The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-09-21
AIS RACE IS BUNIPY
in SOLD SOUTH
By ART SHITLDS, Fed. Press

Ashvielle, N. C.-North Caroline
and Tennessee are rough places Tor
AL Smiths race for the White House.
His chances in the two states are very
much Sin the bag" as the sporting
writers would say. It's anybody S
guess as to who will win the "a cleo
toral votes of this part OF the once
Solid South.
John w. Davis beat Coolidge III
Tennessee four years ago by l58,4O4
to 130,SS2, and in North Carolina had
284,272 to Calls 191, 753 votes. But
the dope for 1924 is out of date in
this topsy turvy campaign when two
new propaganda elements, the liquor
issue and religious prejudice, fill the
air with smoke and steam.
White corn liquor is available for
all who want it at one dollar a pint,
but the Volstead act is a vote winner
in the South, and Ais wetness hurts
him in Dixie though it may help him
in New Jersey and New York. Still
more enmity is being mustered by
country preachers and others because
of his Roman Catholic affiliations,
though the average Southerner has
rarely met a Catholic
Never since Reconstruction days
has tn democracy been so divided in
tn enear South. Senator Simmons
desertion of the party standard bear
er was a serious blow to Smith, for
Simmons, the darling of the water
power interests, also has large fol-
lowing in the rural sections which he
won a generation ago when he went
into leadership on an anti-negro plat
form. His recent denunciation of
Smith got the approval of the Win
ston Salem Journal and the Charlotte
Observer, leading dailies reflecting
the tobacco and textile interests in
the two largest towns in North Caro-
lima.
True enough, some Of the water
power politicians are supporting Al,
but that is just one of the many con-
tradictions in a very contradictory
campaign. One such supporter is o.
Max Gardner, democratic candidate
for governor and cotton mill presi-
dent and power company booster. He
is not aiding Smith more than is nee
escsary to preserve his party regular
ity, and he will take couple Of days
from the campaign October and 9
to speak at the Appalachian Power
Conference in Atlanta, ale with
public utility heed and o.hc. south
ern politicians
Labor itself is divided in this con-
fusing campaign. In Tennessee Ma
jor George J.. Berry, Smiths labor
attache, was able to get W. C. Birth
right, secretary of the state fedora
ton, as his Tennessee labor commit
teeman. But in North Carolina the
federation heads refused to serve, and
the Raleigh Union Herald, a privately
owned labor paper which has the en-
dorsenent Of the state federation, has
run several anti-Smith articles.
One of the barriers to labor support
of Smith in North Carolina is the an
ti-labor character of state party Of
ficials. Ex-Governor Cameron Nor
/ rison. Simmons successor on the ma
/ tional committee, is an illustration.
Labor burned its fingers with Morri-
son years ago. Running for office.
Morrison gave favorable answers to a
set of questions put b. the unions and
got their support in The democratic
primary. Yet in his first wear as
governor he sent troops AGAINST one
group of strikers and butted into an
other strike with a speech against
unionism