Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-05
SIMMONS ENM|TY
SMITHS BIG FEAR
IN NORTH CAROLINA
Democrats Sincerely Hope
That Senator Will Not
Become More Active.
VOTE BY PARTY LEADER
FOR HOOVER UNCERTAIN
Republicans Have Chance, but, in
Main, State Leans Toward
Regularity.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Stad Correspondent of The Star.


Staf Correspondent of The Star.
ASHEVILLE, N. c., October 5.-A
short pleasant spoken but grimly deter
mined man, verging on "a years Of age,
is giving the Smith forces in this State
more concern than any other single fac
tor in the campaign.
He is Furnifold NJ. Simmons. senior
Senator from North Carolina and the
admitted political boss of the State for
80 years.
Senator Simmons frank determine
ton not to support Gov. Smith for elec-
ton, announced after the Democratic
nominee had, as Senator Simmons
charges. thrown overheard the prohibi-
ton plank of the Democratic national
platform and had appointed John J.
RaSkob, former Republican and ardent
wet, to manage his campaign, was a
rallying call to the anti-Smith Demo-
Gratis of the State. 1t was followed by
the formation of the anti-Smith Demo-
cratic committee, which has in its mem-
bershfp men reputed to be worth mil
lions of dollars
VIII Vote State Ticket.
While Senator Simmons has declared
his opposition to voting for Smith, he
His intimates say he will not vote at all
for President, but will vote for the
Democratic State ticket. But he has
gone so far as to say if he had a son
he would urge him to vote and would
not urge him to vote for Smith.
Now this anti-Snith Democratic conf
mittee, which, like the Republican State
committee, has its headquarters in Char
lotte, the largest city in the State. is
following Senator Simmons, with the eX-
ception that it is urging Democrats to
90 the whole way and vote Tor Hoover
against Smith.
It. too, is demanding the election Of
the Democratic State ticket. The Re-
publicans, in the hope of swinging the
State into the Republican column, are
doing little or nothing for their State
ticket, which they figure they could not
elect in any event. In some counties
they ere not putting forward any can
didatss at all.
1t is quite true that the opposition to
Gov. Smith among the Democrats would
not be so strong. just because Senator
SimomnS is opposed to the New Yorker,
if back of it all were not the fact that
the majority of Democrats of North
Carolina never did want Smith nom
mated. They do not like hin1-as a
presidential candidate. If Senator Sim
mons, however, had gone along with the
rest of the Democratic political leaders,
who almost to man have declared they
will support the national ticket this
year, the chances of the State going Re-
publican would be much less than they
are now. Unquestionably many OF the
men who are now opposing Smith would
have followed the same course, but they
would not have had the veteran leader
as a kind of rallying post.
Claim Aid to Party.
Senator Simmons and the members
of the anti-Smith Democratic organiza-
ton say they are out to save the
Democratic party in North Carolina by
bringing about the defeat of Smith.
One thing appears quite clear, If SEN
ator Simmons had not taken the stand
he did, and a Democratic anti-Smith
organization had not been formed,
pledged against Smith but supporting
the Democratic State committee, many
of the Democrats now following this
lead would in all probability have gone
over bag and baggage to the Republican
ranks and have stayed there. As it is,
Senator Simmons is expected to lead
the Democrats bolting the Democratic
ticket, back into the party fold after
the election is over.
North Carolina is a real battle
ground this year Not because of Re
publican strength - though there is
more of it than in other Southern
StateS-but because of the opposition
of Democrats to Gov Smith. This op-
position, if combined with the Repub-
lican strength at the polls may carry
the State for Hoover. Many of tl1s
Democrats will content themselves with
merely staying away from the polls, OF ,
with voting the State ticket and letting
the national ticket slide.
There are two factors which the
Democratic leaders are counting on,
however. to win for them in the end,
party regularity and the race question,
which they have dug up again and
busted of for this particular campaign.
In ordinary campaigns these days
party regularity would be enough to
carry the State. The best Judgment Of
conservative Democratic leaders is that
these two factors will in the end line
up North Carolina for Smith. But some
OF them Will tell you that there are
days when they actually wonder if their
Judgment is correct and when fear of
the outcome creeps into their hearts.
The Democratic leaders are relying also
on the younger generation to help them
carry the State.
AHo campaign mas month TO run.
The Democratic leaders are holding
their breath lest Senator Simmons
should actually become active in the
last part of the month. They are
hoping he will rest on what he has
done, having made his position clear
and let 1t go at that If Senator Sim
mons should come out with a speech or
two urging the Democrats of the State
to vote against Gov. Smith, the fat
might well be in the fire so far as a
Democratic victory here is concerned.
There are those who see Senator
Simmons leadership In the State slip
ping. There are a couple Of Democratic
spell-binders, H. S. Ward. former Repre-
Continued on Page 4, Column IL