Evening star., 1926-10-30

control in the executive mansion at
Albany. 1t will have the Empire State
we'll in hand, and the Republicans
completely disorganized. This is the
Democratic goal with 1928 in view.
The Wagner campaign managers
are counting on receiving the great
majority OF the votes Of German
Americans. Wagner came as an i'm.
migrant boy from Germany to this
country when he was 8 years old.
Much of this German-American vote
Is Republican. and much Of it Is wet.
and on both counts ordinarily would
go for Wadsworth. The Wagner peo-
pie also lay claim to the railroad labor
vote because Of Wadsworth's opposi-
ton to the Adamson eight-hour law.
Much Of the La Follette vote in New
York in 1924 came from the railroad
workers and their families. and La
Toilette polled upward OF 100000 IN
this State. Wagner is a. member OF
the Lutheran Church.
Republicans Have Hope.
Republican leaders insist that since
the State convention there has been
a great change among the Republican
drys-that they are coming over
more and more to the support of the
Republican ticket, including Wads-
worth Particularly. they say, this is
true among the men. The upstate
Republicans may be dry, 1t is said,
but first they are party men.
Furthermore, the Republicans In
sist that the Wagner campaign has
been ineffective. Wagner has been the
sideshow, while Gov. Smith has oc
cupied the middle ring In the big
tent. Smith and Wagner have been
speaking frequently to the same audl-
ences. Smith has had the lions share
of the publicity, and Wagner has been
of the also-ran type. He has been
dwarfed into insig gnificance.
Among the campaigners for Crlst-
man Is Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait,
head Of the National and 1nterna-
tional Woman Suffrage Associations
and honorary president OF the
League Of Woman Voters. She Is
speaking constantly for the inde-
pendent dry candidate. The women
who fought for suffrage have not
forgotten entirely the stand Whlcn
Senator Wadsworth took against the
suffrage amendment when 1t was be-
fore the Senate for consideration.
Referendum Victory Seen.
While this wet and dry fight Is
waging in the senatorial contest, the
wet and dry referendum on the bal
lots this year has been lost to s1gnt
to a very considerable degree. The
voters are called upon to say
whether they desire Congress TO
amend the Volstead act so as to per-
NIT the Individual States to specify
what is and what is not intoxicating
liuuor instead Of having Congress
determine this matter.
Under such modification or the
law, one State could permit the sale
of light beer, for example and even
wine of small alcoholic content.
The drys have assailed this referen-
dunn as unconstitutional and 1nef-
fective. The Anti Saloon League and
the Womens Christian Temperance
Union have advised their members
to concentrate upon the election of
dry candidates to office, i.e., to vote
for Cristman and against Wads-
worth. In view Of the attitude of
these dry organizations, 1t is ex-
pected that no more than wo-thirds
of the dry strength will be registered
against the proposal in the referen-
dunn. The victory Of the referendum
is almost a foregone conclusion.
Senator Wadsworth may win IN
the face of all the opposition which
has developed to him. He Is con-
fident Of victory. But the chances
for him are not overnight.