The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-08
Muddled Mass Of National Is
sues Coming Into Play in
Hectic Fight
Hoover and Smith Party Lead
ers Vie in Proclaiming
Each Victorious
BY BYRON PRICE

st. Paul, Mimi, Oct. 8.-(AP)-
It is q strange mixture Of political
aspirations, some Of them the COM
mon heritage Of the whole north
west, whic,. has drawn Minnesota
into conspicuous role in the politi-
cal extravaganza of 1928.
Farm relief, prohibition, the tariff,
the st. Lawrence waterway. and the
racial and religious characteristics
of q large foreign population all are
coming into play in making up the
decision f Nov. 6.
What that decision will be still IS
disputed in these early days Of Octo-
Der. By tradition Minnesota's u
electoral votes should belong in the
Republican column, and the Repub-
lican leaders declare that within the
past two weeks they have seen the
tide setting in steadily toward Hoov-
err. This assertion is contradicted
by the Democrats, who say Gov.
Smiths visit her. gave impetus to
his campaign, and who are claiming
better than an even chance to pry
the state away from its long-estab-
lished Republican anchorage.
The farm question has been the
principal lever Of the Smith men,
and in public discussion this issue
has outstripped every other. The
Republicans have taken up the chal-
lenge of their opponents, and are
presenting Mr.. Hoover to the voters
rs better qualified than Gov. Smith
to deal with the problems Of agri-
culture. The Democrats are claim
ing wholesale Republican defections
among the farmers, but the Hoover
people pronounce these claims great
" exaggerated.
Party Lineup Delayed
The bulk Of Minnesota's delegation
to Kansas City was for Lowden and
the McNary ''augen bill. Afterward,
there was q period of uncertainty
and delay before the Hoover lines in
the state were definitely drawn.
Senator Shall, a Republican, at
first said he could not actively sup
port Hoover, but later he announced
that he would do so. Two of the
best-known farm leaders in the
state. both Republicans, took the
stump against the Republican Ma
tional ticket.
One was Frank w. Murphy, legis-
lative representative Of the corn belt
committee, who resigned as presi-
dent of the state farm bureau feder-
alton and now is head Of tn min
nesota all-party Smith, Robinson
clubs"
Minnesota's farm population is
predominantly of foreign descent,
and here he farm issue crosses with
prohibition and religion. The larg-
est group is German, rated wet, and
the next two groups in point Of size
are the Swedes and the Norwegians,
rated dry. Thousands of all three
Nationalities are members Of the
Lutheran church, and there is among
them all much talk of the religious
issue. The tariff is strongly urged
by the Republicans as an aid to the
farmer, and there is widespread in
terest, particularly in northern Wis
consin, in the st. Lawrence water
way.
Political Background
Such is the tumble Of elements
which make up the high lights Of
the picture,-a picture which is bet
ter understood when it is examined
against the background Of the re-
cent political history Of the north
west. Throughout this whole region,
for one reason or another, the voters
have been dividing along lines other
than the old accepted party lines.
The Dakotas have had their battles
over the Nonpartisan League. In
Wisconsin the La Toilette offshoot
dominated the whole political field
for years. In Minnesota. the Farm
er-Labor party rose to q strength
which has permitted it to debate
seriously for state control.
These various movements have not
followed parallel lines in all respects,
but they all are illustrative Of the
tendency toward breaking down of
the ordinary party distinctions.
What the Democrats hope to do this
year is to extend this shifting about
of party allegiances to the National
ticket, on a major scale. Itself
greatly outnumbered, the Democrat.