Evening star., 1924-10-07
.LAF0LLETTEFEVER
NOW SPREADING To
SOUTH CALIFORNIA
Republicans of Los Angeles
at Work Like Beavers to
Save G. o. P. Vote.
PLEA MADE TO WOMEN
TO PROTECT STABILITY
Most Is Made of Fact That Inde-
pendents Are Under Social
ist Standard.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Stan Correspocdent of The Star.

M u. IoILD IINSOLN.
Stan Correspocdent of The Star
Los ANGELES, Calf, October Z.
Here in the Republican stronghold
of California, party leaders are work
ing like beavers to deliver the 13
electoral votes of the State to Cool
fdge and Dawes. Notwithstanding all
claims of victory, it would be futile
to deny that the La Toilette aggres-
sive campaign has thrown a scare
into them. A bitter fight is on. The
Republicans, well organized and with
the necessary funds to carry on the
work, now believe that they have
the better of the contest.
The confidence expressed by the La
Toilette supporters. however. is be-
wildering in its earnestness. To para
phrase Octavus Roy Cohen. Votes,
Mr.. La Toilette, u aint got nothing
else but in the opinion the Pro-
gressives. This confidence is express
ed not only by the leaders, but by the
rank and file. Not all of the La Fol-
lette support comes by any means
from organized labor in this State,
though perhaps it is among the
working men and women that he will
get the most votes. There are many
well-to-do people who are dissatis-
fed with things as they are. They
are giving heed to the charges of La
Toilette that the Government as well
as the industries and the finances of
the country are controlled by a
small group of men.
Friend of Labor.
The working men and women insist
fn Ia
Toilette because he is their friend.
They believe that in some way he
will help them. Those who are mem
bers of organized unions like his
strong opposition to the use OF in
functions in labor disputes. But many
of the workers are incoherent in their
support of La Toilette. For example,
a sturdy looking citizen, who has
been riding the range for the last
four or five months. and just now re-
turning to Los Angeles, points out
that the rich are against La Fol-
lette." This is an argument, in his
opinion, for supporting La Follette9
"All candidates are friends of the
working men before the election, but
we have tried out the old parties. 1
think we ought to give La Toilette
a chance"
Nothing very tangible, but just a
sample of the protest against exist
ing economic conditions found in some
quarters. AS a matter of fact. many
of the La Toilette followers are ia
natic-which eliminates reason to a
large extent Almost it is becoming
clash between the rich and the
poor, with the men and women of
moderate means dividing their sup
port between the two.
Relying ON Women.
The Republicans are relying in part
on the woman voters of California to
save the day for them. They are
preaching to the women, using the
text Coolidge or chaos" They figure
that the women, with husbands en-
ployed in factory or field, brothers
and fathers, and some with children
to care for, will desire economic
safety first and foremost The women
largely have to bear the brunt of
hard times, and a picture of good
times under Coolidge, with the re-
verse under La Toilette, is being
painted vividly by party workers.
Mrs. Florence Collins Porter, member
of the advisory committee of the Re-
publican national committee, is a
tower of strength in the Republican
campaign here. AS a matter of fact,
the women of California are pretty
well organized. They have many
women CLUBS tHTOuSnOul the Sldtc.
Mrs. Porter made one of the second
ing speeches for President Coolidge
at the Republican national conven-
ton in Cleveland. Twelve years ago
she was one of the presidential cleo
tors chosen by California-the first
woman elector ever chosen. She cast
her vote then for Theodore Roose-
Welt. She insists today that the old
Roosevelt progressives are for Cool
idge-though progressive as overland
against La Toilette.
Mrs. Potter believes that the women
of California will hesitate a long time
before voting for the socialistic tic
ket-which in this State is the La
Toilette ticket. More and more the
belief is growing here, too, that men
who otherwise might have voted the
third ticket will refuse to mark the
sociaIistic column.
Use Wisconsin roster.
A large poster put out by the So
cialist party in Wisconsin. with fam
ing red letters across the top, urg-
ing all to vote for the Socialist party
nominee, Robert NJ. La Toilette, is be-
ing displayed here by the Republi-
cans Why, they ask, do the La Fol-
lette people rebel at Senator La Fol-
Iette's being dubbed the Socialist can
State his own supporters are pro-
claiming it so noisily? The answer,
of course, is that in Wisconsin, where
the Socialist party is strong and
where the voters have been used to
supporting La Toilette over long
term of years, such advertising can
not have as disastrous effect as in
California.
Another factor which the Repub-
licans are relying upon to help them
carry Los Angeles, with its large pop
ulation, is the fact that this is an
"open-shop" town. The labor unions
have been fought to a standstill here,
and, while they exist, they are not the
power they are in San Francisco. La.
Follette's strength in the northern
city lies largely in the hearty in
dorsement which organized labor has
given him.
II La Toilette carries the northern
part of the State, as 1t is admitted
even by some of the Republicans that
he may do, the southern counties must
overcome this lead by substantial
Coolidge vote. 1t is this end of the
State which gave President Coolidge
the victory in the presidential pri-
., a rfea ovar Cauafor Hiram Johr rSon