Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23
OHIO DEMOCRATS
FACING BIG TASK
Must Win Over 100000 Re-
publican Voters to Garry
State.
epccial Dispatch to The Star.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, September "a
At a conference of Democratic State
leaders at the campaign headquarters
this week. facing the State campaign
which is to be opened formally on both
sides within the coming week, they
were brought to realization OF the Dig
Job that confronts them as they set
out to win the Ohio electoral vote Tor
Gov. Smith-even with the advantage
that the wet and dry issue in the con-
test gives them in the larger cities OF
the State. They are obliged to use the
figures from the election Of 1924 as
indicating the normal Democratic vote
in the State, and on that showing they
will have to win over to the ranks OF
the supporters of Gov. Smith at least
a quarter million Republican, TO carry
the State.
It is admitted that all Il ne ave
large cities in the State WI S'theS so
for Smith or register a very unSe NCte.
Cleveland. Cincinnati and 7.ledo Will
ties. Columbus and Dayton will be
close The five secondary cities
Akron, Youngstown, Springfield, Can
ton and GAINESVILLE will also be close
giving in the aggregate, probably a
considerable Smith majority. But few
competent judges of the situation
would estimate the possible Smith ma
jority in all these large cities at as
much as 100000 Admitting that the
urban Smith majority will be that
large, the Democrats will have to look
elsewhere for 100000 more Republican
voters to come across the party line
and support Gov. Smith, in order to
give him the State.
Is Slow to Change.
That any such result is to be ex-
pected in the village and rural vote of
the State few will believe. In the first
place, that vote is very slow to change.
When there has been turnover in the
vote of the State, it has been accom-
pliShed by the urban vote. The farmer
vote has been notably persistent. The
Democrats have but two things to
count on to cause such a change in the
rural part of the State. One is the
persistence of the anti-Hoover feeling
that was strong in the rural part of
Ohio in the presidential primary. and
the other is opposition to the Republic |
ans by the farmers because of the |
failure of farm relief legislation. There !
will be some of this beyond question: |
but there is no evidence that it will |
be anything like such sentiment as |
would be necessary to work so great a |
change in the rural vote of the State.
And this is to be taken into consid |
grafton in estimating the rural vote in |
this State: The farmers are almost |
Solidly dry and there will be counter |
movement in the country in this cleo |
ton of Democratic farmers going over |
to the support of Mr.. Hoover because |
of the attitude of Gov. Smith toward |
I1n |
letterS-to-the- editor columns of the |
newspapers of the State are full of such |
letters from Democratic farmers re-
nouncfng their party an this account. |
1t would seem from tbs that the cleo |
toral vote of the StstA is safe for Mr.. |
Hoover, even though The Smith vote in |
the cities should reAch the high point |
predicted by the most sanguine DEM
ocrats in the State.
Organizes for Drive.
State Chairman H. D. Silver of the
Republican campaign committee has
been organizing his headquarters force
with a view to Solidifying the party
after the presidential primary split
For instance, Charles H Jones, who
was the late Senator Willis secretary,
has been placed in the speakers bu-
reau. Both Senator FesS and Mr..
Burton have been given representation
by placing confidential friend of each
in the headquarters. and considerable
section of the primary headquarters of
Representative Begg, who was defeated
for the party nomination for governor,
has been taken over into the Republic
an State campaign headquarters, while |
State Chairman Silver was himself the |
manager of the sprimary campaign of |
Myers Y. Cooper, the party candidate |
for governor. At least all has been |
done that could be done toward setting |
the Republican house in order for |
general homecoming of all factions of |
the party in the campaign.
The Republicans have set September (
% as the date of the formal opening of |
the State campaign. 1t will be staged |
here in Columbus All the State can
didateS will be here and speak briefly, |
but Senator FeSs and Representative |
Burton will divide most of the time |
given to local speakers. There will be |
one speaker from outside the State, |
either Charles E. Hughes or Senator |
Borah.
Probe May Hit G. o. p.
An investigation of election practices |
in Cleveland, now in progress under the |
direction of Attorney General Turner, |
may develop some embarrassment Tor |
the Republicans, it is intimated Action |
was taken on an order from Gov. Dona- |
hey, whose attention to the matter was !
called officially by the Cleveland Bar |
Association. After spending few days |
in Cleveland looking over the evidence |
that the bar association was ready to |
lay before him, Mr.. Turner ordered the |
Cuyahoga County grand jury into spe-
cial session, and he is now opening the
ballot boxes and placing before the jury
the facts thus to be obtained Though
the Democrats may be. involved in the
same way, that is not intimated in the
first stories.
1t has been found here and in other
parts of the State that by failure to
obey the legal provision requiring rota-
ton of names on the ballot so that no
candidate should appear at the top of
the list more often than any other, ire
mendouS advantage has been given
favored candidates by those who could
control the printing. The practice is
said to have been employed especially
In primary elections. Here in Franklin
County surprise followed the defeat of
a candidate who was not only very
popular but was supposed to have or
ganization support, and a partial in
vestigation, so far as it was carried.
showed that that candidates name was
never permitted to reach the top posi-
ton on any of the ballots.
j. H. GALBRAITH.