Evening star., 1924-05-02
POLITICS SPOTLIGHT !,
TURNS ON DEMOCRATS
Speculation Switches With Certain
ty of Nomination Of ~
Coolidge.
--------~----- IL +.
McAD0o STRENGTH PUZZLES
Sudden Rise of Smith Also Closely
. Watched ~
McADoo STRENGTH PUZZLES
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The certainty that President Cool
i6Ge will be nominated on the Re-
publican ticket. has turned political
discussion here almost entirely to the
Democratic race, interest In which In
the last few days has bscome In
tensified through the activities OF
those favorins Gov. Al Smith Of New
York. $500, g., .,., =. .
Tho speech OF Senator willis. Re
publican. OF Ohio. challenging the
Democrats to nominate McAdoo and
warning them that the campaign
would turn on the fact that McAdoo
was Doheny's lawyer has furnished a
surprise. Hitherto the Republicans Is
have seemed to want McAdoo nom
mated because. they though ne was
easiest to defeat
They did not interrogate Linn ex-
tensiVely when he was before a Sem
ate investigating committee. as they
hoped to do more interrogating IL he
were the nominee.
MeAdoo strengtA PUSHES.
The growing strength of McAdoo in
several states has been puzzling to
the professional politicians OF both
parties. who have assumed that he
was already eliminated because he
served as a corporation lawyer and
received large fees.
But nobody here is assuming that
the Democratic nomination is assured
TO any candidate and the talk from
New YORK state about Gov. AL Smith
has really stirred up more comment
here in the last few days than any
thing else. The Smith boom is
frankly regarded as a serious one
and no two people engaged actively
In politics here seem to be agreed
about the direction the boom will
take.
Several Republicans are secretly hop
Smith. because they appreciate what a
complicated campaign would ensue.
Party lines might be broken by religious
ties bitter struggle would be bound
TO enSue with respect TO the wet-and-
dry issue. The friends OF President Cool
idge hope neither the religious nor the
prohibition issue will be raised Both are
hard to meet For example. in fighting
candidate like Gov. Smith his op-
ponents would have to lean backward in
proclaiming their lack of. religious
prejudice.
inc democratic DaTlS
that phase of the contest is causing
en- noarrassment today. Democrats
who favor Al Smith are saying they
think the only real opposition Is
coming from those who object to the
fact that Al Smith is Catholic.
that he is a wet" as being the sole
reason for opposition. Influenced as
they are by an admiration for the
New York governor and his vote
getting strength in the east. they will
or prohibition with much grace.
whatever the outcome, there is bound
to be a certain amount of disaffection,
All OF which Is not displeasing to the
Republicans.
Open Fight Desirsd.
Until recently the possibility Of
nominating AL Smith was dismissed
as absurd. In the last few days the
readinezs Of prominent Protestants
and -Tamnrany men like Frank
In D. Roosevelt TO take up the cud-
gels for the New York governor has
made politicians realize they will
cratic convention two big issues
religion and prohibition In. any
other year a night on religious pre-
tudices. would be frarkiy~regarded ed
by men of all faith aa unfortunate
but the persons who have been the
subject of criticism by such organi-
zations as the Ku Klux Khan are
aching for an opportunity to strike
back at their opponents and they
would like nothing better than an
open fight
Some OF the anti-Smith men who
are sympathetic with the effort of
Democrats to put through a platform
plank denouncinE the Ku klux Klan
think the most effective way to fight
that organization is not with a Cath
oiic, but with a Protestant The fight
that Senator Underwood of Alabama. is
making against the Khan Is pointed
to as much more convincing and efrec-
tive strategy and one more likely to
win wide support than a straight night
between men Of the particular creeds
denounced by the Ku Klux Khan
The nomination of Al Smith may
not come to pass. for various reasons
apart from his religion, but his sup
porters will probably not be content
until they have committed the Demo-
cratic national convention and it's
candidate to an absolute repndiation
of the Ku Kiux Khan. AT the mo-
ment the Republicans, with few ex-
ceptfons, are inclined to omit refer
ence to 1t in the party platform.
Copyright, 1924