The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-11-01
FORCE IS
IN ASCENDENCY
IN STATE NOW
Republican Tactics Giving
Them Strength Unlikely
To Be Offset

RALEIGH, Nov. 1.-(SpeciaD.
While the prevailing opinion in
political circles here is still to the
effect that the anti-repeal or dry
forces still have the advantage
and that if the election were to
be held today instead Of next
Tuesday the dry forces would
probably win, a considerable
shifting of sentiment back to-
wards repeal is being noticed in
some sections of the state. The
repeal forces are confident the
tide has turned and that by next
Tuesday. November 7, the date
of the election on whether or not
North Carolina will vote for re-
peal of the 18th Amendment,
there will be no question as tn
how the state will go. Leaders of
the repeal movement are still con-
fident that between 70 and rs re-
peal delegates will be elected to
the state convention. thus giving
the repealists safe margin over
the "dry" or anti-repeal forces.
One of the things that is giving
the repealists decided encourage
ment is the apparent shifting of
the Republican vote in the Pied
mont and western counties where
there is very little difference be-
tween the Democratic and Repub-
lican strength and where counties
are just as likely to go Republi-
can as Democratic.
For while so far the tendency
in most of these counties has been
for the Republicans to join forces
with the dry Democrats in OPP
posing repeal, indications now are
that many of the Republican lead
ers are becoming frightened for
fear the state will actually vote
for repeal and that they will thus
be deprived. of virtually the only
thing on which they can base
campaign for members of the
general assembly next fall. For
it is agreed that if the "drys' win
in this election next week, it will
make it difficult for Republican
candidates to run for the general
assembly next year on a dry
platform.
A number of secret meetings
of Republicans have been held IN
a number of western and Pied
mont counties, according to re-
ports brought back here by OBJ
servers in which the Republicans
have been advised to go ahead
and pose as opposing repeal, put
to vote for repeal next Tuesday.
In this way, it is pointed out, the
Republicans are attempting a
clever political stroke which they
evidently hope will bring about
the defeat of the anti-repeal
movement now without antagonlz-
ing the "drys" whose support they
hope to get in the campaign next
fall.
But in spite of this new twist
in the campaign for and against
repeal. many impartial observers
doubt if enough Republicans will
about face and vote for repeal to
offset the intensive campaigning
and house-to-house work that has
been and still is being carried on
bv the "dry' or anti-repeal
forces. There is no doubt that
the "dry" forces have been un-
usually active and that they have
made big gains in the last three
weeks The manner in which they
have registered their voters is be-
ing pointed to as only one exam m
ple of their activity and as indl-
eating they will make a very de,
termined effort to get every dry
voter possible to the polls. With
the ministers. church members
and women working constantly
against repeal and to get out the
vote next Tuesday, it is agreed
that this is combination hard to
beat.