The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-19
| OREGON BATTLE
IS ANTI-ALIEN
AND RELIGIOUS
ku Klux Klan and Patriotic
Societies Indorse Candi-
dates One Aspirant is
Against Bonus Bill.
PRIMARY WINS POINT
BY MARK SULLIVAN

ny Ms f1h
WASHINGTON, May 19.-Only on
one point will the Oregon primaries,
now in the limelight, give us the same
basis for clear deductions about the
political trend that the Pennsylvania
did. In the Oregon campaign a re-
l1gious element has been introduced
which obscures other things, not only
with regard to the governorship, but
also with regard to two of the three
congressional vacancies concerned.
One candidate in each case has
been indorsed by the local Ku Klux
Khan and by an anti-alien combination
known as the federated patriotic so
cieties. while another candidate will
be the beneficiary of the combined
strength of those elements which
ave been aroused by the activities of
the Ku Klux Klan and the federated
patriotic societies and are determined
to defeat them
One possibility of this situation is
that Oregon, which is normally
strong Republican state, may elect a
Democratic governor this fall. If the
candidate of the patriotic societies
should be nominated in the Republi-
can primaries, he will undoubtedly be
opposed in the fall elections by those
elements in the population against
whom the efforts of the Ku Klux KIan
are directed.
Religious Issue
In Oregon the voters of Jewish
Catholic, or alien stock are mostly
Republicans, and any detection on
their part next fall would be a serious
one for the party. Oregon is one of
three or four isolated spots in the
country where this religious issue is
obscuring everything else
In the three congressional primaries
being held in Oregon, there will be
one result which may give us some
light on an important public question
Congressman C. N Macarthur, of the
Portland district, took an anti-bonus
position when that subject was re-
Gently up in congress. He is now be-
ing vigorously opposed on this and
other grounds. The outcome may pro-
vide a rough test of pubic opinion on
this question. 1t is one of the sub
jects about which politicians are most
eager to find out what the majority
of the public is really thinking An
other of the Oregon congressman, N
J. Sinnott, is Catholic, and for that
reason is the particular object of the
attacks of the Ku Klux Klan and the
federated patriotic societies.
Al What Victory Means.
AS to the recent Pennsylvania pri-
maries, no words could possibly over
dent Harding and the Republican lead
ers are bound to take note of it.
The leadership and management of
the Republican party in the nation are
at this moment in the hands of men
who, while prevailingly "old guard
in sentiment. look upon it as means
of ascertaining contemporary senti-
ment and reflecting it.
For Harding, this rule works out
Strikingly in the progressive direction
He must see that the Republican par
ty in the middle west is being saved
by the farm bloc; that in Indiana, Bev.
eridge was preferred to his own friend
and that in Pennsylvania the progres.
sive Pinchot administered defeat to
the strongest political machine in the
nation.
Among other things, the result oi
the Pennsylvania primary is likely tC
give occasion for second thought tc
some Republican leaders who have
had it in mind to do away with the di
rect primary entirely and to go back
completely to the old convention sys
tenn without attempting any compro
mise course. In Pennsylvania it was
the direct primary solely that gave
Pinchot his opportunity. Under the
IT uSp6 tn hk
Pinchot would not have had a chance
To become governor of Pennsylvania
Another Reflection.
Another reflection that must occu
to Harding and the Republican man
ayers is that the selection of Pincho
IS a definitely measurable asset to th
&l.epublican party. The fact that Pin
chot will be the Republican candidate
for governor, instead of the machin
selection. makes it reasonably certain
that the Republicans will elect from
five to ten more congressman in Penn
sylvania than they otherwise woul
have elected.
If the machine selection had bee
nominated instead of Pinchot ever
competent political observer woul
have known today that with regar
to the governorship of Pennsylvanl
and also With I6SdAu W SCtOA a " -
congressional districts, Pennsylvani
in November would be doubtft
state. AS it stands. however, tn
Democrats have no chance. Pincho
will be elected governor, and the mex
two senators from Pennsylvania WI
be the Republican nominees, Davl
Reed and George Wharton Pepper
In the Pennsylvania primary ther
was a larger participation and actl'
itv on the part of women voters tina
has taken place in any other stal
since women got the franchise. I
those who voted, it was easily appa
ant to any one who was in the stat
that certainly three out of five, an
nrobatAv four out of five, of the W
men were for Pinchot. If the polll
clans can discover just what 1t IS
Pinchot and what it was in the Pen
svIvania situation that caused the W
men TO support him. with characte
istically feminine determination an
earerness, they will have added som
tbinr to their store of wisdom
A&Conyright, 1922, by the New YoI
Evening Post, Incl