Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-08
Dixie Made Real Political
battle-ground by PreSi-
dental Candidates.
BOTH PARTIES EXPRESS
CONFIDENCE IN OUTCOME
Fires of Prejudice, Famed by Wet
and Religious Issues, Continue
Dominant Feature.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,
STAFF Cnrresnnndent of The Star.

tide of political battle swept into the
old Volunteer State with Herbert
Hoovers address Saturday in Eliza
bethton and will be carried further TINS
week by the invasion of Gov. Smith
who comes to Chattanooga and Nash
Vile. 1t has been reckoned real
battle-ground this year much for the
same reasons that are influencing the
campaign in other States of the South
land.
Roth sides express great confidence IN
the outcome. The Democrats insist that
thev have checked to some extent the
drift from the Democratic ranks TO the
Republican which was in evidence soon
after Smith had been nominated by the
Houston convention. This may be true
in a measure. but the fires of prejudice
famed by the wet and dry and religious
issues. are still burning. The w. Z. l.
u. and other temperance organizations
are fighting Smiths election vigorously
Some of the Protestant ministers have
spoken and are speaking sCrongly
AGAINST the Democratic nominee. Or.
John Roach Straton of Calvary BaptlSl
Church. New York. delivered an address
SATURDAY. in Nashville, attacking Smith,
which was attended by 1000 persons
But in the main the anti-Smltn Demo
Gratis in this State do not appear 10 ne
so well organized as in North Caronna
and Virginia. AS things stand To-Day
Impartial observers, and even those VINO
tab
politics, are favorable to Hoover, believe
that the State is leaning to Smith.
Democrats Strongly Organized.
There are a number of reasons for
t1is In the first place the Democrats
are more strongly organized than the
Republicans, although the first ana
second Congressional districts are con-
trolled by the Republicans. Middle ana
western Tennessee are the Democratic
strongholds. Ordinarily Tennessee Is
said to have $4,000 70 4o,oOO Ienl9- lI
cratic majority. It is true that Presi-
dent Harding carried the State in 1920
bv 10000 votes against Cox and Pres
ident Coolidge lost it only by $4,000
votes. But in 1920 the postwar hostil-
itv to the Democratic party was strong.
Further, the Republicans had nom1nat-
ed that year a strong candidate Tor
governor. "Alf', Taylor, brother OF the
late "Fiddling Bob" Taylor, and the
Democrats had an unpopular candidate
against him. There was no great
amount of interest in John w. DAVIS
here, and the vote cast four years
ago was 100000 short of the vote IN
the 1920 election. This year, the Demo-
Gratis insist, the return of the Demo-
Gratis to party regularity is marked
a. Il Al
plus organization, that the Democrats
are counting for victory.
Hoover Address Well Received.
Mr.. Hoover's address Saturday, de-
.livered in the Tennessee mountains, to
an enthusiastic crowd Of half num-
dred thousand, is well received here
According to a dispatch in the News
Sentinel, Knoxville, which is supporting
Hoover, Mr.. Hoover has committed
himself to government operation OF
Muscle Shoals in an interview at john
son City. This will be popular in Ten
nessee, where there is the keenest in
terest in Muscle Shoals as well as In
the waterpoWer question generally. Ten
nessee has between one-siXth and one
fifth of the potential waterpower OF
the country within its borders, and
many of the people believe that the
state itself should benefit from these
great natural resources.
Mr.. Hoover made reference in hi
speech at Elizabethton to the desir'
ability of Government ownership ir
certain cases. The News-Sentine
quotes him as saying:
You may say that means Muscle
Shoals
The statement in his speech was helC
fn be thus interpreted as follows:
There are local instances where th
Government must enter the bushes
field as a by-product to some grea
major purpose. such as improvement II
navigation, flood control, irrigation
scientific research or national oeIense
but they do not vitiate the genera
policy (of private ownership to which
we should adhere"
Enthusiastic Over Meeting.
Renresentaive j. Will Taylor, VIII
returned to Knoxville today from Eliza
bethton. spoke enthusiastically OF tn
Hoover meeting and Mr.. Hoover's ad
dress
1T was a great gathering and grea
speech he said. Il feel sure tnat !
will stimulate the interest among tn
Republicans and win votes for tn
ticket
The Democratic national JlcKeI l.
Tennessee has the advantage OF tn
support of practically all the Demo
cratic political leaders. Few of then
have turned away.
Representative Cordell Hull tn
States favorite son, candidate for tn
Democratic presidential nomination
has taken the stump for Smith, al
though Mr.. Hull was the hope of tn
drys for some time in the preconventiol
campaign. Senator McKellar. anothe
ardent dry, who is himself up for re
election. is out and out for Smith. Sen
ator Tyson has been campaigning il
Kentucky and North Carolina for tn
Democratic national ticket. His hom
is here in Knoxville. and he predict
the victory of Smith Robinson "b
about the usual Democratic majority.
According to Gen. Tyson, conditions ar
improving for the Democrats rigt
along in Tennessee.
McKellar Is Given Edge.
Senator McKellar, who is a gres
vote-getter in this State. is oppose
by Mayor Fowler of Knoxville, forme
assistant attorney general and a wide
ly known attorney. McKellar is give
distinctly the edge in this contest. TT
present Democratic governor, Hortol
is running for governor against Rile
Hopkins. the Republican nomine
There was a desperate fight betwee
factions of the Democratic party in tt
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