Evening star., 1922-10-28
TURNOVER IN OHIO
/ DEEMED POSSIBLE
Symptoms of Protest Against
Administration Seen Among
the Voters.
GAINS FOR DEMOCRATS
Mistakes Made by G. 0. P. Man.
ayers Are Being Used With
Telling Effect.
GAINS FOR DEMOCRATS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, October 2S.-Ohio,
like Indiana. shows symptoms of pro-
test. not against Harding the man.
so much as the administration when
has failed to approximate the Utopia
dreamed of by an impatient elec-
torate as it threw OFF the shackles OF
eight years of democracy in 1920 and
called for change.
The writer traversed northern ONO
a month ago and noted evidence of
forthcoming reduction in the repub-
lican majority of 100000, but did not
gain the impression that a turnover
sufficient to elect the democratic
ticket was in the cards at all.
situation shows Change.
Today the situation is plainly diff
forent. The Washington administra-
tiou confessed its worry by sending
cabinet members here to speak.
Some of these cabinet members have
helped. but some have hurt. 1t was
very unwise. for instance, for the
Postmaster General to make tha.
speech which. in effect. said Wilson
and the kaiser had dictatortal in
stincts in common.
Politically it was unwise, however
convinced DR.. Work may have been
of the accuracy of his comparison
For when one penetrates Ohio one
finds the republican party filled with
former democrats who bolted in 1890.
Some of them have been disillusioned
and are going back. Many of them
would stay in the republican party
If not driven into the arms of the
democratic workers. Typical among
these are the former democrats who
still have a deep respect for Wood-
row Wilson and who are riled when
they hear of speech mentioning IN
the same breath one man who coun-
tenanced submarine warfare and
Zeppelin raids on innocent people and
another whose political maneuvers
may have been overzealously exc
Cuted. but who cannot be charged
with the crimes that the kaiser
wrought.
Cabinet Speeches Harmful.
The cabinet officers who invaded
Ohio might better have been kept at
home. They cannot overturn impress
sions formed by the voters after two
years of observation from day to day.
The situation in Ohio would have
been local IL the cabinet had not
intervened. 1t is essentially local. be-
cause the administration Of Gov.
Harry Davis republican. is hardly
popular and 1t took a strong man
like Carmi Thompson. republican
nominee in the primaries. to over
come the handicaps of his party.
Left alone, Mr.. Thompson would have
fought it out as well. if not better.
assistance. And whichever way the
governorship goes, so will the sena-
torial ticket go. Carmi Thompson
will pull Simeon Fess for senator
along with him if he wins, and. con-
versely, Vic Donahey will carry Sena-
tor Pomerene along il this is to be
: q democratic year.
Straw Votes Favor Democrats.
Two polls being conducted by news
papers of Importance in Ohio cannot
!. be overlooked in calculating the re-
suit. One is being carried on by the
Cincinnati Enquirer. owned by E. B.
Mclean, one of the intimates of the
White House circle. and the other by
the Columbus Dispatch. an independ-
ont newspaper Both polls show
about the same thing-namely,
democratic victory all along the line.
Reckoning on percentage basis and
taking into account the registration
of this and other years. the Columbus
Dispatch figures would seem to indi-
cate a democratic victory by about
100000 votes. Both newspapers have
conducted polls in other years, using
the same method of calculation. and
they have been vindicated by the re-
luTnS OH eleCtlOn Qdy.
When these straw votes are taken
to republican experts for comment
they invariably say it's a reflex OF
the wet and dry fight in this state.
Contrary to expectations, the refer
endum on light wines and beer is cut
ting a figure in this campaign which
will make the final results on the
governorship and senatorial contests
difficult to analyze.
View of the oNeutrnl Drvao
Here. as in Indiana, one cannot
overlook the sentiment Of those more
or less neutral drys who think law
enforcement on prohibition is often
carried to extremes and that modifi-
cation of the Volstead act would do
pie of prohibition.
Should the proposed amendment to
the state constitution be carried, it
would. of course, be an open ques-
tion whether the act of Ohio con-
hicted with the federal Constitution
and with the Volstead law. But Its
significance would be bigger than
that. AS matters stand now. Ohio
has state laws for the enforcement
OF prohibition. An overwhelming
would be interpreted as a mandate
from the people on the prohibition
question as a whole and a weakening
of the state enforcement machinery.
n situation which would be parallel
to that of New Jersey.
The wet and dry issue is compli-
eating the party fights. The demo-
Gratis will benefit by the wet vote.
II national issues had not been in
jected the state would have given
Carrri Thompson a good sized vic
tory. The republicans will be lucky
to win by 10000.
Quick to Blame Administration.
No matter what the result, the
democrats will be quick to say the
Harding administration has been re-
pudiated, for there Is little Likelihood
of a 100000 victory OF anything like
It. Had the federal administration
stayed out, as it did in the primaries.
il would have been easier to dismiss