Evening star., 1926-10-27
DEMOCRATIC HOPES
GROW BRIGHTER IN
5wEs1ERN STATES
Continued from First Page.)


Iowa has been discussed in detail
by this writer in earlier dispatches.
Former Gov. William r.. Sweet. Dem
ocratic nominee. appears to have the
edge over his Republican opponent.
Charles W. Waterman, though this
is denied by the Republican head
quarters. where 1t is expected that
Waterman will win. Representative
Harry Hawes. Democrat also looks
a winner over Senator George II. Will
States. however. the fight is very
keen. and 1t IL not beyond the bounds
Of probability that the Republica MS
will yet win.
Senator Curtis, Republican leader
of the Senate, is regarded as certain
to defeat hts Democratic opponent,
Charles Stephens. in the Kansas race,
and Col. Smith w. BrOokhart, former
ly insurgent Republican, but now
gathered to the bosom Of the Repuh-
lican State organization, is expected
to win over Claude X. Porter,
Democrat.
Senator Reed Smoot. veteran Re
publican leader of Utah, is said to
be safe for reelection. His Democratic
opponent is Ashby Snow. Smoot has
been a constant defender of the Re
publican protective tariff on wool and
sugar. which are produced in great
quantities in Utah. He ranks high in
the Mormon Church. So sure do the
Republicans feel of re-electing Senator
Smoot that they laughed derisively
when Senator King, Democrat, sent
word that he did not wish to leave
Utah until Smoot had been defeated.
Kings given up travelling for the
of n
Wisconsin Appears Republican.
The Wisconsin situation gives no
| hope for the Democrats. There is a
| row between Republican factions.
| The "Stalwarts" are doing their best
TO break the Lafollette-P Progressive
hold on the State. Gov. John J.
Blaine. Lafollette Progressive. having
defeated Senator Irwin l.. Lenroot In
| the primaries by about $4,000 votes,
! IL opposed by Thomas NJ. Kearney,
| Democrat. and by two Independent
candidates, both claiming to be Re
| pubIicans, Charles d. Rosa and j. M.
| Tittemore.
| Rosa Is an old Lafollete Progress
sive, but like Fred Zimmerman. Re-
publican nominee for governor, he has
| broken away from the Lafollette or
| ganiZatiOn. He is expected to receive
| much OF the Zimmerman Progressive
| support in the general election. Title
! more is q Stalwart and was candidate
! for the nomination for lieutenant gov
ernor on Stalwart ticket in the prim-
aries. Blaine looks to be a winner,
though he is admittedly not popular,
even among his own faction.
| Rosa seems to be the strongest op-
| ponent, particula rly should the stall
~ "a,
| neuver they went through in the
| gubernatorial prima ries. Then, al
most in body. they swung their sup
! port to Zimmerman against the La
! Toilette candidate, Herman Kern.
/ The stalwart aid. Zimmerman. de-
| feated Kern. and If the stalwarts and
| Zimmerman back Rosa. he will give
Blaine a mighty close race.
Zimmerman should win in the guber-
| material contest against Charles 3.
, Perry, the stalwart who is running
| as an independent. and the Demo
| era tic nominee. Charges that Zim-
| norman Is or was member of the
F., ku Klux Klan have been widely cir
culated in an effort to beat him, but
Zimmerman has vigorously denied
! that he has been a Klansman
When Zimmerman was nominated
! for governor over Kern, the La Fol
lette organization sustained a real
! blow in Wisconsin. Should Blaine be
defeated by a combination Of thinner
! man followers and stalwarts, sec
ond blow will have been landed by
| those who are trying to break the
| old La Toilette group on State politics.
In all these Western States except
California and Washington. national
issues are cutting a compar aratively
| small figure. The senatorial contests
are being fought out on local issues
and by factions of the various par
| ties. Liquor, the Ku Klnx Klan. pro-
gressivism and conserva tism. religious
hatreds, all are playing their parts.
When II is remembered that in
1924 the Democratic party did not
carry one of these Western States ex-
cept Okla homa for their candidate for
President. John w. Davis, the fact
| that the Democrats now have a
chance to pick up four or five sena-
torial seats would indicate that locally.
at least, the Democratic party, IL
showing signs of renewed life.