Evening star., 1924-10-21
Democrats Likely to Elect
Governor Because of Split
Over Masked Order.
LA TOILETTE MEN HOPE
TO GET SECOND PLACE
Radical Sentiment in State Slight
and President Seems Very
Popular.
BY q. GOULD LINCOLN.
Staff Corresnondnnf of Ihe Star

BY q. GOULD LINCOLN.
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
INDIANAPOLIS, October 21.-In-
diana two weeks from today will func-
ton normally. delivering her Is electoral
votes to Coolidge and Dawes, unless
there should be a great reversal of senti-
ment in the meantime. This will be the
normal thing for Indiana to do, since. in
the last seven presidential elections
from the days of Mckinley and Bryan to
Harding and Cox, Indiana has gone
Democratic only once That was in 1872,
when Wilson won, due to the Roosevelt
Taft split in the Republican party, but
won by $4,000 votes less than the COM
bined strength of his two opponents.
But Indiana has been consistently
Republican on national affairs during
the last % years. Not infrequently the
state has chosen a Democratic gov
ernor and Democratic Senators, and this
year the Democrats stand a good chance
to elect their gubernatorial candidate.
not particularly because he is a Demo
crat, but because he is anti-Klan. while
the Republican nominee has the indorse-
ment of the Ku Klux Klan.
status of La Toilette.
La Toilette in Indiana, as in other
states, causes a certain amount of un-
certainty as to the outcome of the cleo
ton. But La Toilette in Indiana is cut
ting both ways into the Democratic ~
we'll as Republican ranks. He does not
have the organization in this State that
he has in some others. Partly this is due
to lack of funds necessary TO campaign
The prediction that Coolidge will carry
Irf IlrY hsas-.
ly made by leading Democrats and sup
porters of La Toilette. There is a grow
ing hope in some Democratic hearts,
however. that the same element which
is expected to make it possible for DR.
Carleton r. McCulloch, the Democratic
nominee for governor. TO defeat his Re
publican opponent. Ed Jackson, may
also make it possible for John w. Davis
to win.
Opposition to Khan.
If McCuloch is to win, there must be
Il considerable number of Republican
votes cast for him. The opposition to the
klan Is strong among many well TO do
and leading citizens in Indiana who vote
Republican ticket. 1t is exceedingly
strong among the negroes, who have a
voting strength of about $4,000. Now
the Democrats are hoping that a large
number of the negro voters will go right
down the line. voting a straight Demo-
cratic ticket, and thus cutting severely
into the Republican normal strength.
OF course, the Republican business men
who may not support Jackson are not
expected to vote against Coolidge. And
very large number of negroes will vote
for Coolidge, undoubtedly, although they
support McCuiIoch.
The so-called League of Independ-
ent Colored Voters is fostered by the
Democrats. 1t is holding meetings
in various parts of the State in op-
position to Jackson and in favor of
McCulloch, and the Democratic lead
ers are insisting that they shall go
right" on the national ticket as
well as on the State ticket. Sunday
afternoon the league held a meeting
here, attended by five or six thousand
negroes, at which anti-Klan and anti
Jackson speeches were made by their
leaders. William S. Lewis of Boston.
colored. former assistant Attorney
General of the United States, ad-
dressed the meeting, and strongly
urged his hearers to vote for Davis.
whom he is supporting for the presi-
dency. One colored man, with his
ears cropped close to his head, said
to be a deed of the Klan in Okla
homa, was exhibited at the meeting
Many of the colored voters. how
ever, are able to vote a split" ticket,
without danger of running their bal
lots and having them thrown out. The
Republican leaders feel confident that
the colored voters will not give their
support to the Democratic national
ticket from which they say negroes
can expect nothing. If the Demo-
Gratis go far in insisting that the col
ored voters shall vote a straight
Democratic ticket, it may Nhave the
result of throwing some of the col
ored voters back into the Republican
column on the governship.
In Indiana, President Coolidge Is
well liked, generally. The people
have respect for him. In this State
his veto of the bonus bill has made
him more friends than enemies. Some
of the members of Congress, who
failed to support the President on
this issue, are having their troubles
now. Nor do the people generally
believe that Coolidge is pro-Klan,
though that is an idea the Democrats
are endeavoring to instill.
Strength of Khan.
The klan strength In Indiana is
variously estimated all the way from
ZUU,UUU voters TO Many
the Republicans, who are opposing
Jackson because of the Khan believe
that steps must be taken to eliminate
the organization as a political factor
in the State.
IF eventually. why not now these
Republicans say. as they announce
their intention of supporting McCul-
loch.
Jackson was Secretary of State
when the Klans' charter was sub
mitted. He accepted it, holding that
under the law he was compelled to do
so. When Jackson's candidacy for
the nomination for governor was an
nounced, the Klan Immediately went
to work for him. The word was
passed around openly to work for
Jackson. He defeated a half dozen
other candidates for the nomination.
The former Republican governor,
Warren T. McCray, is now in the
found guilty of high and
low finance. He resigned last April
before he was sentenced. But appar-
emily his present position is having
little or no effect on the election. The
Democrats are laying considerable
stress on the labor provisions of their
State platform, which were written
in at the instance of organized labor.
But the real issue which has the
State standing on its ear is the klan.
(Continued on Page ia. Column q