy
taxes on the mining industry, and
is\attempting to justify his action
on the ground of increased expense
in running the state. The Demo
cratic candidates right down the
line, with one or two exceptions.
Former Congressman Evans, Demo-
crat, is one of the exceptions. He
has Endorsed the tax program Of Re-
publican Governor Dixon.
To add to the confusion J. W.
Anderson, who polled about 10000
votes out of 10000 in the Republican
primaries for United States senator
purely on the platform of dissatis-
faction with the Harding administra-
ton has carried his antipathy to
President Harding so far as to an
nounce that he will support B. K.
Wheeler, the Democratic nominee
for the senate.
Carl Riddick, the Republican nomi-
nee for the senate, was a minority
choice in the primaries. While he
came from the ultra-radical group.
and was member Of the Non-Parti-
san league, he poses as conserva-
tive and the friend of President Har-
ding. Governor Dixon is quietly
keeping out of the senatorial fight,
but the expectation is that he and
sRiddick will sooner or later get to-
gether.
Mr.. Wheeler's chances of victory
lie entirely in a coalition Of Demo
Gratis Of both progressive and con-
sentative inclinations, regular Re
publicans and all those who will vote
for state candidates who are opposed
to the Dixon tax program. In the
primaries Mr.. Dixon's men won the
Republican nomination in half the
number of legislative districts.
= Here, as in North Dakota, the
voter will have to- do a good deal
of scratching to accomplish his pur-
poses. Instead of voting for or
against the non-partisan league, as
was the case two years ago, the eff
fort is to support or destroy
sDixonism. Governor Dixon nas
built up quite powerful machine,
not unlike that of La Toilette in
Wisconsin, and Hiram Johnson, in
California
Walsh Up Again
,~ 1t Is supposed he wants to go
back to the United States senate
two years hence when Senator
Walsh, Democrat, will be up for 70
election. Although the Republicans
polled 10000 votes, and the Demo
Gratis only half that number in the
recent primaries, there is a divided
opinion as to the meaning of the
result. Some hold the view that
the overwhelming Republican adj
ministration will mean the election
of Riddick, Republican, as United
States senator by a comfortable
margin. Others insist that, owing
to the splendid harvest, thousands
of voters didn't have time to go to
The polls in the rural districts and
that many who voted in the Repub.
Iican primaries did so out OF per-
Eonal friendship fer the many can
didates entered in that race.
One thing is clear in Montana.
The wave of dissatisfaction with the
Harding administration, which is
noticeable further east, has hard
" produced a ripple in Montana. It
IS true many Democrats who desert
ed their party in 1920 because OF
their opposition to the League Of
Nations have gone back to de-
inocracy's ranks, but it is very good
strategy for a Republican here to
point with pride to the Harding
policy and solicit votes on a stand
ty-the administration platform.
.a This state was carried by Wood
row Wilson in 1916 by about $4,000
votes. It went for Warren Harding
in 1920 by about the same majority.
The pendulum swings from one
party to the other.
State issues will diminish the
Republican majority and may even
send Wheeler, Democrat, into the
senate, though the chances are
rather against such an outcome.