Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-08
NORRIS GIVEN EDGE
lover HITCHCOCK
IN NEBRASKA FIGHT
Estimates of Republicans
Majority Range From
5000 to 100000.
G. o. P. MOVE, TO OPPOSE
SENATOR is RUMORED
Democrats Count on Gaining at
Least Two Seats in House
Held by Foes.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

LINCOLN, Nebr., October 8.-Senator
George w. Norris, pride Of the Progress
sives, is given the edge in the coming
senatorial election in this State by
practically all the politicians and OBJ
servers here.
Despite the obvious disaffection Of
many Republicans who insist that Nor
ris is not Republican, and therefore
is not entitled to Republican support,
the politicians do not "see how he is
to be defeated and former Senator Gil
bert M. Hitchcock can win"
Supporters Of Senator Norris, among
them some Of the shrewdest politicians
in the State, say he will win q 100000
lead over his Democratic opponent.
More conservative. estimators place his
probable lead at from 5000 to 10000
votes.
The Hitchcock people are making no
prediction that MIR. Hitchcock viii win
by this or that figure. They have had
their hopes raised, however, far higher
than they thought possible a couple OF
months ago.
They insist that ii former Senator
has a fighting chance, where earlier in
the game they would have said he had
no chance at all.
Norris Strong In Rural Areas.
Senator Norris has the reputation Of
being the dominant political figure In
the State today. He Is strong, particu-
larly In the rural districts-and most
Of Nebraska Is rural. Outside OF Omaha
and Lincoln, there are half q dozen
cities of 10000 population each. The
rest Of the population live In small
towns and In the country.
In the cities Senator Norris Is
strongly supported by labor. In Omaha,
for example, there Is considerable
railroad labor vote which Is backing the
senior Senator strongly. The same
time, there is a large element among
the Republicans in Omaha strongly hos
tile to Norris. opinion differs as to
whether he can carry Douglas County,
in which Omaha is located, against
Hitchcock. Senator Hitchcock Is a resi-
dent Of Omaha, and has many friends
there, but notwithstanding the fact
that Omaha Republicans have sbeen
considered in large measure hostile TO
Norris, Norris carried the county in
the primary, though by only q couple
of thousand votes. Lincoln, which Is a
Republican stronghold, Norris actually
lost to his regular Republican opponent,
State Treasurer Stebbins, in the prt-
mary.
Stebbins Considered Weak Candidate.
Stebbins, the regular Republican can
didate for the senatorial nomination in
the primary, received more than $4,000
votes He was not considered q strong
candidate even by the anti-Norris Re-
publicans. It appeared to be impoSsi-
BILE to persuade Gov. Weaver or former
Gov. McKelvie, now a member Of the
Federal Farm Board, to become the
candidate Of the regular Republicans,
although either one of them might
have made much stronger run. The
vote cast for Stebbins was an anti
Norris vote rather than a pro-Stebbins
vote. But no one can say right of the
bat Just what proportion of this anti
Norris vote will be cast in November
for Hitchcock against Norris. A rumor
has developed here to the effect that
the regular Republicans are about TO
launch an anti-Norris organization;
that the opposition to Norris has de-
cided to stand up on its hind legs and
fight It out in the open. How far such
an organization would get remains to
be seen. It might develop real proper
tions and become a real menace to
Norris.
Undoubtedly 1t would rouse the Nor
ris people to further activity. The Re-
publicans who are contemplating the
launching Of an anti-Norris organiza-
tion realize that If much Is TO be &C
complished they must perfect an or
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