Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-31
REPUBLICAN, HOPE
Of CARRYING OHIO
HURT BY CABINET 7.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ieased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(CoOvripht 1927

like Indiana, shows symptoms OF
protest not against Harding the man
so much as the administration which
has failed to approximate the Utopia
dreamed Of by an impatient electo-
rate as it threw off the shackles OF
eight years of Democracy in 1920
and called for a change.
The writer traversed northern
Ohio a month ago and noted evil
dence Of a forthcoming reduction in
the Republican majority of 100000
but did not gain the impression that
turnover sufficient to- elect the
Democratic ticket was in the cards
at all.
Today the situation is plainly diff
ferent. The Washington admins
tration confessed it's worry by send
ing the cabinet here to speak. Some
of these cabinet members have help
ed but some have hurt. 1t was very
unwise, for instance, for the post
master general to make that speech
which in effect said Wilson and the
| kaiser had dictatorial instincts 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
| 1920. Some of them have been dis
illusioned and are going back. Many
of them would stay in the Repub-
lican party if not driven into the
arms of the Democratic workers.
Typical among these are the former
| Democrats who still have a deep re-
spect for Woodrow Wilson, and who
are riled when they hear of speech
mentioning in the same breath one
man who countenanced warfare and
submarine raids on innocent people
and another whose political maneu-
vers may have been overzealously
executed, butSWho can not be charg-
ed with the crimes that the kaiser
wrought.
Better Kept at Home
The cabinet officers who invaded
Ohio might better have been kept at
home. They can not overturn i'm
pressions formed by the voters after
two years of observation from day
to day. The situation in Ohio would
have been local if the cabinet had
not interviewed. 1t is essentially To-
cal, for Governor Dawson, Repub.
lican, is hardly popular and it took
a strong man like Carmi Thompson.
Republican nominee in the primaries,
to overcome the handicaps of his
party. Left alone, Mr.. Thompson
would have fought it out as we'll if
not better than he could do with
Washington assistance. And which
ever way the governorship goes SO
will the senatorial ticket go. Carmi
Thompson will pull Simeon Tess for
senator along with him if he wins
and conversely Vic Donoahey will
carry Senator Pomerene along il
this is to be Democratic year.
Two polls being conducted by
| newspapers of Importance in Ohio
can not be overlooked in calculating
the result. One is being carried on
by the Cincinnati Enquirer, owned
by E. B. Mclean, one of the init
mates of the White House circle
and the other by the Columbus Dis
patch, an independent newspaper
Both polls show about the same
thing, namely, a Democratic victory
all along the line. Reckoning on q
percentage basis and taking into &C
count the registration of this and
other years the Columbus Dispatch
figures would seem to indicate q
Democratic victory by about 200 zoo
votes. Both newspapers have con
Quoted polls in other years, usin
the same method of calculation anG
they have been INDICATED by returns
on election day.
| When their straw returns are
taken to Republican experts fol
commenx- they invariably say it is c
reflex of the wet and dry fight il
this state. Contrary to expectation!
the referendum on light wines anC
beer is cutting a figure in this cam
paign which will make the final re
suits on the goVernorship and sena
|
Here, as in Indiana, one can no
overlook the sentiment Of thos
more or less neutral "drys" VIII
think law enforcement on prohibi
ton is often carried to extremes
and that a modification of the Vol
stead act would do no harm to tn
fundamental principle of prohibi
ton.
Mandate From People"
Should the proposed amendment
to the state constitution be carried
tit would, of course, be an open ques
ton whether the act of Ohio con
f1icted with the federal constitution
and with the Volstead law. But it
significance would be bigger thai
that. AS matters stand now Obi
, has state laws for the enforcement
of prohibition. An Overwhelming
victory for the beer amendmen
would be interpreted as a mandat
: from the people on the prohibition
question as a whole and {. weaken
ing of the state enforcement machin
! cry, a situation which would be par
allel 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
If national issues had not been in
; jected, the state would have give
Carmi Thompson a good-sized vic
, tory. The Republicans will b
lucky to win by 100000 No matte
what the result, the Democrats vii
be quick to say the Harding admin
istration has been repudiated TO
there is little likelihood of a 400, 90
3 victory or anything like it. Had tn
: federal administration stayed out, a
: it did in the primaries, it would hav
: been easier to dismiss the matte
: with wave of the hand and a com
/. ment on local issues
: Now the chances are that the Obi
( returns will be used not merely b,