Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-09
WISCONSIN OFFERS
/ POLITICAL TANGLE
Clash of Parties and Varying
Issues Present Puzzle
to Other States.
BY BYRON PRICE.
Associated Press STAFF Writer.

BY BYRON PRICE.
Associated Press STAFF Writer.
MILWAUKEE,, Wis, October Odd
D. the ways of political independence
} Wisconsin continues TO keep her sister
States interested and puzzled, even in a
year when insurgency has become COM
fnonplace.
More than ever before, Wisconsin
politics in 1928 is like a homemade
souse. which has been, remodeled year
by year by many carpenters. At the
moment further alterations are under
~ay and the workmen themselves seem
resistant to predict whether the house
will be found on November to be
Facing east or west.
Many Forces at Work.
A fieeting glimpse of the chief archi-
Nects of the States political destinies
shows the young Senator La Toilette,
heir to his fathers leadership, running
for reelection as the Republican noni-
nee on a platform that favors beer and
the McNary- Haugen bill, and saying
nothing about Smith or Hoover, La Fol-
lette's Democratic opponent withdraw
ing in his favor; his Republican col
league, Senator Blaine, refusing to sup
port the party's presidential nominee; a
reconstructed Republican State organi-
NATION, headed by a gubernatorial nomi-
nee who won over La Toilette opposl-
sion, seeking to rally the States ire
nnendouS Republican majority under the
Hoover banner; Democratic committee
doing what it can to promote the Re-
publican split, and thus swing the State
to Smith Both sides are predicting
victory, but both are still hard at work.
The materials at hand are of the most
varied character. Taken more or less
at random, they may be inventoried, in
part, as follows: Wisconsin is Repub-
9ican state which followed its favorite
son, the elder La Toilette, on his third
party venture four years ago and gave
the Democratic nominee in that cleo
tSon but one-twelfth of its total popular
vote The count stood, La Toilette, 49,
676; Coolidge, 11,614; Davis, 68,115.
wisconsin Wet State.
Wisconsin is a wet State, which two
years ago Endorsed 2.75 per cent beer
BY vote of two to one. Once the home
of many breweriss, it is described in the
handbook of the Anti-Saloon League as
having continued a center of antl-pro-
hibition agitation"
Wisconsin is the country's leading
dairy State and her farm problem often
has been spoken of in terms Of pro-
tectiye tariff for dairy products.
Wisconsin has a citizenship embrac
ing a little more than the average per-
centage of Catholics and far above the
average percentage of German and
Scandinavian Lutherans, many of
whom harbor a long-standing antago-
nism toward Catholicism
wisconsin is interested in irnmiqra-
ton by virtue of her large foreign pop
ulation and her Germans and Scandi-
navians are being told by the Repub
1icsns that Gov Smiths immigration
policies would favor Southern Europe.
Large elements in the State are inter-
ested in the St. Lawrence waterway ia
vored by Hoover and in Government re-
tention Of water power sites, made a
talking point by Smith.
Political Upset.
One of the striking political events IN
Ese recent history of Northwestern poll
ties was the nomination of Walter J.
Kohler, a millionaire manufacturer, as
Republican candidate for governor over
che direct opposition Of the La Toilette
wing Of the party. His advent to lead
Grship was hailed by his friends as
marking a Wisconsin political epoch.
It was followed by refusal of the Re-
publican national committee to seat
La Toilette follower, Herman L. Ekern,
as national committeeman and Tecog-
milton in his place of George Wits. for
1ner president of the Wisconsin Manu-
facturers' Association. To complete the
reconstruction of the party machinery
the national organization has placed
active management of the Hoover cam
paign in the hands of Stephen j. Nc
D0t,1ar l.or VIII Gil &c
chairman of the wisconsin Hoover
Curtis campaign committee"
The opposition effort to consolidate
the Democratic and La Toilette vote
behind Smith, proceeding just now
under the added inspiration of the
nominees recent visit to Milwaukee,
takes the form of three-way cam
paign. It's central figure among the
Democrats is John NJ Callahan, the
national committeeman, who was
Smiths pre-convention campaign man
ager for Wisconsin He has been claim
ing the State for the Democratic ticket
ever since the Houston convention. As
Sociated with him are the officials of
the "Al Smith Clubs
The third element in the situation Is
the Progressive Republican" movement
for Smith, whose headquarters at Madi-
son are captained by Frank Kuehl, for
n1cr secretary 70 senator Blaine ana
now on leave from his post as Repub-
1ican assistant attorney general of the
State.
Socialists Are Factor.
Wisconsin is also one State where
the Socialist vote has been a consid-
cradle factor In 1920 the Socialist
presidential nominee, Eugene V. Debs,
polled $4,000 votes in the State. -Four
years ago the Socialists Endorsed La
Toilette. but this year the party again
has a nominee of its own, fact which
party analysts do not forget when they
are figuring on the verdict of the cleo
forate in Wisconsin four weeks from to-
day.