Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-27
MATHEMATICS
IN Dem PLAN
TO WIN FIGHT
Progressive Bloc In
West Would Assure
Smith Win Claim;
C. O. r. Denies
by BYRON PRICE
Associated Press Staff Writer

SALT LAKE CITY. Utah. Sept. ~.
-tR1-An interesting mathematical
theory lies behind the democratic
bid FOR western electoral votes IN
1928. II is that Governor Smith.
once his views have been presented
fully to the western electorate, will
win the bulk of the support that
went to Senator La Toilette in the
three-cornered campaign Of 1924.
Adding this to the vote given John
Smith victory in a number of states
which Coolidge carried without hav-
ing a clear majority over the COM
bined vote of his opponents.
This, il should be understood. In
purely a democratic thesis, 20 which
the Hoover managers do not sub
scribe. The republicans deny that
the La Toilette vote, on even the
western progressive" vote. can be
treated automatically as a unit, ca
pable OF transfer en- masse from one
allegiance to another. Republican
donesters say, furthermore. that
most Of those who voted for La Fol
lette were republicans and that they
naturally will return to the paternal
~hearthstone now that the La Toilette
party is no more.
Hopes On ~Procressives
The hopes or the democrats IN this
matter have their beginning in the
well established western urge toward
progressive policies''-a term often
used but variouslv defined. Rooss-
Welt. always a western idol. selected
the name progressive" for his third
party in over twelve years before
the same label was chosen for the
third party venture az La Toilette.
It is the belief Of democratic mana
gers that before the campaign IA
over. Governor Smith will have given
convincing proof Of his devotion 10
progressive" principles.
For whatever it may Re worth.
here is the way the democrats apply
their reasoning 70 the Rocky noun
tain group Of states as a whole:
How It's Figured
The group includes eight states.
all classified ordinarily As republi-
can states and all claimed today BY
the republicans Montana, Idaho.
Wyoming, COLORADO. Utah. Nevada.
Arizona and New Mex..a. In six of
these states. the republicans have
been in the majority in three out
Of the last four presidential cleo
tions. The one republican sweep
was the Harding landslide Of 1920.
All eight were carried By Wilson IN
1915. Coolidge carried them All in
1924. but only in Wyoming and Col
orado did his vote exceed the COM
hined "anti-rcpublican" vote cast
for Davis and La Toilette.
These eight states together have
but 80 electoral votes. just two
thirds the number accorded New
York state alone. When Governor
Smith was nominated AZ Houston.
many politicians believed he would
stake everything on a combination
Of east and south. and would leave
this western corridor to take care Of
itself. Instead. the democratic nom
inee aireday has delivered two cam
paign speeches in this section, and
the democratic organization il dis
putting all states with considerable
yigor.
The regional managers an the Gem
ocratic western campaign at head
quarters here expect these two ad-
dresses 70 greatly aid IN swinging
the La Toilette vote into the Smith
column in November.