Evening star., 1928-10-27
Rural Districts Strong for
Hoover, While Baltimore
Seems to Favor Smith.
RACE APPEARS CLOSE;
~ BOTH SIDES Confident
Wet-Dry Sentiment and Religion
Likely to Play Part in
Deciding Issue.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

0N~@@ AAAA%1SG1 OCbOper zf.-NelLner
Smith nor Hoover can sing with GER
tainty yet Maryland, My Maryland"
A real fight is on in the presidential
election in this State. AS in several
other States, it is the city against the
rural districts, with Gov. Smith popular
In the city and Mr.. Hoover stronger in
the country. In political parlance. this
State is divided into the "city," which
msans Baltimore, and ''the counties"
which are the rest of the State outside
of Baltimore.
Gov. Smith, it appears, is going to carry
the city Of Baltimore and Mr.. Hoover
the counties. If Smith carries the CITY
by bigger majority over Hoover than
the latter carries the counties over
smith, Gov. Smith wins Maryland's
eight electoral votes.
Various Estimates Made,
Various estimates of the probable
strength of each candidate in the areas
ne Is expected to carry have been given
me, some by impartial observers. and
some came from more partial scources
Smitn1s probable lead, when these eSti-
City will run from 10000 to 25 mn
Hoover's lead in the counties over Smith
IS nkeiy to run from 10000 up, per-
haps as high as 10000.
II IS easy to see, if these estimates are
anywhere near correct, that the race
Is very close and might swing either
way. Inc Democrats, however. are be-
ginning to feel more confident. For a
Glme tney were very low in this State
put their leaders say that in the last
week or two things have begun to
shape their way; that old Democrats
VINO had been of the Smith reservation
are now coming back.
Certainly Howard Bruce. Democratic
national committeeman, is feeling com
ndent and is talking about the possibil-
ity OF Smiths rolling up a 10000 lead
~ Baltimore. 1t is noticeable, however
tnat none OF the Democrats are iavinp
Smith.
Dry sentiment. anti-Catholic sent;-
ment and anti-immigration Sentiment
are too strong, it is said. in the
more rural districts for the Smith peopla
to overcome.
Republicans Also Confident.
The Republicans not only claim The
counties, but they are giving Smith no
such leeway in Baltimore CITY as that
suggested by Mr.. Bruce. They looh
PACK TO last year and the election of
mayor William F. Broening, a Reuubli-
can, over the Democratic Candidate
William Curran Mayor Broeninr won
Dy about 1900 votes over his onpo-
nent. Gov. Ritchie had carried the citv
by 10000 votes only the year before
winch made the upset all the more re-
markable.
Not a few people read into the NAV
oraiCy race OF last year a forerunner
OF tne present presidential campaign.
WIN the religious issue involved in both
Curran was Catholic and Broenino
Protestant. How deeply the RELIGIOUS
issue cut in 1927 it is difficult to esti.
mate, but If reports are correct. i.
played its part.
While Baltimore has large Catholic
population, it has a larger Protestant
group. Democratic leaders insist thew
have been able to meet successfully tbs
religious issue raised in some Quarters
against Gov Smith They have made
strong play on the fact that when
the American soldiers went "oyer the
top" IN France no one stopped to ask
whether they were Protestants or
Catholics.
Democrats on Their Toes.
The Democrats are on their tin toes.
waiting for Gov. Smith to come to
Baltimore Monday. The Democratic
nominee Is to deliver a speech here at
the armory and predictions are made
That 1t will be the greatest political
gathering the city has ever seen. The
Armory seats $4,000, but the expectation
is that there will be room for about
5000 more, standing room.
Plans have been made for an over
How meeting in theater which seats
about $500 and loud speakers will carry
Gov. Smiths address to still other
thousands who cannot gain admission
to the arnory or the theater. There
are to be no reserved seats in the
armory except for the reception COM
mittee and the immediate Smith party.
Doubt was expressed that the police
would be able to hold back the crowds
If the seats were all reserved. So 1t
is case of first come, first seated.
The Smith supporters are setting
great store by the Democratic nominees
invasion of the State. They look for
him to win over the wavering and to
stimulate the party workers. 1t must
be said, however, that a great majority
of the voters have made up their minds
about this election, and speeches and
demonstrations are not likely to change
them at the eleventh hour. The very
fact that there has been a greater reg
istration Of voters in Baltimore and
throughout the State than ever before
Is evidence of that fact.
Voters Need No Driving.
The voters do not need to be driven
to the polls this year They are COM
ing out in droves to cast their ballots.
In this city more than ninety thousand
voters registered in the supplemental
and some Of them stood
IN line until the small hours of the
to do so.
Watch the women is the slogan
Of the Republicans. Some OF them say
with utmost confidence that the wori-
en- are going to carry the State for Mr..
Hoover. It is a fact, however, that
many Democratic women have been
registered this year who have taken no
part in the elections in the past.
Maryland has the reputation for be-
ing one of the wet States. Perhaps it
would be fairer to say that this wet
sentiment Is rampant to a far greater
extent In Baltimore than in the coun-
ties, which are dry, except in spots.
Gov. Ritichie, who has become almost
D fixture in the governors man
sion at Annapolis, Is one of those
'wringing VETS" so wet that he even
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