The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-06
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6.-The
w Anti-Saloon League takes the
count again. Political Washington
today is trying to estimate the ma
tional significance of the dry Or
carnations failure to come back"
in the State primary of wet Wis
consin.
Governor Fred r. Zimmerman,
first Wisconsin Governor to be de-
1eated for denomination in thirty
eight years, attributes his terrific
beating by two wet opponents partly
70 the Anti-Saloon Leagues in
dorsement.
though political observers here
know that many other factors en-
tered into the primary results. they
are asking whether the thinner
man vote-or absence of vote-does
not signify that more farm dis
trictS in Wisconsin are shifting over
to the side of the wet cities, such as
Milwaukee.
AT any rate, representatives Of wet
organization profess to see in the
surprisingly small vote of the Anti
saloon Leagues gubernatorial can
dldate in Wisconsin additional
proof that prohibition is losing
ground, even in its stronghold of the
agrarian Middle West.
The Hoover organization is inter-
ested particularly because of tte
reports of such Republican scouts as
Senator Capper of Kansas that AL
Smith has a better chance of carry
ing Wisconsin than any middle
western or western State.
With the primary result giving
The two wet candidates for Gov
ernor f1ve votes to every one for the
dry contender, the appeal in that
doubtful State of the wet presi-
Dental candidate, Smith, becomes a
nightmare to the Hoover forces.
Zimmerman not only had the ac-
tive support of the w. @. T. U. and
the Anti-Saloon League. but also
campaigned under the Hoover BAN
ner.
n
HOOVER carefully refrained
4 l. from taking sides as between
zimmerman and Walter j. Kohler.
the successful candidate. Kohler.
the new leader of the regular
republican or anti-LaFollette
forces, is wet Hooverite.
He is not a professional ,oIi+iciav,
but rich manufacturer of plumb
ing supplies.
republican politicians here pro-
claim Kohler's nomination over
Joseph D. Beck, the LaFollette can
oldate, as a tremendously signifi-
cant defeat of the Progressive Or
ganization which has dominated
the State for so many years. Pro-
gressives deny this.
Progressives point out that it was
a split race, confused by the cam
dldacy of Governor Zimmerman,
who was a member of the Progress
S1ve organization until his break
with the La Follettes two years ago.
Furthermore, incomplete returns
indicate that the combined votes
for Zimmerman and the Progress.
sive Beck exceeded the vote of the
victorious "stalwart" Kohler by
more than 10000.
The entire Progressive State
ticket, except for Governor, was
successful. The Progressives are re-
Joicing over the denomination ok
Senator LaFollette. Young Bob's
primary victory which amounts
practically to reelection in Novem-
Der. generally was taken for granted.
But his present two-to-one vic.
tory, compared with his hard fight
to finish his fathers unexpired
term in the Senate shows that his
personal following is even stronger
than had been expected.
Il
THERE is, however, a clear dis
l. tinction between the personal
following a United States Senator
may have, and the political machine
which dominates his State. The
elder La Toilette had both, and the
conservative Republicans emphasize
that with Kohler's nomination
young Bob's State machine is weak
ened seriously.
But all discussion here over the
national implications of the Wiscon-
sin primary comes back to its In
fluence on the Hoover Smith battle.
Because of the regular Republicans
success in the gubernatorial primary,
it is assumed that young Bob is now
prevented from endorsing AL Smith.
In any event, it was more probable
that La Toilette would have taken
neutral attitude toward Hoover
rather than have fought Hoover
openly. Senator Blairc progressive,
has been flirting with Smith, how
ever, and the primary results may
have the effect of stopping that, as
the Republican national committee
anticipates.
If the Wisconsin presidential race
is as close as politicians of both
parties believe, this factor may help
neutralize for Hoover the strong ap-
peal of Smith in that State as a wet.
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