Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-14
Camba;gn Funds and Results

T WENTY-three days hence on November
4th, between 25,000,000 and 30,000,-
900 American citizens will cast their
ballots for President of the United States.
Four years ago the total popular vote for
Harding Cox, Debs, Watkins and Christen-
sen exceeded 26,500, 900. 1t seems fair to
assume that the total vote this year will be
greater than in the preceding presidential
campaign-an assumption that springs from
the belief that the interest in the outcome
this year transcends that of the Harding-Cox
campaign.
While it is true that Debs, who poled
nearly million votes in 1920 is not a can
didate this time, the fact remains that the
Socialists of the United States have indorsed
the candidacy of La Toilette, and it is be-
lieved that to man they will rally behind
the Wisconsin senator. Unquestionably, ALSO
La Follette's candidacy will draw to great
er or lesser extent from the normal Repub-
lican and Democratic vote. Many observant
persons who make a habit of election bet
ting have wagered large sums that La Fol-
1ette's popular vote will exceed 100000.
No person who has watched the progress
of the campaign and followed the course of
the several candidates, can escape the con-
clusion that John w. Davis will poll much
larger popular vote than did Governor Cox
four years ago. In the first place, Davis has
the support of militant party organization
in every state in the union, something that
wasnot enjoyed entirely by Governor Cox. For
another thing, the Democratic organization
is encouraged by situation that inspires it's
Ia fin Of hat
was not enjoyed by Governor Cox.
In 1920, it was a stand UP and knock
down fight between Harding and Cox In
1924, La Toilette occupies a prominent place
In the campaign, and La Toilette is a Repub-
liean. His candidacy has opened no old
sores or made new ones in the Democratic
organization. No prominent Democrat any
where in the country, barring only Senator
Wheeler, his running mate, has left the
party fold. But that isn't true of the Re-
publican organization, as instance the insur-
gency and open hostility to Coolidge by Re-
publican senators in the middle and north
west, notably Senator Smith w. Brookhort,
of Iowa.
1t seems idle to speculate seriously as to
which of the two major parties will suffer
can be no doubling that for every Democrat
ic vote La Toilette gets he will receive three
Republican votes, and in the western coun-
try, which is the battle-ground of this cam
paign, practically all of La Follette's
strength has been and is being recruited
from the Republican party. The Democrats
are doing just they did in 1912 when
Roosevelt was a candidate. They are "sit-
ting tight" in the confident expectation that
the bitterness of the internal trouble in the
Republican organizations may give them the
necessary pluralities in their states
It seems equally idle in this situation to
contemplate that Coolidge's popular vote will
be anything like as large as that received by
Harding four years ago. The Harding pop
ular vote established record. 1t exceeded
16, 90, 900, while that of Cox was 900, 900.
OF course the relative strength of Har.iag
and Cax did not fairly represent the rela-
tive su~ngth of the Democratic and Repub-
lcan parties. under normal condiGa2s, for
1920 ~as not a normal political year.
In connection with the 1920 campaign. it
is interesting and significant, too, that the
popular majority OF Harding over Cox pro-
portonately was far less than the funds dis
bursed by the Republican and Democratic
national committees. The Republicans ad-
mitted to an expenditure of So .9,729 as
against fund of only $1,S1S.274 that was
expended by the Democrats The C. o. P.
spent over four times as much money
The significance of the Republican victory
In 1920. in the light OF lis tremendous cam
paisn fund.- becomes the more impressive