Evening star., 1932-10-31
FOUR STATES HELD
VITAL TO ELECTION
Final Result Seen Dependent
on Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
and Iowa.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Special D spatch to The Star
nnIrrI,r,

Special D spatch to The Star
EN- ROUTE FROM THE. MIDDI E
WEST, October 3I.-Four St.tes-Ohio,
Indiana Illinois and Iowa-will decide
this electi-n. AS they go o will go the
Nation
Last month-infact. early in Octo-
ber-they locked sure FOR Roosevelt
Even Republican leaders admitted that
if the election were held then the Presi-
dent would ,ose the electoral votes
There was a hope expressed. however.
that bef-re election day something
would happen And the odd part of it
is that it has happened. The Al Smith
speech arouzed Cry Republicans who
had been prejudiced against the admin
tStratlCn on economic issues and were
preparing to desert the ticket Also
President Hoover gave some of his cd
supporters an excuse to go back TO his
standard. He did win votes by his
aggressive speeches.
Admit Hoover Gains.
Today even the Democrats will admit
4.
of course. the gains are negligible and
will not affect the result which they
expect to be a landslide, but lust the
same they betray a nervousness about
the outcome which was not in evidence
a month ago. They are like the root
e-s of foot ball team which has a
margin in its favor, but with still
few minutes to play in which a long
forward pass can change the score ma
terially
Two conflicting impressions may be
derived by the political wayferer. One
is that the people mace up their minds
long ago and that the opposition TO
continuance of the President is deep
seated Another is that the people fo-
the most part are inclined toward
Roosevelt. but are quite casual about it
and can be prejudiced at the last mo-
mont in either direction
There is no doubt that the issues OF
the campaign can be boiled down to
paragraph: Hoover is responsible for
bad times" If he is not to blame,
then he has had his chance; now let
some one else try it. Danger IN
change? Possible interruption in con-
tinuity and policies; maybe year for
reorganization to be cOmpleted-all this
is too complicated to understand. The
average man and woman are dispirited
about the employment situation, whether
they have jobs or not. though in recent
weeks those with jobs have become con-
cerned at the alarms being sent out
that they might lose them if there is
a change in administration.
Thoughts in Peoples Minds.
Bad times. good times. can't be any
worse and it certainly can be worse
we'll. these are the thoughts running
through the minds of the people. Party
regularity has been blown to bits.
As for the rudslirgIng Of and by the
candidates. this is spectacular but 1t
isn't sitting too we'll with serious
minded people In the rOugh-and-
tumble of debate the honOrS. if they
can be called that, are about even.
Fear of tariff changes has worked some
nervousness here and there in the
Middle West Hoover has used the
issue to good advantage.
Iowa is beginning to show signs OF
returning to Hoover. Indiana looks
the same way Ohio is less certain and
as for Illinois. we'll the Smith speech
old make votes for Hoover down. State.
All four States are fighting ground.
They cannot be called safe for anybody
yet and if they are decided by between
10 and Is thousand votes or even
narrower pluralities. the writer will not
be in the least surprised.
(Copyright 1927