Evening star., 1928-10-13

into campaign which was languiSh1n2
on the part of the Democrats before the
governor came into the State, it is said.
Religious Charges.
The organization has put out pos
ter which bears the caption: Sec
tartan Poison SpreaderS Exposed. 1t
charges the Republican party with To-
menting religious intolerance, assert
ing that, in spite of denials, the source
of the sectarian ISLANDERS have been
traced to the Republican party. The
poster refers to the whispering cam
paign" and asserts that "a strange
woman calls at homes to make known
that if Smith is elected there will be
no free schools and free churches.
This story is told to little children in
Oklahoma City and elsewhere"
While the power of the Klan, as an
organization, has materially declined IN
Oklahoma, Imperial Wizard Hiram
Evans is actively engaged, 1t is SAID
in trying to revive the organization
here. He is sending a circular ietter
into the State, using the candidacy
of Gov. Smith as an argument for
building up again the Klan member
ship. Klansmen still hold several hun-
dred offices under the State govern
ment. But they are keeping In the
background, fearing, perhaps, to lose
their places if they become too openly
active. I was at Democratic meet
ing here when a speaker declared tnat
all office holders who are not support
ing Smith should be turned out" and
the sentiment brought the greatest ap--
plause of the meeting. 1t is clear that
the Democrats feel they are being
stabbed in the back by some OF these
office holders.
Whispering Campaign.
Not all the whispering campaign Is
against Smith in this State. Not by
jugfull Democrats are doing their best
to paint Mr. Hoover as pro- British,
anti-German, etc. They are claiming
he was baptized Catholic. married a
Catholic and was married by a Cathlolc
priest. And so the political war goes
on There is some attempt here and
there to discuss economic issues in
volved in the campaign, waterpoWer,
the tariff, the farm problem, but IN
the main the Democrats are engaged
in defending Smith, asserting that
vote against him is regilious intolerance,
and declaring that he would be unable
to change the prohibition laws If elected
and that he would enforce them far
better than they have been enforced
under Republican rule.
The Democrats claim that LABOR
generally will vote for Smith. They
say there is $4,000 Socialists in the
State and the large numbers will sup
port Smith. However, this Socialist
vote has in the past been cast for can
didates of its own, and this year Nor
man Thomas is their candidate for
PRESIDENT. La Toilette received 4l,OOO
votes in 1924 in Oklahoma, many OF
them Socialist votes. AS in other
States, the Democrats hope to corral
much OF the La Toilette votes
Two Other Voting Groups.
There are two other large groups of
voters in the State who are being
anxiouslv watched this year by both
sides. One is the Indian vote and the
other the negro vote The fact that
Senator Curtis of Kansas, the Repub-
lican nominee for Vice President has In
dian blood in his veins Is held to be
real aid to the Republicans. But some
of the Democrats say that many OF the
members of the So-called Five Civilized
Tribes will oppose the Republican ticket
because Senator Curtis sponsored bill
which brought about the sale of their
tribal lands, valued at hundreds OF
millions of dollars. These Five CiviliZ-
ed Tribes the the Chicasaw, the Choctaw,
the Greek, the Cherokee, and the Sem
mole tribes. They came to the old
Indian Territory largely from Southern
States, and have traditional friend
ship for the South and Democracy, any,
way, the Democrats insist The other
tribes, 26 In number, are inclined to
support Curtis in large numbers. Even