Evening star., 1924-03-16
OFFICIALLY. the eyes OF
America are turned to the
northwest. where presiden-
ffo1 >.>A>---~~ --l--l-


L., northwest, where presiden-
tial preference primaries
this week and next are expected
to give . pretty fair indication OF
what the granger states are think
tng In the matter Of candidates.
and party policies. The North Da.
kota primaries will be held next
Tuesday. and those Of South Da-
kota on Tuesday, March 25. 49,.
1t probably IL true that Senator
Hiram johnson Of California has
the most vital interest In the out
come Of these primaries! He Is
entered in both states. In North
Dakota 1t Is a three-cornered fight.
with rPresidsnt Coolidge and Sena-
tor La Toilette entered as rival
candidates. while In South Dakota
It Will be \ square test Of strength
between Senator johnson and the
President Even Senator Johnson's
most enthusiastic supporters must
concede that II he fails to make q
good showing in these states the
shedding will be rendered a lot
harder elsewhere. Reports have
been coming from California for
weeks that a great bulk of the
johnson following there is in
maries in the Dakotas have indi-
Gated the direction of the political
wind. prepared to climb aboard the
Coolidge bandwagon should it ap-
p pear that Johnson cannot make
the grade. There have como from
the Johnson camp denials that this
IS q correct Interpretation of the
CaI1I0Ynl0 hut 80 L.
has the merit of being logical I'm
doubtedIy q large and enthusiastic
number OF Californians are ready
and willing to follow Senator
Johnson through the agonies of
defeat. but that Is not the way Of
the run-of-mine Of politicians.
Dispatches to The Star from the
Dakotas report President Coolidge
as leading in both states. In North
Dakota Senator Johnson has two
handicaps. Tho first is his failure
to win the solid support OF leaders
OF the non-partisan league. and the
other is the candidacy Of Senator
La, Toilette. 1t Is true that La
Toilette sought to withdraw, but
his nameremains on the ticket and
In the very nature of things he
VIII attract a great many more
votes from johnson than he will
from Coolidge. The regular repub.
lican organization is solidiy be-
hind Coolidge. and with some Of
tne most prominent OF non-parti-
san league leaders supporting him
confidence in the outcome. When
it. il remembered that Senator
johnson carried North Dakota four
years ago, it Is hard to blink the
fact that 1t will be 2 blow il he
loses IT next Tuesday.
all this week touring South Dako-
IA, making final appeal for SUP.
port In the March IS primaries II
VIII be his second speaking trip
2 there this year. Coolidge manag-
ers assert he made little headway
as q result Of his first tour, and
profess confidence that it is now
LOO late to swing the drift from
: Coolidge. But they recognize that
the California senator is a power
on the stump, and are using the
strongest oratorical- talent avail
able to offset him. Interest. is re-
ported at fever heat, and IL the
weather 10 favorable there will be
. record vote.
y
The involuntary candidacy of
Senator La Toilette in North Dakota
will be watched with interest for
its possible bearing on the ques-
tion Of q third party ticket. His
North Dakota vote might, in fact,
be a determining factor. - If he
should fail to make a strong
showing in North Dakota, which IL
At the very heart Of radicalism
and farmer discomfort, 1t would
not be encouraging to third-paFty
prospects. But II he should, for
example, poll q larger vote than
that cast for Senator johnson 1t
would give the third party move
ment big impetus, as indicating
the possibility of carrying several
of the northwestern group of
states.
The third party movement. in
fact, Is already causing more con-
Germ to both republican and demo-
cratic national leaders than they
like to admit. Not, of course, that
they believe q third party could
make any large showing in the
election as a whole, but by carry
ing only two or three. states it
might easily throw the election
one Way or the other as between