Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-09
REPUBLICAN SWING
To DAVIS IN IOWA
SEEN As POSSIBILITY
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
lccial Leased Wire to The Journal-Col
right 1921


SIOUX CITY, Iowa, Oct. 8.-This
is a city in which the viewpoint of
three neighboring states, South Da-
kota, Nebraska and Iowa, tend to
converge, and the amount of La
Toilette sentiment noticeable is an
outstanding characteristic.
1t may be because in this region
the agricultural depression hit its
hardest blows. Possibly it was be-
cause land speculation and other
economic errors found more victims
here than elsewhere. Anyway, there
is distinct administration
tone to the situation and President
Coolidge is obviously on the defen-
sive.
The result Of the balloting in these
three states should be examined
after election day for reasons other
than the tallying of electoral votes.
If the combined Democratic-La Fol
I'1ette vote should exceed that of
President Coolidge, the senators
from this section will feel encour-
aged to keep up their differences
with the administration. Should the
president, however, poll a major
ity of the votes, he can feel that his
administration and conservatism
generally have been approved. 1t
| may have a bearing on the vitality
of the farm bloc in the next con-
gress.
While there is much talk about
La Toilette, and unQuestionably the
protest vote will be large, the ques-
ton now is how big a lead will the
Wisconsin senator get in this end
Of Iowa where organized labor and
farmers are contributing so ma
terially to his cause. The informal
polls take nshow President Coolidge
in the lead by La Toilette a close
| second. If western Iowa alone we're
to decide the result, it might be a
simple matter to reach a conclusion,
but the other sections of the state
must be canvassed in order to form
an intelligent estimate. The writer
proceeds to Des Moines tomorrow.
Not All for BrOoIlhart
There are, however, certain signs
in this part Of Iowa that Senator
NOANAhtNLS
all the Republican voters and that
his outspollen denInciation of the
Republican vice presidential nomi-
nee will cost him some regular votes
he might otherwise have gotten.
Several conservative Republicans,
for instance, are openly saying that
they intend to vote for Dan Stech,
the Democratic candidate for United
States senator. If Mr.. Brewer had
kept out Of the independent Repub-
liGan column, undoubtedly Senator
Brookhart would have had his lead
in the state cut down.
The Republicans who favor Brook
mart, on the other hand, are not all
of them hostile to President Coolidge.
1t all depends on how many Re.
publicans can be carried along by.
Brookhart to the La Toilette col
umn. Still the Republican majority
in this state is so big that the party
would have to be split fifty-fifty to
make Iowa go for La Toilette,
though a coalition of Democrats and
La Toilette votes might be sufficient
to squeeze the state for the third
party candidate.
Most of the Wel1-informed men in
this end of the state concede that it
Is a defensive struggle with the
contest so close as to make the out
come largely a matter of conjecture.
For one thing the reaction to the
Brookhart attack on Coolidge has not
fully developed. The next two weeks
may see a distinct cleavage between
Brookhart and La Toilette on one
side and Coolidge and Stech on the
other.
John w. Davis opportunities to
carry Iowa lie entirely in possible
change of sentiment in the last
weeks Of the campaign. Should it
become apparent that La Toilette is
going to carry Iowa, many Repub-
leans may turn their votes to Davis.
Almost anything might happen in
Iowa.
South Dakota Close
South Dakota IS another close
state. The Democrats have an ex.
ceIlent chance there to elect as
united States senator u. G. Cherry.
Seven candidates are opposing Mr..
Cherry. Four Of them are for Cool
ldge and three are non-partisan
leaguers. In a state which has eight
candidates for United States senator.
any single man who can keep a nu-
cleus together has the best chance
to win. That's why Cherry's chances
are excellent. The Democratic vote
IS relatively small, however, and be.
fore the end of the campaign Cover
nor McMaster, a radical who is SUD.
porting President Coolidge more or
less perfunctorily, may capture the
lead
There is another reason why South
Dakota is unique. The third partv
has had long start there. AS in
Minnesota, a Farmer-Labor nartv
mas sprung up. But the Democrats
VINO were forced into third place bv
the situation in 1920 moved back into
second place in 1922 when the Re-
pubhcans po1led about $4,000. the
Democrats $1,000 and the third party
4O,oOO votes. La Toilette seems to
be assured Of a consolidated supnort
Notwithstanding the distributed Of.
LOTT OF the seven senatorial candi-
dates.
The race is between La Toilette
ana COOLIDGE in South Dakota with
the situation so arranged on account
OF the loca Interests that Mr.. Cool.
loge has fairly good chance of car.
rylng the electoral vote.