Evening star., 1936-10-25
Gratis CAPITALIZE ON INDIANA c. O. p. STRATEGY
MINNESOTA SEEN
GOING DEMOCRATIC
Republicans Faced With Too
Much Power as Result
of Recent "DeaI."
BY JERRY VESSELS,
6@nAFaI

BY JERRY VESSELS,
Special Correspondent Of The Star.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, October 24.-The
outcome Of the Minnesota campaign
has the experts so puzzled that few of
them have yet indicated desire to
stake their regulations on a guess.
However, some of the usual checks
about the State show that Minnesota
probably will again be in the Roose-
velt column, although it never sup.
ported a Democratic President until
1892.
While there has been some back.
fire from the famous Democrat.
Farmer-Labor deal announced three
weeks ago whereby Democratic candi-
dates for Governor and the United
States Senate withdrew In behalf OF
Farmer-Labor nominees in a trade for
Roosevelt Endorsement, the second
guessers seem to agree that the COM
bined New Deal and third-party
machines will be too much for the
Landon forces to overcome.
But the other races in this State
are an entirely different matter,
although it would appear that the
Farmer-Labor ticket. because of the
coalition with the Democrats, would
have the better chance.
Close Contests in Prospect.
Thus the contests between Repre-
sentatives Theodore Christianson, Re-
publican, and Ernest Lundeen,
Farmer-Laborite, for the Senatorship.
and between Senator Elmer Benson,
Farmer-Laborite, and Martin Nelson,
Republican, for Governor. probably
will be mighty close.
The guessing about the presidential
race has been simplified slightly by
the apparent fading of the vaunted
Lemke strength in Minnesota. There
was a great stir few weeks back, GEN.
tering around Father Coughlin's State
Fair Grounds reception by $4,000
persons.
But then came the Democratic
Farmer-Labor fusion and now Lun.
deem. who was trying to court both
the Lemke and Democratic voters as
we'll as followers Of his own party
without becoming too definite in his
intentions, has finally stated his will.
ingness to support Roosevelt.
This is counted on by the Roosevelt
managers to swing substantial strength
from the Lemke group and now the
pact has been sealed with Senator
Benson emphasizing at every oppor.
ta xrfrt Of
and with Senator Henrik Shipstead.
Farmer-Laborite holdover, in his first
campaign speech, fatty recommend.
ing that the President be reelected.
Republican strategists have been
pouring a great array of outside
speaking talent into the State to try
to swing the tide to Landon, but the
success of the move seems somewhat
doubtful
G. o. p. Seeks to Widen Breach.
OF course. the Republicans have
been exerting great pressure to widen
the breach in the Democratic party
over the trade with the Farmer.
Laborites and there have been further
important desertions with the good.
sized bloc of Democrats which orig.
inally bolted continuing to make a
great fuss over selling our party
down the river to the Farmer-Labor-
ties"
After delaying sometime in de.
Gliding whether he would swing to the
Republicans as means of expressing
his contempt for the trade, John z.
Regan, Democratic nominee for Gov
ernor in 1882 and 1884, came out
strongly this week for Nelson, the
G. o. P. gubernatorial candidate.
He sharply arraigned the Farmer.
Labor party, declaring that "the lead.
ers of the party do not believe in
our present system of Government"
since they have advocated extrava-
gance, mounting State debts and q
cooperative commonwealth"
Regan said that while he does not
agree with all Nelson stands for that
che knows that our institutions and
churches and courts will not be threat
ened; that aside from being a mem-
Der of the Republican party he has
been clean, outstanding citizen
and when he swears to support the
Constitution he will support it."
Desertion by Higgins.
Another noteworthy desertion this
week was Frank H. Higgins, former
Hennepin County Democratic chair
man, who in radio speech said:
Even though the so-called Demo.
cratic leaders in the State have for
years in private conference sold us
out, this is the first time that they
have come out in the open. share
the thought Of a large number OF
Democrats in this State who now
believe that the best thing to do is
to deliver blow to the Farmer.
Labor party by going along with the
Republicans and voting for Theodore
Christianson for United States Sena-
tor and Martin Nelson for Governor.
We owe the Farmer-Labor party
nothing; their aim is to absorb us.
We shall never have Democratic
party in this State until the Farmel-
Labor party is cleaned OUT
Thus the battle for the l77,000
Democratic votes as marked In the
Democratic column at the last State
election has become a paramount
struggle. 1t is generally agreed that
the man who can call the way the
split goes has the answer to the pres
ent dilemma of toe political experts.
The great interest in the election
is reflected in record registrations
from throughout the State. particu-
larly in the leading cities Of Minne-
apolis and st. Paul, presaging q new
high all-time vote of 100000 on No.
vember 3.