The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-11-04
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Continued 4som first Ragsl

Republican leaders said they saw
no reason to change their prophecies
Of a majority in the electoral col
1ege for Coolidge running anywhere
from 10 to 176 votes, The first
figure represents their minimum
expectation, the last constitutes al
they possibly can expect. and would
allow Davis nothing but the solid
South that Cox carried and allow
La Toilette virtually nothing.
Democratic leaders are quietly
conservative. 1t would be untrue
to say that all of the Democratic
managers are confident of victory
because some of them are not.
With Coolidge sweeping the con-
SENTATIVE East and with La FOL
lekta setting the prairies afire N
the West some Democratic leaders
privately confess the Davis hope Is
a 1pfloFn one. But there are none
of them who consider his cause
homeless. and many OF them are
sincerely confident that the public
expectation of q Coolidge victory u
due for surprising shock.
La Toilette the Puzzle.
The whole question, say the more
Astuta Democratic leaders, simmera
Gown to this:
Glow strong 10 La FolletteY'
This Is the great enigma Of to-
day's election. And whoever can
supply the answer can predict the
outcome Of the balloting.
If, say the Democrats, La Toilette
Is confined to capturing his own
Wisconsin and perhaps North Da-
kota, and Coolidge runs the race in
the East that he L. generally ex-
pected to run, then the Davis case
is well nigh hopeless.
But, IL, on the other hand, the
tide Of discomfort and dissatisfac-
ton that is the. warp and wool OF
the Independent movement runs
wild in the West, spreads out over
the borders Of Wisconsin and North
Dakota, and sweeps down into Iowa,
Nebraska. and up into Montana,
Wyoming and Washington, then the
Davis cause is not hopeless, but is
a strong and militant factor, wheth-
er the election Is thrown into Con-
gress or not.
And If the election is thrown into
the House Of Representatives for the
first time in century. there are
Few Democrats who do not believe
that John w. Davis will b the next
President OF the United States.
1t is doubtful il any other single
individual in American political his
tory ever occupied such a potentially
vital position on election day as La
roulette does today.
Four States Close.
Democracy's hopes east Of the
mississippi river are conferred chiefly
IN q few States that might be called
pivotal and close.
indiana Is one, New JERSEY n
another. In both States the nation.
g! ticket has been helped by con.
0lGons that prevail locally,
In Indiana, always a doubtful
State, the Democrats have been
nelped by the Ku kIux Khan fight
over the State ticket, and the
TACT that the last Republican gov
efnor Is now occupying a cell in
Atlanta penitentiary. The Khan is
backing Ed Jackson, the Republican,
candidate for Governor, and this
TACT has alienated a considerable
portion of the negro vote which
has always been Republican.
In New Jersey, there is also the
KAN factor affecting the Republi-
cans, and what is considered by
some leaders more important, the
wet and dry factor. This latter
u lntertwined in the fight for the
senate between Edge, the Repub-
lean incumbent, and Donnelly, the
Democratic aspirant, who has long
been an opponent Of VolSteadism.
In these two States and in Rhode
Island and Delaware, both small
States, the Democrats believe they
have their best chance east of the
Mississippi and north of the Mason
Dixon line.4 OF course, they count
on the border States-Maryland
West Virginia, Kentucky Missouri,
and Oklahoma
Democrats See Chance.
Given these with the Solid South
and what they believe "a fighting
chance" at New York, due to q
labor drift away from La Toilette
in the Empire State, and the Demo.
Gratis say they win take their
chances in the electoral college or
in Congress.
The Republicans, Of course, con-
cede no such chances for the Dem
ocrats either in Indiana, New
Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware or
the border States. They claim West
Virginia, the home State of Davis,
for instance, by $4,000 votes. They
say that Davis will not carry q
singlo State east Of the river and
north Of the line.
Neither the Democrats nor the
Republicans will concede La Toilette
a chance in any State east of the
Mississippi, although they freely
anticipate, or rather fear, that the
popular vote which the Wisconsin
insurgent will roll UP in the great
industrial States of the East is
going to be enormous.
All except the most extreme
partisans among the Republicans
however, concede him a minimum
OF two States-his own Wisconsin
and North Dakota.
Progressive Claims.
With these as the bedrock founda.
ton Of the La Toilette structure
the Progressive managers are claim.
ing anywhere up to ten States
west of the Mississippi. They
claim Minnesota and her Southern
neighbor, Iowa. They claim South
Dakota and her southern Iieighbor
Nebraska, and then swinging north.
west, they claim Montana, Wyom
ing, Washington, Nevada and Cali
fornia. =
II these Progressive hopes are
realized, then an election by Con.
gress no longer becomes a posi-.
bility. 1t becomes a very probable
probability. The East alone can.
not elect a President That wa
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