Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-19
MINNESOTA DRIFT
TO HOOVER GAINS
Smiths Stand on Equaliza-
t(on Fails to Help Him
in State.

special Dispatch to The star
MINNEAPOLIS. MINI. August Ia
Political conditions In Minnesota arc In
transition stage, due TO the reactlohS
on public opinion in the State from
Alfred f. Smiths latest statement on
the farm question and from Hefpert
Hoovcr's speech OF acceptance.
The drift. so far as 1t can nc seen,
following these two declarations, Is de-
cidedly favorable to Hoover The smith
statement that the McNary-Haugen blll
was mot acceptable" to him is hello by
many. including all Republican leaders,
10 remove this farm question from the
campaign. There was a chorus OF sar-
castle comment directed at Frank w.
Murphy. who bolted the Republican
convention after sitting In It as dele
gate. because it failed to indorse his pet
bill
Mr.. Murphy stood pat in his position
and insisted that the Democratic plat
form and the Democratic candidate S
position were satisfactory to him and
to the farmers. His Democratic COL
league. Thomas E. eastman took the
same position in his statement. but in a
letter to newspaper friend OF the
Fairmont Sentinel, published IN that
paper. he let slip the remark that GOV,
Smith committed a "tactless error. y
Both men still contend that Herbert
Hoover is the enemy Of agriculture, and
they refuse to see any promise OF solu-
ton in the Hoover treatment Of that
problem.
Speech Is Approved.
The Hoover speech was greeted with
a chorus of approval from Minnesota
Republicans of course. The most sig
nificant statements, however, we're made
by leaders of five successful co-opera-
tive marketing organizations in the
State. They approved the Hoover
statement that agriculture is not one
industry but many, and that the best
method of relief is the more effective
organizing and financing Of the farm
ers own marketing agencies. The FIVE
organizations represent some 1900 local
bodies and 100000 farmers. mostly Of
Minnesota
Il remains to be seen whether the
impressions created by the Hoover and
Smith declarations will overcome the
hostile feeling in many rural communi-
ties of the State toward the Republican
party and the national administration
Even after the Smith statement it was
reported from some communities that
the farmers and small town business
men we're still mad" snd disposed to
give the Republican party a rebuke BY
boiling its national ticket. Even though
convinced by the evidence of Co.
Smiths statement that he would not
help them put the McNary- Haugen bill
over, these voters say that the only way
to arouse the East 10 the needs and
demands Of the West is by protest
vote against Mr.. Hoover.
Shipstead Is Silent.
The Farmer Labor party, second larg-
est IN the State, is without a national
candidate. Where its rank and file will
land Is problem, and the answer may
be decisive on the States electoral vote
While Calvin Coolidge polled more votes
in 1924 than Robert M. La Toilette and
John W. Davis combined by some
10000. many wet voters who supported
Coolidge will so to Smith this year and
lette and Davis vote to carry the State
Senator Henrik Shipstead, the big
man in the third party, has been
against the administration on the farm
question. He is up for reelection now
however. and has some influential Re-
publican support. He is moving eau
tiously and refuses to say whether he
will be for Hoover or Smith. He Gle
clined TO make any special comment
on the Hoover speech, but in public
talks to farmer audiences remarked
that the agricultural statement was not
specific enough
CHARLES B. CHENEY.