New Britain herald., 1928-10-08
MINNESOTA Still
A DOUBTFUL STATE
Both Democrats and Re.
publicans Claim Its IL
Electoral Votes

ST. Paul, Mimi, Oct. S R--lt is
strange mixture of political as
pirations, some of them the common
heritage Of the whole northwest,
which has drawn Minnesota into a
conspicuous role in the political ex-
travaganza of 1928.
Farm relief, prohibition. the tariff,
the st. Lawrence waterway. and the
racial and religious characteristics
Of large foreign pt pulation all are
coming into play in making up the
decision OF Nov. 6.
What that decision will be still is
disputed In these early days of Oc-
tober BY tradition Minncsota's II
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
Hoover. This assertion is contra
dicted by the democrats who say
Gov. Smiths visit here gave impetus
to his campaign, and who are claim
ing better than an even chance to
pry the state away from its long
established 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
as better qualified than Gov. Smith
to deal with the problems Of agri-
culture. The democrats are claiming
wholesale republican defections
among the farmers. but the Hoover
people pronounce these claims
greatly exaggerated.
The bulk of Minnesota's dclega-
ticn 10 Kansas city was for Low
den and the McNary- -Haugen bill.
Atterward. there was a period of
uncertainty and delay before the
Hoover lines in the state were def
ritely drawn. Senator Schall. a re-
publican. at first said he could not
actively support Hoover, but later
he announced that he would do SO.
Two Of the best known farm lead
ers in the state. both republicans.
took the stump against the republi
can national ticket. One was Frank
W. Murphy, legislative representa-
tive Of the corn belt committee.
who as delegate at Kansas City
had helped carry the AcNary- -Hau-
gen fight to the floor of the Conven-
ton. The other was J. +. Reed. who
resigned as president of the state
farm bureau federation and now is
head of the Minnesota All-Party
Smith Robinson Clubs"
Minnesota's farm population is
predominently Of foreign descent,
and here the farm issue crosses with
prohibition and religion. The largest
group is German. rather wet. and
the next group in point OF size are
the Swedcs and the Norwegians.
rather 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 ther is wig
spread interest. particularly IN
northern Wisconsin, in the st. Law
renee waterway.
Such is the jumbo Of elements
which make up the high lights of the
picture--a picture which is better
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 divided along lines other
than the old accepted party lines.
The Dakotas have had their battles
over the non-p rtisan league. In Wis
consin the La Toilette off shoot DOM
mated the whole political field for
years. In Minnesota. the farmer
labor party rose to a 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 a breaking
down of the ordinary party distinc-
Continued on Page 17.)