Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-02
VIRGINIA COUNTED
IN SMITH COLUMN
IN SPITE OF BREACH
Advantages of Organization
Give Supporters Big Mar
gin Over Opponents.
RELIGION FRANKLY BASIS
OF RIFT IN STATE PARTY
Old Donrnion Far Less Concerned
Over Caldwell Letter Than
Those on Outside.
G.. GOULD LINCOLN.
STAFF CORRESPONDENT of The Star

RICHMOND, Va, october 2.-The
letter attributed to Mrs Willie w.
Caldwell Republican national commit
teewoman for Virginia, calling upon the
women to save the country from being
''Romanized and rum ridden" apparent
ly has created far less excitement here
than it has outside of the State.
There is, indeed, on the part of the
Democrats an inclination to treat the
incident rather cynically. They have
been insisting for weeks that. 80 per
cent of the opposition among Demo-
Gratis to the election of Gov. Smith of
New York is based on religious grounds.
To have the Republican national COM
mitteewoman placed in the position of
opposing Gov. Smith also on religious
grounds. merely, in their minds, adds
emphasis to the contention that the
religious issue" is the heart of the fight
against the Democratic nominee in the
Old Dominion.
Skeptical of Resignation.
Suggestion that Mrs. Caldwell NAV
be called upon to resign from the ma
tional committee or in some way forced
out is looked upon with skepticism bv
Republicans. Democrats and anti-Smith
Democrats with whom I have talked
If she does any resigning it will be
voluntary, they say. AS matter of
fact, she is expected to come to Rich
mond before long to address a rally OF
Republican and anti-Snith women. If
her political head is to be taken off it
will be bacuse of pressure from outside,
rather than from any pressure here, Il
is said. And it is clear that any sum-
mary action or attempted action from
outside might be resented, for Mrs.
Caldwell is highly regarded, her po-
litical indiscretion notwithstanding
Whatever may happen to Mrs. Cald-
well as Republican national committee
woman, the judgment here is that the
incident of her letter will not have
great bearing on the result of the ma
tiona1 election in Virginia. The Rich
mond Times-Dispatch, which is sup
porting Smith, today published lead
ing editorial entitled: Why Pick on
Her?" 1t refers to the incident as a
"farcical episode" insists that the anti
Smith campaign in this State for the
last two months has been 80 per cent
on the religious issue. and winds up
by saying that:
THE hurrah and the chest shifting
over this particular outrage simply
doesn't ring true
Sees Religious Prejudice.
I found one Democratic leader who
admitted that the Republicans in Vir-
ginia have right to oppose Smith be-
cause he is a Democrat and they are
Republicans. But when it comes to
the anti-Smith Democrats, this same
leader insisted their opposition was
based almost entirely on religious
grounds.
The anti-Smith Democrats, on the
other hand. say they are opposed to
Gov Smith because he is wet and be-
cause he is Tammany man. They do
not like his idea of immigration, either.
Privately they admit that religion may
have something to do with the campaign
against Smith, too. They describe the
contest now waging in Virginia as "a
fight between political leadership and
moral leadership" And they insist
quite confidently that moral leadership
Is going to win.
John W. Davis carried the State over
President Coolidge by $4,000 and Gov.
Byrd was elected in 1925 by about $4,000
votes over his Republican opponent" 4"
said one anti-Smith Democrat. THE
Democrats are making a great drive to
line up the negro voters for Smith. and
Smith clubs are being formed among
the negroes. / believe there are about
1900 colored voters in the State. But
suppose $4,000 of them were swung from
the Republican to the Democratic COL
umn, giving the Democrats approxi-
mately a 5000 lead in the 1924 vote,
since it would take $4,000 from the Re-
Democratic total. If there are not
$4,000 Democrats who will vote for Hoo
yer against Smith. then there are not
any, in my Judgment. With $4,000 Dem
ocrats voting the Republican presiden-
tial ticket the State will go Repub-
lican"
Smith Party Foes Bitter.
This is merely an example of the opti-
miSm expressed by the anti-Smith
Democrats, who apparently are more
bitter against the Democratic nominee
than are the Republicans themselves
Whatever the Democrats may be doing
in the way of lining up the colored
voters, their leaders are chary about
talking of 1t, and some Of them deny II
entirely. Impartial observers, however
say that many of the colored voters liv-
ing in the city are anxious to align
themselves with the dominant party SO
that in local issues, particularly i'm
pTovements in the sections of the cities
in which they live, they may have some
voice They also do not belong to the
Ku KluX Klan which is very active here
against Smith.
The principal Democratic leadership
Of the State is lined up almost to a
man for the Smith-Robinson ticket
Gov Byrd is campaigning vigorously for
the national ticket. Both United States
Senators Swanson and Glass, all the
members of the House and practically
every Democratic member of the State
Legislature have fallen into line.
In the State Senate there are 39
Democrats and one Republican. OF the
80 Democratic Senators 81 are stand
ing pat for Smith. The House of Dele
gates has 81 Democrats and three Re-
publicanS in its membership. Ninety
of the House members are out for
Smith. This unanimity on the part OF
the Democratic leaders of the State is
helping the Democratic cause greatly
There Is no outstanding political lead
er aligned against the election of Smith
here, such as is the case in North Caro-
lima, where the veteran Senator Sim
mons is playing hob with the Demo
cratic campaign.
Lesser Leaders Differ.
But when it comes down to the loca
Democratic committees and the lesser
leaders in the party, there is somewhat
different story In some of the cities
and counties. members of the Demo
cratic committees have openly declared
their opposition to the New York Gov
SCentMued oa Page q, Colusaan g.