Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-15
MISSOURI HARMONY.
EXPLODED BY REED.
AssaiIs Candidacy of Hay as
Senator - eliminates
Long Personal Feud.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
/ KANSAS CITY, Mo-, July 14-Demo-
cratic harmony in Missouri has been
exploded as q result Of a statement by
Senator James A. Reed bitterly aSsail-
ing the record and candidacy of Charles
M. Hay Of st. Louis, dry" candidate
for the Democratic senatorial nominal
ton, whom Reed likened to another
| Tom Helm" Senator Reed returned
| from the Houston convention deter
mined to wreak vengeance on his per-
sonal and political enemy, Hay. who in
Democratic fights the last eight years
! has been a leader of the woodrow
Wilson faction. Reed held confer
ence with his political advisors in st.
Louis early this week. 1t is understood
many of Reeds friends urged him not
to attack Hay on the eve OF the State
wide primaries. August 7. Reed could
not be dissuaded.
| First, statement was issued by
James A. Collett, whom Reed is sup
| porting, against Hay for the Demo-
cratic senatorial nomination, attacking
Hay as a dry" Hay also was charged
with having defended Herbert Hoover
as food administrator when attacked by
Reed in the senatorial campaign OF
1922.
Hay made rather conciliatory reply
to Collett, in which Hay declared that
the dry" Democrats would resent being
ostracized because they did not agree
with Smith on prohibition. few days
later, when leaving for New York to
confer with the Smith leaders, Reed
issued his blast against Hay. Even his
attacks on Hoover In previous Missouri
campaigns never were more critical.
Nothing has occurred in many years to
upset more completely the equanimity
Of the Democratic State leaders.
The rural Democracy of Missouri is
"dry," and an effort has been made by
Democratic leaders since the Houston
convention to hold them in line for
Smith. The prohibition question was
to be ininimized. BY general consent
Hay, the dry" leader was to be nonii-
mated for Senator to balance Smith, the
wet" at the head of the ticket
| Smith apparently will suffer the most
from the Reed attack on Hay. Smith
already has the wet" vote solidly for
him. The Reed statement probably will
ALLEVIATE hundreds of dry" rural Demo-
Gratis who would have remained loyal
| to the New York Governor If Reed he'd
not attempted to rule out Hay as a sen.
atorial candidate on the grounds he was
dry"
The campaign for Smith in Missouri
up to this time has made great head
way. The Republicans have been max
| ing only weak claims they would carry
| the State. The reopening of the old
| Reed Woodrow Wilson faction feud has
caused the Republicans to take new hope
| for November
Reed probably cannot beat Hay for
the senatorial nomination in August
but the retiring Senator can do great
damage to the dry leader In the
November election. Reeds opposition
probably can prevent Hays election. II
the dry rural Democracy. which is in
the ascendancy in Missouri. decide to
destroy the harmony pact which per-
mitted Reed to obtain the Missouri dele
cation to the Houston convention with
out fight, ffrst-class political war Is
| In store The "drys" probably will OBJ
tain revenge by knitting Smith.
! T. G.. Afford.