The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-10-06
Spectacular Skirmishes Mark
Party Drives in Northern
Farm Belt
Republicans Claiming Half Of
the Electoral Votes in
Solid South
BY BYRON PRICE

concluding weeks with both sides
widening, rather than concentrating,
the front Of their attack.
Election day now Is just one
month ahead. In any ordinary cam
paign, the first week Of October
would see = large percentage Of the
states 30 definitely classified a. Re-
publican or Democratic as to exclude
them from the zone Of heavy fire.
But not in 1928. The Democrats are
expending precious time and talent
in such Republican strongholds as
Kansas and Iowa, while the Repub-
licans are claiming half the electoral
votes Of the south, and are seeking
to carry the Hoover appeal to every
voter in states like Georgia and
Texas.
One Of the most spectacular skir-
mishes Of the whole campaign is
taking place in the northern farm
belt, where for years the Dem
ocratic party has been in hopeless
minority. Governor Smiths passage
through North Dakota, Minnesota
and Wisconsin has been followed by
. rallying Of his friends and foes
alike. Senator Borah, summoninC
all Of his force and eloquence to the
support Of Hoover, has come into the
northwest to answer Smith. and Is
to be followed in turn by some of the
ablest Of the Democrats.
Turning From Smith
The Republicans, including James
w. Good, Hoover's western manager,
says the northwestern trend is now
away from Smith and that earlier
Republican apprehensions in that
quarter have been replaced by grow
ing confidence. The Democrats still
insist that farm defections from
Hoover are likely to turn this whole
group Of states into the Democratic
column.
While the party leaders were dis
putting over Mr.. Hoover's chances in
the south, the Republican nominee
himself contributed 4 memorable
chapter to the southern campaign by
bringing his heel down squarely on
Republican usa Of the religious is
sue against Governor Smith.
Kepudiating an anti Catholic tract
distributed by Mrs. Willie w. Cald-
well, Republican National commit
teewoman for Virginia, Mr.. Hoover
told party workers directly and ex-
plicitly that he wanted none of them
to attack his opponent on the ground
of religion.
Dixie Likes Hoover
The latest forecast Of the election
day verdict in the south came from
Horace A. Mann, the Hoover south
ern manager, just on the eve of the
nominees trip today into Tennessee.
Mann did not 60 into details but de-
c!ared Hoover would get as many
electoral votes ~ Smith in the
southern states.
Senator Fat Harrison, in charge
OF that same territory for the Dem
ocrats. replied that Mann was only
indulging "in Z whistling campaign"
to keep UP his spirits.
Back in the east Governor Smith
has spent the past week helping the
New York State Democracy start its
campaign, and considering his own
plans for the coming month. At the
party's convention at Rochester he
rendered an account Of his steward
ship as governor, lambasted the New
York Republicans, and was o cen
tral figure at the conference which
selected his friend Franklin D.
Roosevelt to head the Democratic
state ticket.
Smith Follows Hoover
Mr.. Smith is to make another ex-
cursion westward during October,
dipping into the border strip visited
today by Mr.. Hoover, and winding
up with . whirl through the cast in
the final days Of the campaign.
It Is not within the province of
these dispatches to predict who will
win the election = month from today,
or what issue, but it 1t least can
be ventured thus early that fewer
voters than ever before will enter
the voting booth without having
heard or read . great deal about
the candidates and the issues.
Both parties now have stable
armies of workers in the field, cam
paign literature has been distributed
by the train load, the radio has Civ
en- many thousands their first op-
portunity to hear the voice of 4
presidegtdal nominee, the newspa-
pers tie country over are crammed
with political news, and even in
these world series days, politics is
giving baseball ! run for It's money
on the street corner, and in the