Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-12
THREE STATES HELD
CERTAIN FOR c. 0. P.
IN NEW ENGLAND
Three Others Massachu-
setts. Connecticut. Rhode
IsIand-Seen Debatable.
WET ISSUE BELIEVED
SMITH ASSET THERE
National Democratic Victory
Would Be Difficult Without
Bay State Votes.
By G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

B1 IT,. uOCLD AAANSoA-'
New Ensland's A electoral votes have
been for years safely Republican IN
presidential elections. A combination
of circumstances and issues make three
Of the six States debatable ground this
vear for which Herbert Hoover and
Gov. Smith must fight
Three of the New England Stats
I NAV be set down as safely Republican
Maine has already spoken in its State
election held Monday. 1t will go Re-
nublican in November just as IL OLD
IN September. Vermont will vote 1ot
Hoover and Curtis beyond question OF
doubt. and New Hampshire, unless the
Renublicans allow themselves to be
hired into a sense of false security ana
overconfidence, should be in the Re-
npblican column on election day.
There are left the three debataole
States. Massachusetts. Connecticut ana
Rhode Island. In all three OF tness
States the Democrats have cnance
to win for Smith and Robinson; Ma Mns-
sachusetts. with its Is electoral VoteS
is the particular prize for which noth
parties are struggling in this Ne"
ENGLAND section.
The three States which may be ac-
counted safe for the Republicans have
. total of IA votes in the electoral col
lego. The three so-called debataole
States have 80. This is not so gooo
from the Republican point OF view ana
makes New England one of the mann
backgrounds of the country In the
presidential election Indeed, IL Is
almost impossible to figure any way
in which Gov. Smith could be elected
If he failed, for example, to carry
Massachusetts and one or two OF the
other New England States. Gov Smith
might. on the other hand, carry Massa-
chusetts and one or two other New Eng
land States and still fail to win the
country.
Unrest in Mill Cities.
!, In New England the same issues and
factors which make Smith a strong
candidate in New York and New Jersey
apply, with an added circumstance
which must not be diScounted-the un-
rest in the mill cities due to the depres-
sion in the textile industry In this
section of the country.
Like New York and New Jersey, New
England possesses strong wet sentl-
ment. Two of the New England States
never ratified the eighteenth amend
ment to the ConStitution-Conn
and Rhode Island. 1t is doubtful if they
would ratify it now if it were put to a
! vote in those States. Massachusetts,
has been dry in various votes but by
q very narrow margin, and there are
:; today not few Republicans who insist
they will vote for Gov Smith as pro-
test against prohibition and the stand
the Republican national candidate has
taken against the repeal Of the eight
eenth amendment.
In Maine the wet and dry issue is
rather help to the Republicans than
the Democrats. for Maine has been a
pioneer in prohibition and is proud of
it. Vermont is rated dry, but whether
it be dry or not, Vermont is SO strongly
Republican from tradition and its over
whelming Yankee population that not
the most enthusiastic Democrat would
claim even remote chance of carrying
that State. New Hampshire has its
wet spots and doubtless Smith will gain
some votes there on the prohibition
issue
As the old stock of New England has
moved West in large numbers, thou
sands of newcomers to the United
States have filled up the cities and fac
".
of these States, with the exception OF
Vermont has a large percentage OF
<foreign-born white citizens and citizens
of immigrant parentage. Next to Ver-
mont Maine has fewer immigrants and
retains more of the old stock.
Appeals to Foreigners.
In the past these groups of foreign
born voters and voters of immigrant
parentage have been divided, some vot-
ing the Republican and some the Demo-
cratic ticket. For example, the French
Americans and Canadian Americans
have followed the Republican standard
IN Rhode Island, massachusetts,, New
Hampshire and Maine. while the Irish
Americans have for the most part been
counted in the Democratic party. This
year the Democrats have nominated for
President candidate who makes a
special appeal to the newcomers to
America and to the Irish-Americans
who have always been active in politics
in this part of the country. Gov. Smith
Is himself the son of an immigrant
father who came to New York from
Ireland. Furthermore, Gov. Smith and
his career in New York are almost as
we'll known to the people of Connecticut
Massachusetts and Rhode Island as tC
the people of New York. They are
located at the back door of New York
And Gov. Smith makes great persona
appeal to the voters in these States
There is no doubt of that whatever.
The conditions growing out OF de-
'pression in the textile industry prob
ably are more potent as Democratic
aid in Massachusetts, than in any OF tht
other New England States. though they
exist. too. in New Hampshire. Rhode
Island and Connecticut. The cottor
mills and some of the WOODEN mills have
been hard hit in recent years, due tt
the growth OF similar mills in the
Southern States to foreign competition
end to the fact that women In thi
country have taken to wearing les
clothing, and very little cotton clothing
Strike conditions have existed in New
Bedford, Mass, for months and the ent
As not yet in sight. The Nationa
Guard was called out to deal with tn
strikers in that city. and calling out tn
National Guard in industrial controver
sizes has been a forerunner to politica
lpSets in New England States in pas
wears. While strike conditions hav,
not existed in other cities recently, tn,
mill workers have been forced to TAX
cuts in wages-which the mill owner
g explain is due to the fact that TIN
mills are not making money or are run
ming at an actual loss.
New England has been welded to tn
Republican tariff system for years Tha
scvsten1 built up the great manufactur
n tCoutinued on Page 2. Column A.