Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-10
Some Democrats Show Signs
of Returning to Smith Fold,
but G. 0. P. Has Edge.
LAKE CARGO COAL CASE
UTILIZED BY BOTH SIDES
Democrats Make Real Effort to
Swing Part of Colored Vote-Re-
ligious Issue a Boomerang.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,
STAFF Correspondent nf The Star.

LOUISVILLE, KY, NOctober 10.-Un-
less there is big shift in sentiment
before election day, Kentucky is going
for Hoover and against Smith.
While there are indications that some
OF the Democrats who few weeks ago
were set on boiling the party's national
ticket are now returning to the fold,
and that there is a reaction in favor of
Smith because of the interjection of
the religious issue, the Republicans still
hold the edge.
Two things are worrying the Repub-
llcanS somewhat. One Is the situation
IN the coal mining section. located in
the strongly Republican tenth and elev-
enth congressional districts. The other
is the indication that a considerable
number of negro voters may go for
Smith. They believe in the end, how
ever, that the great majority of col
ored voters will be faithful to the Re-
publican party. The situation in the
mining districts they regard as more
serious.
Anonymous Leaflets Sent.
1t would be a strange situation if
the colored vote in this border State
should carry it for a Democratic presi-
Dental candidate. There is no doubt
Democratic leaders are looking with
some hope to negro support. but they
are not advertising it widely here, be-
cause of the effect 1t might have on
Democratic voters in this and other
States of the South.
Leaflets addressed to mfr. and Mrs.
Colored Citizen" are being distributed
anonymously, presumably by AL Smith
colored clubs, in which the negroes are
told it is time for them to assert
themselves that they must prove they
hold the balance of power and that at
present they get nothing from the Re-
publicans because they feel sure OF the
negro anyway and nothing from the
Democrats because they do not think
they can get the colored vote.
In the Louisville News, a newspaper
published for the colored, Ku Klux Klan
support of the Republican national
ticket is emphasized, and at the same
time the favorable consideration given
the negroes by Tammany in Harlem,
New York. The fact that Gov. Smith
is the target of the Klan and that in
New York City the negroes have been
favorable to Smith, is being used with
some effect to Wean the colored voters
away from their traditional alliance to
the Republican party.
Lake Cargo Case Used.
The Democrats are making the best
use they can of the charge that the
Kentucky coal fields have been Stran-
gled in their competition with the coal
fields of Pennsylvania for the Great
Lakes business under a Republican ad-
.s.k..- ytF1Tr a
of the Kentucky coal mines are shut
down or operating on part time,
with thousands of miners out OF
work and business in the coal region
generally bad. The Republicans counter
with the statement that Judge Charles
C. McChord, Democrat, member OF
the Interstate Commerce Commission
when the commission in 1925 decided
the lake cargo freight rate case In favor
of Kentucky, wrote a dissenting decision
favoring Pennsylvania and Ohio. This
dissenting opinion, they say, encour-
aged Pennsylvania and Ohio to reopen
the case in 1927, when the commission
reversed itself and gave Pennsylvania
and Ohio freight differential IN favor
of those States and against Kentucky
amounting to AS cents ton.
Democratic leaders insist that the
Republican majority in the tenth and
eleventh congressional districts, noun
tain districts, which have been the Re-
publican stronghold, will be cut way
down this year because of the distressed
conditions arising out of the shutdown
of the mines. Republicans point out,
however, that in the gubernatorial con-
test last year Gov. Sampson, Repub-
lican carried those districts by large
majorities Notwithstanding the fact that
the Democrats made much OF the coal
issue They insist the Republicans will
DO the same this election
Representative Robson Of the elev-
enth district, who is taking leading
part in this campaign, insists that Ken
lucky will give $4,000 to $4,000 plu-
rality to Hoover.
Danger Is OvercOnfidence.
One fact stands out in the survey of
the political situation here. The Re-
publicans are really confident of carry
ing the State, while the Democrats can
only be characterized as hopeful. One
danger the Republicans face is that OF
overconfidence. The Democrats insist
that their reports indicate a definite
swing toward the Smith ticket. Senator
Barkley, one of the driest of the dry,
who has been selected to conduct the
campaign for the Democratic ticket in
this State, insists that none of the eight
congressional districts now represented
by Democrats will be lost and that the
State will give Smith $4,000 plurality.
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