Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-01
Doubt Remains, However, in
Ranks of Regulars as
Confidence Shakes.
BROWN FACTION WORKS
TO "SEW UP" ELECTION
Perplexing Questions Confront Po.
litical Guessers Trying to
Measure Strength.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

RICHMOND. November l.-On form
the regular Democratic ticket should
win in the coming State election. When
the pros and cons entering into the
situation are balanced up, Or. John
Garland Pollard, the Democratic nomi-
nee for governor, appears to have the
edge over DR.. William Moseley Brown
the coalition candidate OF the Repub-
licans and the anti-Smith Democrats.
However in the minds of many OF the
regular Democrats there still remains
an element Of doubt. They feel sure,
they say, but some of them wake up
at night and wonder II. after all, they
are as sure as they thought they were.
Democratic leaders and observers
here place the Pollard majority over
Brown anywhere from 5000 to $4,000
The more conservative do not believe
that Pollard will win by more than
$4,000 to 10000. That's very narrow
margin in a Statewide election.
I talked with one prominent Repub-
lican leader who says frankly he does
not know how the election is going. 1t is
his opinion, however, privately express
ed. that the gubernatorial election may
go either way by 10000 votes" At the
same time, this Republican leader be-
lieves that If there is to be landslide
it will be to Brown and not to Pollard.
He is one of those who insists that
there is a political revolution in the
making in Virginia. with thousands OF
oka IU fn
which has controlled for so long, high
and dry.
Anti SmithiteS at Work.
Over in the anti-Smith Democratic
headquarters there is mighty little pre-
dieting being done for publication. At
the same time, there is lot Of work
going on. And. further. one Of the most
astute of the anti-Smith Democrats in
the entire state says quietly: ITS All
over: Brown has the election sewed
up"
The fact is that. owing to the cross
currents Rt work, 1t is difficult for the
politicians to say with certainty just
what is going to happen in Virginia
next Tuesday. Many OF them Thought
they knew what the result was to be a
year ago in the presidential election, but
they were mistaken.
In the election last year, the Repub-
lican -Anti-Smith coalition carried the
State for President Hoover by 164.609
votes to 140,146 for Smith. This was a
lead of $4,000 votes. in round numbers
for the coalition. The Democrats urge
now that If they can get back 12.500
Of those who strayed of the reservation
they will be able to carry the States for
Pollard. With ST. nth and the religious
and prohibition issues out of the pic
ture, they believe they can do this and
more.
Vote Expected to Be Smaller.
There is no expectation anywhere
that the vote cast in the election next
week will approach In size the vote
cast in the presidential election. But
the vote last year was phenomenally
large all over the country as well as in
Virginia. The only measure so far pos
sible. and that is not particularly ac-
curate, is the vote cast in the demo-
cratic primary this year.
Three candidates were running fol
the glibernatorial nomination. Pollard
won over his nearest competitor. G
Walter Mapp. with vote of 104,3l0 to
% 1886. Roosevelt Page, the third candi-
date. polled 4,557 votes. making the
total vote cast In the primary 1927
This is almost as large as the vote cast
for Smith in the presidential election
last year. In the Democratic primary
foT the gubernatorial nomination -four
years ago, when Gov Byrd defeated
Mapp, 174,996 votes were cast, or APP
proximately $4,000 votes more than
were cast in the Democratic primary
this year.
The regular Democratic candidate
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