Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-24
OBSERVERS PLACE
OHIO AS SAFELY IN
HOOVER'S COLUMN
Estimates of Republican Lead
Run From 250,O00
to 100000.
DEMOCRATIC TICKET HELD
LOST IN RURAL SECTIONS
Dry Sentiment Works Against
Smith-Colored Vote Is Not
Viewed Dominant Factor.
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

COLUMBUS, ONO, OcGoper "a how
can you expect Gov. Smith to carry
rural Ohio when it has been dem
onstrated again and again that he cam
not carry rural New York?'
This was the question asked me yes
terday, not by a Republican, but by
one of the most prominent Democrats
in Ohio. He answered the question
himself:
''You can't expect him to do SO,
and Gov. Smith can't carry the farm
areas of this State, and no more can
he carry the farm areas of other Mid
die West States
EpitOmizes Situation.
In a measure the question and answer
epitornize the political situation today
in practically all of the great Middle
West and West.
The Democrats in Ohio, when they
are speaking frankly and 'off the rec
ord" admit that Ohio's "a. electoral
votes are safely Hoover's. They make
a show of going through with the ma
tional campaign here, but the odds are
all against them.
chairman, however, insists that Smith
has a chance to carry Ohio. He argues
that Smith will carry the cities, includ-
ing Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Day.
ton, Columbus and Youngstown. He
is relying, he says, upon the vets, or
ganized labor and various racial groups,
including the German-Americans the
Hungarians, the Greeks and the negroes
for support of Smith. He relies also
+Jal fa, arNA h.
licanS who favored the late Senator
Willis in the preconvention campaign
against Hoover. If, he says the Re-
publican lead in the rural parts of
Ohio and small towns can be kept
down to $4,000, Smiths lead in the
cities should bring him victory.
Hoover Given Edge.
Very different is the picture drawn
by impartial observers of the situation
in Ohio Their estimates of the Hoover
lead over Smith run all the way from
25O.00O as a minimum to 100000 as
maximum. There is grave doubt, they
say, that Smith win carry CuyahQga
County, which includes Cleveland, or
Hamilton County, which includes Gin
cinnati, both wet and both regarded
as the two cities in which Smith has
the greatest chance Of rolling up
big vote.
The Ohio state Journal is conduct
ing poll of the State, as has been its
practice in political campaigns here
since 1906. This poll is made with the
greatest care, and has proved remark
ably accurate, failing only to call the
turn in one senatorial race in which
former Senator Pomerence was parti-
ciparat. At the last moment in that
campaign Pomerene angered organized
labor and he was defeated. The poll
now shows Hoover running far ahead
of Smith and working 1t out on per-
centage basis, 1t is expected that Hoover
will have 100000 lead over Smith on
election day. The Cincinnati Enquirer
also is making a poll and it, too, shows
that the trend is all toward Hoover,
and while it does not forecast SO large
a majority for the Republican candi-
date, it figures Hoovers lead well up
in the hundreds of thousands.
Viewed Lost State.
The plain truth of the matter is that
the Democrats themselves have regard
ed Ohio as a lost State as far as Smith
is concerned from the first of the cam
paign. They are centering their efforts
more particularly on the gubernatorial
race. Gov. Smith, in his campaign
tours of the West has not sought to
invade Ohio.
Ohio is a dry State. 1t has voted dry
again and again. The Anti-Saloon
League of America for years had its
headquarters In the State. 1t has been
a dominant force often in the politics
of Ohio, and it is working hard this
wear to defeat Smith. Ranged with 1t
in this effort is the w. G. T. u, now
holding its annual convention in Co.
Iumbus At its opening meeting Mon
day Mrs Florence D. Richard, preSi-
dent of the State organization, dayed
Smith and praised Hoover amid wild
applause.
I'VE are opposed to putting bar
keepers apron on Uncle Sam" was
her opening shot at the Democratic
ticket, and eulogiZing Mr.. Hoover, she
said "He does not drink; he knows the
constructive side of prohibition; he is q
man of culture and refinement; he has
never spoken a word or performed an
act favorable to the sale of liquor; he
has given service to humanity, not tc
a political machine; he is the man
Woodrow Wilson picked to undertake
the largest job of the war, etc. etc. etc.
While there are great many Cath
olic voters in Ohio, the ProteStantS
far outnumber them and the religious
issue is having its effect here as well
dS E1S6Wll6I6. buI Tile Op1IllOtl Va oOllls
of the shrewdest politicians here is that
If the religious issue were not involved
the State would still go for Hoover
largely on the dry issue, the prepon-
derance Of Republicans over the DEM
ocrats, and the preference of the busi-
ness interests for a Republican national
administration.
Registration Is Large.
In Ohio, as in other places, there has
been a larger registration than in tht
past. The Democrats insist that the,
benefit by this increase in the numbel
of voters, saying that many of thu
wives of the working men have neve,
voted before and that they are nov
coming out for Smith, and that tn
same applies to the wives of many o
the foreign groups and of the Cath
olic voters. The Republican women
organizations have been very active
however, in their efforts to get tn
women to the polls this year, and
is generally believed that Mr.. Hoove
will benefit greatly thereby. Indeel
it is estimated that three out of ever
four women will vote for Hoover ol
election day in Ohio.
It was in Ohio that Mrs. Mabel Wal
ker Willebrandt stirred the politica
cauldron by addressing the Ohio Meth
cdist Conference at Springfield an,
Northeast Ohio Methodist Conferenc
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