Evening star., 1924-10-27
CONNECTICUT HELD
SURE FOR COOLIDGE
Failure of Democrats to
Name Smith Believed to
Have Ended Any Chance.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

ffAts foltD, CONN.,. oclODeT g.
Out West State after State showed
distinct friendliness to the McAdoo
cause and Democratic leaders said
f he had been nominated the Demo-
cratic party would not be third. Here
in Connecticut it is the other side
of the story. Had Al Smith been
nominated this would have been a
doubtful State.
The democracy Of Connecticut is
not exactly shirking its task. That
would imply something deliberate.
Far from it. The Democrats of Con
necticut have been disheartened and
while the leaders and organization
workers are laboring to poll n good
Democratic vote. for it has a bearing
on future campaigns. the rank and
file are dividing as between La Fol
lette and Coolidge.
The conservative Democrats are
turning to the latter because they
cannot swallow Bryan on the vice
presidential end of the national tick ct.
Other Democrats, especially from the
ranks of labor, are planning to vote
for La Toilette as a protest.
Opinions vary as to the probable
size Of the La Toilette vote in this
State. but most of it will come from
the Democratic party. anyhow. SO
far as affecting the result. the figures
viii have only an academic value.
Figures Hard to Translate.
Talking with some we'll infoEmed
persons from Waterbury, Demo-
cratic stronghold, the writer was as
sured that Davis would run stronger
than Cox did four years ago. This
might still be true. and yet the totals
in the State be less than Cox had.
H. Il
Davis votes W ill be difficult to make,
for the temptation is to add the La
Toilette ard Davis vote together to
get an idea of what the non-Coolidge
vote really is; but one cannot be sure
how many Republicans, especially
among the working men, will have
voted for La Toilette.
Al Smith meant something to the
Democracy of Connecticut. Labor
would have been solid for him. The
wet" sentiment, which is by no
means negligible, would have been
his. This is one of the States which
has no particular objection to Davis
in fact, he is admired by those who
have really studied his career, but the
masses look upon him somewhat as
they do an aristocrat-Some one apart
from them.
tions retains for him, of course, a
large number of woman voters who
feel they must constantly strjEe to
support that cause, irrespec'I<e of
whether it triumphs imm mediavely or
in the years to come. But among the
Democrats of Irish extraction there
is diSaffection because of the league
issue. 1t is not as intense as four
years ago. Then all the Irish vote,
with few exceptions, went to Harding
as a protest against the possibility
of American entrance into league
which was supposed to be obligat
to maintain the territorial status quo
of Great Britain as against Ireland
Since that time the Irish Free State
has become IL member of the league,
and, theoretically, at least, the mem
bers of the league are supposed to
help preserve the territorial integrity
of the Irish Free State against en-
croachments from Great Britain.
Republican Sweep Indicated.
But among the Irish there has been
d division, anyhow. There are those
who sympa thize with the movement
in Ireland for n republic by De Va
lera. They are likely to be found
voting for La Toilette. The sympa-
thizers with the Irish Free State
have for the most part returned to
the Democratic fold and if they are
straying this year it is because of
other issues. The league problem
may be said, therefore, not to be cut
ting as much of a figure as it did
four years ago.
The Democrats have not much hone.
however, of carrying through even
their state ticket and it is suggested
here and there that nominations were
made perfunctorily and without con-
fidence that much could be accomp-
lished. The Democrats are, never
theless, getting interested in the out
come of the special election on De-
cember 16, at which a successor to
the late Senator Brandegee will be
chosen. Republican organization lead
ers are at odds with Gov. Temple
ton, a Republican, for calling the
election, as they had hoped to dictate
a choice after the legislature had
been convened. A Republican can be
expected to win the special election
unless the SchiSm in the Republican
ranks leads to the nomination of
some one who will ALLEVIATE the In
dependent vote of the State.
Connecticut is Overwhelmingly Re-
publican and the majority vote for
Coolidge, while probably not as large
as Harding received, will be substan-
tial.
HoQzlght 122AA.---s..