Evening star., 1926-10-09
Weaning of Catholic Votes by
G. 0.P. One of a Labyrinth
of Political Issues.
MILL TOWNS LUKEWARM
"PROSPERITY" APPEAL
Butler Supporters Are Reminding
Workers That Tariff Tinkering
Will Make Matters Worse.
BY GOULD LINCOLN,
Staff CORRESPONDENT of The Star.


can be found than here In this mill
town. The capital of the Common
wealth, Boston, isn't a city, It's
labyrinth. Politics in this State seem
to be patterned after the same fashion.
The interjection Of the wet and dry
issue has upset the calculations and
has enhanced the maze in which the
political leaders find themselves.
Here in Lawrence. as in Boston and
other parts of the State, no one can
say, with any assurance, just how the
wet and dry issue Is likely to affect
the political fortunes Of Senator VIII
liam NJ. Butler, or former Senator
David l. Walsh. or the fortunes OF
Gov. Alvan T. Fuller. the Republican
nominee, to succeed himself. or those
of Col William A. CASTOR, the Demo-
cratic choice for governor.
Other Issues Loom Up.
But there are other issues in
Lawrence besides that of prohibition
which threaten to set awry the re-
suits of election. For many years
| Lawrence has been a Democratic
stronghold-indeed. it has been more
strongly Democratic than Boston or
any other Massachusetts city, for it's
size.
The organization of an Irish -Ameri-
can Republican Club" in which many
former Democratic off1ce-holders are
leading spirits, is one Of the elements
of uncertainty. This club boasts a
membership of 400. almost all OF
whom, in the past. have been in Office
as Democrats. Its birth. its leaders
say, Is due to the growing impression
among Irish-Amerjcan Catholics that
nationally the Irish American Catholic
voter has nothing to hope for from
the Democratic party. which is con-
trolled in Congress by the South.
where the aspirations of Catholics for
high Office are denounced, and where
the Ku Klux Khan is largely Demo
cratic. The American Association for
the Recognition of the Irish Republic
had it's birth very largely In 1920
right here in Lawrence. It's repre-
sentatives went to Washington to see
what could be done for De Valera,
President Of the Irish Republic. They
say they ran up against stonewall
in the shape Of Democratic Senators
and Representatives from the South.
They were aroused against the Demo
cratic administration, also, when Pres
ident Wilson advocated American en-
try into the League Of Nations. And
finally, they got an overdose Of
Democratic national politics in the
Madison Square convention in 1924.
They have become convinced that Gov.
AL Smith of New York, Catholic. has
no chance Of being nominated for
President because of his religion, and
they see no future for them in the
national Democratic party.
Eyes Cast Toward G. o. p.
Better to get into a party that is
not dominated by the South" was the
comment Of one Of the leaders OF the
Irish Republican Club today. He added
that the Democratic party, with Its
assault on the protective tariff. levied
in the interest Of industries Of New
England, Is no party for the men and
women who must make their living In
those industries.
These are the arguments that are
being fed to the Irish-Americans here
who have been strongly Democratic
in the past. The leaders insist they
are going to vote against Walsh and
for Butler in the senatorial election
in November. They say the rank and
Ale Of the organization will follow
the same course.
However, Senator Walsh is person
ally very popular in this city. He has
innunoerable personal friends here. 1t
is a question whether even the mem
bers Of the club now organized Will
not in the end vote as they have in
the past for Walsh. Indeed, there are
quite a few politicians here who insist
that this will be the case. -
Wet Vote Seen as Offset.
Granted even that a considerable
number Of the disgrunted Irish-Ameri-
cans will vote for Senator Butler, and
it Is doubtful whether they will. it re-
mains to be seen whether this disaf.
fection Of Democrats will not be off
set by wet Republicans, voting for
Walsh.
Lawrence is wet. 1t always has
been wet. 1t has voted wet with
great consistency and enthusiasm
whenever 1t had the opportunity.
Many Of the Republicans here are
English Americans, French Ameri
cans, Italian-Americans and Belgian
Americans. They had their social
clubs, where they drank beer and
wine in the days before prohibition.
They resent the dry laws. Their re-
sentiment Is SO strong that now they
have an opportunity to vote for
Walsh, a wet candidate for the Sen
makes 1t bad for Senator Butler.
Times have been bad in Lawrence,
as in other, mill towns In Massachu-
sets ITO talk Of prosperity here"
said a banker today, who is supporting
Senator Butler and the Republican
ticket generally. would be to cause
the merchants and the mill operatives
to sneer." So the Republican issue of
prosperity" doesn't go so we'll here
as in other States, or even in other
parts Of Massachusetts,.
Conditions Picking Up Now.
At the same time. this banker ad.
mitted that in recent weeks things
have been picking up in Lawrence.
One mill that has been closed has
opened. Others that have been oper-
ating only three or four days a week
are running now full time, and de-
partments Of some Of the woolen mills
are working nights. The cotton mills
are doing better than last Summer,
but not so we'll as the woolen mills.
Out of a population of about $4,000.
Sc 900 are employed in the mills. 1t is
easy to see how the shutting down or
curtailing Of operation has affected