Evening star., 1932-10-13
ANT|-HOOVER SPIRIT
PERVADES CHICAGO
Political Miracle Held Neces.
sary to Defeat Democrats
in Illinois.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

tration in Chicago-of record breaking
proportions-is ominous for somebody
in this political year. 1t certainly in
dicates an overwhelming interest and
participation which appears to exceed
that of four years ago.
Thus far the Roosevelt sentiment has
| been dominant and devastating here.
| President Hoover has been so bitterly
criticized that the people have not been
| In mood to examine even superffcially
the qualifications Of his opponent. The
anti-Hoover spirit began with the hun
dreds Of thousands Of unemployed and
| the more hundreds Of thousands on
| part-time employment. Bad times came
under Hoover-they may depart under
another President If there is a change.
Thus do out of 10 express themselves,
as party lines and traditions are brush
ed aside in an angry revolt against
things as they are.
There has been lately q shift to
! Hoover Of considerable proportions since
the President got into action at Des
Moines and Calvin Coolidge made his
plea in New York. But even veteran
Republicans shake their heads in doubt
! as to whether there " time enough to
turn the tide in Illinois.
Republicans Desert Small.
The Republican problem in Illinois
Is complicated by the fact former Gov.
Len Small is the party nominee for
Governor. to the disgust Of thousands
of Republicans, who have decided to
vote for Judge Henry Horner. Demo-
crat. The Chicago Daily News, pub
lished by Col. Frank Knox, intimate
friend and adviser of President Hoover,
| is supporting the latter and the Ma
tional Republican platform, but also is
supporting Judge Horner, the Democrat,
| for Governor.
Many of the Small contingent are
openly trading with Roosevelt-inclined
voters down-State, urging them to vote
a Roosevelt-Small combination and
desert Hoover.
The Chicago Tribune, which has been
rather friendly to Roosevelt on his wet
ness and has been critical of Hoover
for the last two years, is now shifting
toward the President and declaring
Roosevelt is not measuring up we'll.
Gov Roosevelt" says the Tribune,
has been vigorous in general state
ments and weak in specifications.
Roosevelt's position, for instance. on
the bonus Is unknown. =
hShS SpCCiuC
"As the period of doubt, which, for
tunately. has its place in a campaign,
comes along, the generalities OF a can
didate will not prove satisfactory. Mr.
Hoover. by reverting to established
! principles of his party. appears to bene-
fit thereby and Gov. Roosevelt by con-
tinuing with an underlined program of
everything to every one who wants 1t,
raises the question Of consequences
contained in his election Mr.. Hoover
is in trouble because he has yielded
too much to near Socialism. He grows
stronger as he returns to Republican
doctrines"
The Tribune also remarks that Mr.
Hoover has regained some votes in the
region of Republican disaffection; he
has picked up support and Is stronger
as result of his speech at Des Moines.
The prospects are that If the election
we're held tomorrow Roosevelt would
| sweep Illinois b. 350,000 majority and
up. What the last two weeks here may
bring is anybody's guess-for 1t Is a
campaign full Of possibilities from da'
| to day, especially as business men ex-
| hibit signs of nervousness In TINS al
ready nervous locality. where the COL
i LAPSE of Samuel insult has left trall
of losses compa-ably greater than any
single failure in the whole depression.
Avoid Political Capital
The Republican States attorney Is
alertly pursuing the issue and en-
deavoring to prevent any political cap
ital from being made against the party
on that score When Gov. Roosevelt
was here he denounced the insult util-
ity structure as typical Of the thing ne
criticized about power interests ano
pyramided holding companies. While
Mr.. Hoover has not been drawn into
the fray on this issue. the admnistra-
ton at Wa elington has not omitted any
effort to push extradition proceedings
lest any suggestion of laxity be made
the basis for attack by Roosevelt.
People here are stirred up over the
| insult catastrophe and the presence Of
some names of Democratic city and
county officials on the list OF pre-
ferred underwriters Of insult securities
has not helped the Democratic cause II
sundry quarters.
Illinois may be called doubtful
State, in the sense that the straw votes
| indicate a somewhat closer gap between
Roosevelt and Hoover than is true ir
other States. but the predominant
complexion of the State Just now Is
Democratic on both the State and Ma
I tional tickets. and it will take po-
litical miracle to change the colorine
in the next four weeks. D. L.
Copyright, 1922