Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-15
OKLAHOMA STIRRED.
BY FIERY POLITICS.
Hoover-Smith Dispute Runs
to Peppery and Uncer-
tain Issues.
BY the Associated Press.

I BY the Associated Press.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma. Oc-
! tober 15.-1f any one is longing for a
| taste of the good old-fashioned brand
| of Scorching politics, he has but to
| come to Oklahoma in the final weeks
of this campaign.
| The State is in the grip of the vast
dispute over Smith and Hoover, run
ming to issues of the most peppery
character and embracing many recog-
| nized uncertainties. Although in mid
october both sides are predicting VIC
tory, they both talk of shifting tides
and still silent vote, which is an
other way of saying that no one has
been quite able to fathom all that
may be going on beneath the frothy
surface.
In the past there has been much
talk of whispering" in Oklahoma, but
certainly at this stage the campaign is
far from voiceleSS. 1t challenges at
tention in unexpected ways. Alighting
from train here in the State Capital,
the Associated Press reporter encount-
cred an extremely vocal pack of news
boys, whose clamorous sales talk was
composed entirely of political headlines.
The smallest of the lot, as he counted
out change, looked up eagerly and
asked: Are you for AL or Hoover?"
Nor does this incident overdraw the
picture. The rival party headquarters
are not the decorous, roller bearing DO
lltlcal SanctumS so common to latter
day campaigns. They are crowded
with animated and very busy workers.
Tables and floors are strewn with dis
array OF many kinds of campaign liter
allure. In the entrance halls and on
the sidewalks outside stand knots of
voters arguing 1T out to their own salts
faction. There is about it all some
thing of the distract appearance of a
MOTEL lobby at political convention time
The inquirer who asked at Democratic
headquarters what this was all about
was answered with the single word, Re
llgion." The answer to the same uues-
ton across the street at Republican
headquarters was, Prohibition, i'm
migration, the Coolidge policies, the
records of the candidates."
"Tammany" Is Issue.
When the inquiry was transferred to
the anti-Smith headquarters around
the corner, the head of that organiza-
ton replied that, so far as he was con-
cerned, the outstanding issue of Tam
many"
A few historical bearings arr illumi-
mating. Oklahoma has voted for but
one Republican for President, and that
was in the Harding landslide of 1920.
Four years ago, in the Coolidge landslide,
the State gave Davis 255, 798, Coolidge
226,242 and La Toilette Ala, but in
that same election, on an entirely diff
ferent set of issues, it elected Repub-
lican Senator by a margin of $4,000.
Seven Of the eight congressional dis
tricts are represented in the House at
Washington by Democrats.
1t so happens that interest in the
McNary- Haugen bill was conferred in
the one Republican district, comprising
NGe northwestern corner of the State,
and including many wheat farmers
Hoover's nomination was followed by
some Republican OBJECTIONS there, but
the State as whole is dry, and was
once a strong Khan State.
Four days after Smith was nominated
at Houston, "the anti-Smith Democratic
organization of Oklahoma" set out to
defeat him Shortly afterward. former
Senator Robert l.. Owen bolted to the
Republicans Both Smith and Hoover
lost important newspaper support which
would have belonged to them normally.
The net effect of all of this, plus
complicated State row over the at
tempt to impeach Gov. Johnston, and
plus also an effort to revive the once
powerful Khan, was greatly to encourage
the Republicans and to lead some Dem
ocratic politicians to look upon Okla
homa with much misgiving. Chair
man Raskob insisted, however, that the
State was fair fighting ground and
three weeks ago Gov. Smith came to
Oklahoma City, assailed former Sena-
tor Owen and denounced the campaign
against his record and his religion.
The speech of the Democratic NOM
inee here was followed by an appreci-
able increase in the activity Of the
State Democratic headquarters, which
seconded his stand by charging open
ly that the Hoover campaign in Okla
homa was based on the religious issue.
The Republicans denied that they had
sponsored any talk about religion, and
they now say that if the religious issue
is in the campaign, the Democrats put
it there. Anti-Smith Democratic head
quarters interpreted the governors re-
marks to the voters as an accusation
OF bigotry against the State of Okla
homa.
"Sectarianism" Scored.
This argument goes on, along with
talk OF Tammany, prohibition and many
other things. The Democrats have put
out cartoon representing Mrs. Willie
Drandt running amuck with firebrand
labeled "Sectarianism" And the ac-
companying text apprises the voters
that 1.-The hand and hoof has been
shown"
In the literature of the Republi-
cans and the anti-Smith Democrats
the Tammany Tiger appears in MANY
IeroclouS attitudes The Smith peonle
say Nthey have brought many stravino
democrats into the fold since Gov
smith came to Oklahoma. but the Re.
puoucans declare that if Smith has
gained in some quarters, he also has
lost in others. A-"''
Many Protestant ministers and MANI
women nave been active in the cam.
palgn Tor Hoover. OF the sixty-nine
persons whose names appear on the LET
terneao OF the anti-Smith Democratic
organizations as members of its execu.
| i've committee, "a are identified as
ministers of the gospel. Nine are
| women. The list Includes tho state
| mead OF the Anti-Saloon League and
| the State head of the Women's Chris
| tlan temperance Union.
| DR.. j. B. Rome, a physician is chair
man of this organization Campaign
! committee and presides at the 0kIa-
homa City headquarters whose tran
sient character is evidenced bv hare
walls and floors, oak tables and Kitchen
| chairs. Over DR. Rone's desk is a man
| or Oklahoma, with colored thunbtacks
| chnuTiY1cy re of rxylain I,