Evening star., 1928-10-22
RESULT IS TOSS-UP
IN NORTH CAROLINA
Politics Is WhirIigig of Argu-
: ment and Speculation as
Prophets Disagree.
BY BYRON PRICE,
Associa ted Press StaT Writer.

~'NA N~N
Carolina, with experienced politicians
6isagreeing whether the final turn will
give the State to Smith or Hoover.
Like other leaders of their party
throughout the South the Democratic
campaign managers declare reaction
has re-established the normal ascend
ancy. The Republicans say this claim
Is made without definite knowledge, and
purely for effect. Neither side is dis
posed TO speak in terms of large ma
jorities. and both concede that certain
Fundercurrents still make it difficult to
put the situation into exact figures.
The point of departure of all these
calculations is the fact that in North
, Carolina, as in no other Southern State,
the friends of Gov. Smi 4 face double
handicap. Not only is the presidential
nominee opposed by long-inf1uential
Democratic leader. in the person OF
Senator Simmons, but this is one State
of the Southern sisterhood where the
Republican party is no negligible guam
! tity. In the last two-way presidential
division. in 1920. Harding received 232,-
fS4S votes in this State, to 305,447 for
Cox.
White Leadership.
This is one State, too, in which the
Republican organization has not been
agitated and disturbed in the midst of
the campaign by revamping process
in the interests of "lily-white" Southern
Republicanism. In North Carolina the
party has been under white leadership
for many years. There were some fac
tional differences after the Kansas City
convention, but they were adjusted with
dispatch and the Statewide machinery
turned determinedly to the task of
gathering in these IL electoral votes for
Hoover
The anti-Smith Democratic organiza-
tion, being much newer, has not gone
into battle with the same coordination
of effort, nor does it number among its
personnel anything like as great a
number of experienced politicians.
Headed by Frank Monich, a Charlotte
lawyer, of limited political prominence,
its executive committee does include
men who have long been conspicuous in
the business, professional and educa-
tional affairs of the State. Senator
Simmons who resigned from the
Democratic national committee to op-
pose the party's national ticket. has not
gone fishing, as many Smith leaders
supposed he would, but has made one
public speech denouncing the Demo-
cratic nominee and is to deliver an
other during the present week.
Overman and Daniels for Smith.
Caught between the jaws of this dual
attack is a Democratic State organiza-
ton built up largely by Senator Sim
mons himself. and still functioning
with considerable purpose now that
Simmons is on the other side. Sim
mons colleague. Senator Overman, is
Stumping for Smith. So is Josephus
Daniels. Wilson'S Secretary of the
Navy and a pronounced dry. All of the
Democratic Congressman have indorsed
their party's ti-'-et Other elective
State officers a.1o have remained in
line. and the Democratic leaders now
reckon the effect of Simmons defec-
ton, not in term of its influence on
the central State organization. but in
relation to his personal following
among the voters
What this may mean as to the re-
construction of the Democratic party III
the State is not yet apparent. 1t is a
singular feature of the situation that
personal bitterness seems to have been
kept at a minimum. The Democratic
organization has not sought to dis
cipline the Smith dissenters as they
have been disciplined in some other
Southern States. Those members of
the State executive committee who
went over to the anti-Smith forces still
are members of the executive commit
tee. The anti-Smith committee is cir
culating literature in support of the
Democratic State ticke, pu out by the
regular State headquarters.
Nor has the discussion of issues run
70 such bitter lengths here rs in other
parts of the South. There has been
some public talk of religion and white
supremacy. but more of prohibition and
immigration. the two issues on which
the anti-Smith people declare the ncm-
inee has bolted the platform. The Re-
publicans have made insiStent use of
the tariff issue in their appeals to the
now-extensive manufacturing industry
OF the State.
Campaigns Separate.
North Carolina stands virtually alone
among the Southern States in the lack
Of fusion between the Republicans and
the anti-Smith Democrats Each or
ganization has not only maintained its
own identity, but the leaders say there
has been no cooperation between them
Each makes its campaign in its own
way with its own speakers and its own
literature. The anti-Smith Democrats
are emphasizing their opposition to
Smith rather than support for Hoover.
Even Senator Simmons has not said he
was for Hoover
These and other elements in the sit
uation make it impossible to include
North Carolina in most congratulations
as TO the campaign in the South. No
other State South of the border has
North Carolina's large percentage of Re-
publican voters, and no other State ex-
cept Alabama where the normal Re-
III a- - Eaa afr..s
has Democratic official of senatorial
rank campaigning against the party
ticket.
In Georgia, for instance, the cam
paign has brought together in Smiths
support elements of the State democracy
which have not been united before for
many years. while in States like Vir-
ginia and South Carolina the anti
Smith movement has brought down
upon its head the concerted condem-
nation of the ranking leaders of the
party.
There is no question that the Smith
Democrats OF North Carolina have
made a powerful resistance against the
double attack. and now they insist they
have the upper hand although the
opposition does not concede 1t. Much
work still is to be done on both sides.
The Republicans and Democrats both
are reaching down into their county
and precinct organizations just now to
determine the points where concentra-
ton is needed. In the course of this
process both have probed into the un-
measured reservoirs of now-recogniZed
"silent vote" whose voice on election
day-if heard at all-will be an i'm
portant factor in swelling the chorus
for Hoover or Smith.