Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-10-06
Hughes Has Respect of Large
Number of Voters, but Boom
Is Slow in Starting.
DAWES SHADOW LOOMS
BEHIND L0WDEN POWER
Smith Comes First for Democrats.
With Reed as Doubtful
Second Choice.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The Middle West, a three-week can.
vass of political sentiment In 10
States indicates:
Has so tar not centered it's affec-
tons upon any one of the most promi.
nently mentioned possibilities" for
me Republican presidential nomina.
ton.
FRANK 0. Lowden of Illinois. former
governor, however. has the support
generally OF organized farmers, as
represented by the farm bureaus in
the various States. Back of I,owden
In several of the States, looms the
shadow of Vice President Dawes.
Hoover Is Gaining.
Herbert Hoover of California. Soc.
rotary of Commerce. despite the on.
position to him because of the cru
sade against him by farm organiza.
tlon leaders, is growing stronger. He
Is from the West and he is regarded
as more progressive than other sug-
gested candidates. In addition he
makes a strong appeal to business
men in these States. Already there
are indications he will have the dele
cations from several Midwestern
States If he becomes a candidate.
Charles Evans Hughes of New York
mas the respect of the Republicans in
the Midwest. but there is little indica-
ton so far that they are warming to
his possible nomination.
or Speaker Nicholas Longworth of
Ohlo there is practically no talk at
present. Several of the States have
IaVoflte sons to offer, including Kan
sas with Senator Charles Curtis, and
Nebraska with Senator George Norris.
President Coolidge. despite some re-
ports to the contrary. is still widely
popular in this territory. Even in
Iowa, where his farm policy has been
resented, there is every indication he
would win if he should be nominated
to succeed himself. Until his Black
Hills statement. the Republicans of
the Middle West generally had made
up their minds he would be the party
nominee. This Notwithstanding the
LoWden movement, which had been
staged rather as a protest against the
administration farm policy than be-
cause it was believed Lowden could be
| nominated. Should the political fates
yet bring about the nomination of Mr..
Coolidge, he could count on carrying
most, if not all. of these States.
Smith Has Advantage.
On the Democratic side of the shield,
Gov. AL Smith of New York has q dis
tinct advantage today over all other
suggested candidates for the presi-
Dental nomination. This Is true not
withstanding the West is dry and is
Protestant. 1t is true because the
Democratic party in most of these
States is a small minority party, and
the party workers. whose influence
counts in the selection of delegates,
are most of them Smith men. 1t is
true because opponents of Smith in
the past have come to believe that he
is the outstanding Democrat today,
and is entitled to the nomination.
1t is true because many of these
same former opponents of the New
York Governor are sick Of strife i'll
the party, and fear that to deny him
the nomination would give added life
to dissentions which wrecked the
Democrats in 1924.
The 10 States included In this can
vass are Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. Wis
consin, Missouri, Kansas. Nebraska.
Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan. OF
these it looks now as though Smith
would have the delegations, or a con-
siderable portion of the delegates. from
Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan. Wiscon-
sin, Nebraska and Iowa. There may
be considerable opposition finally to
the Smith movement here and there.
but the tide is setting for him, and no
other candidate is now strongly be-
fore the voters and the politicians in
opposition to Smith.
Ohio democracy has its own favorite
son to offer for the presidential nomi-
nation, Gov. A. Vic Donahey. In
addition. the Democratic party is
stronger in Ohio than some of the
other Middle West States and the
State is largely dry.
WoolIen Favored i'm Indiana.
Indiana. too. has a favorite son
Evans Woollen. big Indiana banker
and widely respected in Hoosierdom.
The Democrats expect to carry their
State ticket to victory next year be-
cause Of Republican scandals. They
FEAR, however. the nomination OF Gov.
Smith at the head Of the national
ticket, believing that it would raise
again religious issue that might in.
jure the chances of all Democratic
candidates.
Senator Jim" Reed of Missouri I'm
all probability will have the delega-
tons from his home State and from
Kansas, after the latter has finished
voting for Representative Ayres. its
favorite son. Reed is regarded i'm
some quarters as the probable resid-
uary legatee of Smith strength in the
event the New Yorker is not noni-
mated. He is the second choice OF the
in several of these States
His weakness lies i'm the opposition
which many Democrats have had to
him because of his quarrel with the
late President Wilson over the League
of Nations.
The presidential possibilities, It NAV
be said, are offering their wares so far
in a professional market. The poll
ticians are interesting themselves.
The rank and file of the voters are
still giving far more attention to crops
and prices and weather and business.
In the end, however, unless don1inat-
ing issues bring the ordinary voter to
life strongly, the political leaders will
to be dominating influence
in the selection of delegates to the ma.
-ional conventions.
Protest Bubble Burst.
The greatest difficulty with the
Lowden boom in the Middle West to-
lay is found in the lack Of belief that
he illinois man can win the nominal
ion. 1t was launched as a protest
against President Coolidge, who re.
:oed the McNary-Haugen bill. When
President c. olidge issued his IT do
not choose" statement, it was like
sticking pin in the protest balloon.
On the other hand, however. it gave
some OF the earnest supporters of Mr..
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