Evening star., 1927-05-28
Coolidge Versus Smith.


the nomination for President Of Gov.
AL Smith Of New York than are the
Democrats. This Republican conf.
dence in the selection Of Gov. Smith
by the Democrats as their standard.
bearer may or may not be a case Of
the wish being father to the thought.
No doubt some Republicans believe
that the nomination Of the New York
governor, a wet and a Catholic. will
split the Democratic. party wide open
and make a Republican victory fore.
gone. conclusion.
John J. Lyons. former Secretary of
State Of New York. veteran Repub.
lican politician, after five.month
Journey which took him as far West
as Seattle and through the South, has
predicted the nomination Of Gov.
Smith by the Democrats and of Presi.
dent Coolidge by his own party. But
Mr.. Lyons Is not one of those who
visualize an easy Republican victory
over the Democratic Governor Of New
York. Indeed, SO strong does Mr..
Lyons consider Gov. Smith that he in.
sists that the Republicans must re.
nominate President Cc ,'.ige in order
to have a chance Of carrying New
York in 1928.
New York, with its forty.five elec.
toral votes, is always one Of the piv.
otal States, and, like DR.. Nicholas
Murray Butler, Mr.. Lyons is one Of
those who believe that the Republicans
must win there or be in serious danger
Of defeat. Unlike DR.. Butler, how.
ever, Mr.. Lyons is not demanding a
wet Republican candidate for Presi.
dent in order to accomplish that feat.
Mr.. Coolidge. he says, can turn the
trick where other Republicans may
not be able to do so, owing to his great
popularity in the Empire State. Even
so, Mr.. Lyons believes, the odds in
favor Of Republican victory in New
York will be materially reduced from
what they were in 1924, 1920 and 1916.
He figures them at to l in 1928.
with Coolidge as a candidate, instead
Of 10 to 1 in the earlier campaigns Cor
Republican victory.
"The fight for the Democratic nomi.
nation for President is over" Mr..
Lyons said. at will be Gov. Smith.
My observation OF political conditions
in the West and South convinces me
that Gov. Smith is sure Of majority
Of delegates to the next Democratic
national convention ow, even though
they have not yet been elected"
Many Democrats would sigh with re-
lief If they could persuade themselves
to believe what Mr.. Lyons says he be.
lieves. What they fear is a devastat'
ing party strife at their next national
convention. They have little or no
hope Of avoiding such row. Many
Of them have practically made up their
minds to another four years of Re.
publican rule unless q miracle hap.
pens, and none Is yet on the horizon.
Should Mr.. Lyons be correct in his
prediction that Gov. Smith will go into
the national convention with a ma.
jority Of the delegates, however, his
nomination may be accomplished far
more easily than many now believe
possible. A majority Of the delegates
can throw the old two.thirds nominal.
ing rule of the Democrats into the dis.
card and proceed to name Gov. Smith
without further delay by a majority
vote. Today Smith apparently is max.
ing all the running in the Democratic
presidential handicap. Tomorrow he
may not be so strong, depending upon
the extent of the fight waged by the
drys and the anti-Catholic forces in
the Democracy.