Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-27
Ayres Expected to Be
Dropped After Early Ballots
in Favor of "Jim" Reed.
SMITH CHANCES SLIM
IN SUNFLOWER STATE
Governorship Will Be Big Issue in
1928-Progressive G 0. P.
Backs Hoover.
BY &. GOULD LINCOLN.
staff Correspondent of The Star.

TOPEKA, kans., September 26.-
Like the Republicans, the Democrats
of Kansas have 'favorite son" to Of
fer for the presidential race next year.
He is Representative Ayres, who has
served for 10 years continuously as a
Democratic member of the House from
the eighth congressional district and
who has been reelected to the Sew
entieth Congress, the outstanding
Democratic figure in the Sunflower
State. where. it is true, not so many
Democrats grow.
1t is frankly admitted here by
Democrats that they have little or no
expectation of being able to nominate
Mr.. Ayres for President. The object
of sending an Ayres delegation TO the
national convention is to prevent rue
tions in the party, to present solid
array, and, when the time comes, TO
hop to the right candidate for the
nomination. In a measure, it may be
considered part of the strategy OF
those Democratic leaders VINO are
seeking to prevent the nomination OF
Gov. Al CIIlllH VI ANCN L VI IN "a O'A--NN'
makes about as much appeal to Kan
sas as he does to Alabama or Missis'
sippi and for the same reasons. This
state is dry and anti-Catholic.
May Back Reed.
Paradoxically, however, the Kansas
delegation to the national convention
Is expected to favor another wet, a1tef
Mr.. Ayres has been accorded suffi-
cient number of votes and 1t has been
demonstrated he cannot win. 1T Is
expected TO throw its support to Sen
ator Jim" Reed of Missouri Reed
is a near neighbor at Kansas City,
Mo. He almost attains the status of
"favorite son" in Kansas. He has
spoken through the State often, and
in the last few weeks he has made a
number of addresses, stressing the
need of putting the farmer on an
equality with the industrialists, and
attacking the Republican protective
tariff as unfair to the agriculturists.
The Democratic national commit
teeman for the State, Dudley Doo'
little, reputed to be the first man ever
to wear white pants in Cottonwood
ator Reed for the presidential nofni-
nation. So have other prominent
Democrats of Kansas. They would
much prefer to see the Missourian
nominated than Gov. Smith, even
though they have slim hope-very
slim--of carrying Kansas for either
Reed or Smith. But they want a
Westerner like Reed If they can have
him. Ayres is reported to be in i'll
health and if he should not be avail
able next year the Kansas delegation
might go uninstructed or for Reed.
Kansas at the last Democratic ma
tional convention worked for McAdoo,
who had many supporters here among
the old Wilson Democrats. But many
of the former McAdoo supporters had
determined not to favor him for the
nomination next year even before Mr..
McAdoo waived the nomina ton aside.
With McAdoo out of the picture they
are asking themselves where they can
find another dry Democrat who would
run well in Kansas. To date they
have not found him. But if he be
found between this time and the meet.
ing of the convention next year the
Kansas delegation may yet swing to
some man other than Reed. Gov.
Donahey of Ohio, three times elected
governor by the Democrats in that
Republican State, is little more than
a name to the people of Kansas.
Meredith, Iowa's dry Democrat, and
Senator Walsh of Montana, dry but
Catholic, have little following in the
State.
It is suggested in some Democratic
Continued on Page 4. Column g.