Evening star., 1927-10-03
DRY AND RELIGIOUS
ISSUES AID SMITH.
MINNESOTA BOOM

MINNESOTA BOOM
Continued from First Page.)
violently opposed to the Catholics and
| to the election of a Catholic as Presi
dent.
In addition to the handicap which
Smith must face in Minnesota because
of the religious issue, there is the
fact that the Democratic party In
Minnesota has been rather hopelessly
on its back for some time. 1t has
been so far in the minority that In
the three.cornered contest with the
Renublicaus and Farmer-Labor parties
the Democrats have run a poor third
Controversy on Now.
Harmony in Democratic ranks is a
desired but absent quantity. There is
a row on right now over the chair
manship of the Democratic State com
mittee, with Fl. Austin Of Minneapolis
asserting he is the chairman of the
committee and Thomas E. Eastman
Of Owatonna contesting that fact and
setting himself up as chairman.
c.. A. Quist was the regularly chosen
chairman Of the committee, but he
died. Mr.. Austin. as chairman OF the
executive committee and active in rails
ing funds for the party, was given the
place. This did not suit others. At a
round robin called meeting OF the
State committee enough anti.Austin
members assembled to elect eastman
Mr.. Austin, however, goes right ahead
functioning as State chairman in Min
neapolis, and Is seeking to harmonize
the warning factions. 1t Is reported
that the eastman group may yield in
the matter Of the chairmanship.
Obviously, it is to the interest OF the
Smith movement to bring about an
adjustment of these differences among
the Democrats of the State and some
of his strongest supporters, among
them William J. Quinn, are urging
peace, 1t would not suit the Smith
group, for example, to have two sets OF
delegates sent from Minnesota to the
next Democratic national convention
one Of them favoring Smith and the
other another candidate for the
nomination. The fewer contests OF
such a character the better the Smith
outfit will be pleased.
The third party in Minnesota, the
Farmer Labor party. Is not likely to
put forward a presidential candidate
of it's own. In fact, the party is steer
ing rather clear Of a national move
ment at this time and seems to be
inclined to attend to its own knitting
within the confines of Minnesota. 1t
will have its hands full with the State
fight next year and many of the
leaders are not anxious to take on
more territory, as they would have to
do if they sponsored or Joined with
radicals In other States in sponsoring
q national third party movement.
Promoted by "Reds."
Furthermore, the Progressives in
North Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ne
braska and other States seem to be
content to work within the ranks of
the Republican party. Indeed, a ma
tional third party movement at pres
ent is promoted merely by the reds. "
with whom the Farmer-Labor voters
of Minnesota are not in harmony.
On September the Farmer-Labor
Association convention of Minnesota
passed resolution proposing re-
gional conference, inviting Progressive
organizations in other States to send
delegates. 1t Is contended now, how
ever, that the motion did not say any
thing definite about forming national
party or putting a presidential ticket
In the field, but merely proposed con.
ference for the discussion of problems
common to the various States.
The Farmer Labor men of Minnesota
steered clear of the Farmer-LabOp ma
tional movement in 1920, when Farley
p. Christensen was a candidate for
President. In 1894 they sponsored the
st. Paul convention, which Senator
Robert M. La Toilette later repudiated
and the reds captured. In the end
the Farmer-Labor voters of the State
supported Senator La Toilette.
Instead Of having two United States
Senators. as it did few years ago,
the FamerLabor party of Minnesota
has but one. Senator Shipstead. Mag
nus johnson, the, other, went into the
discard i'm the election of 1924. when
he was defeated by Senator Schail.
Shipstead Faces Fight.
Despite the fact that Senator Ship
stead is popular In the State and is
liked by many Of the Republicans. as
we'll as members of his own party, he
Is likely to have a hard row to plow
when he comes up for reelection next
year. 1t Is rumored that word was
sent from Washington to put Ship
stead on the Republican ticket for
Senator next year, that he was salts
factory and that his vote was very
much needed in the new Senate which
meets in December, and in which
Shipstead may hold the balance of
power between the Republicans and
the Democrats.
But the State law relating to pri-
maries in which Senators are nomi-
mated will not permit Shipstead to
have the Republican nomination, ac-
cording to those who have studied
the law. He must file either as a
Farmer Labor candidate or as an in
dependent. If he should file as an
independent, Magnus Johnson might
enter for the Farmer-Labor nomina-
ton and thus divide the strength
which would go to Shipstead in the
general election.
Republicans in the State are urging
Gov. Christianson to enter the sena-
torial contest against Shipstead next
year Should the governor do so.
popular as he is, Senator Shipstead
may be defeated. according to Re-
publican leaders in Minneapolis. In
deed, some of these are already pre-
dieting his defeat.
D:nl>,> Yr -. unen;<o1