Evening star., 1936-10-25
REPUBLICAN TALK
USED BY ENEMIES
Admission Made Roosevelt
Will Run Away From
State Ticket.
BY WILLIAM L. TOMS,
epectal CORRESPONDENT of The Star.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, october "a
After the coming election Indiana
Republicans may have occasion to rue
the fact that they discussed SO openly
and frankly the possibility Of President
Roosevelt running away from the
Democratic State ticket.
The effect of such admissions, OF
course, is to aggravate the situation
and to persuade more and more voters
that a vote for the national admins
tration would be sure to place them
on the winning side, Notwithstanding
doubts as to the outcome OF the
State contest. Republican leaders
generally have been guilty Of putting
out the word that their State ticket,
headed by Raymond S. Springer, will
run $4,000 votes upward of the
Iandon- Knox national ticket, which
Is nothing more than the reverse
means of saying that President Roose-
welt will distance his own State ticket
In this State.
Democrats Make Levies.
The Democratic State administra-
ton. headed by Gov Paul v. McNutt,
in this next to the last week OF cam
paigning has recognized the effect OF
this talk, where the Republicans
seem to have ignored it. Every ounce
of power in the Democratic State
organization now Is being thrown into
the campaign and the levies which
the 2-per-cent Democratic club makes
against all State employees have been
increased. Furthermore, the Demo-
cratic State organization has sent out
the word to Democratic county Off
ciaS over Indiana to levy like trib-
ute from Democrats on county pay
rolls. And the Democratic township
trustees in some cases have followed
suit and are levying against teachers
in the public schools. What already
was regarded as a monstrous war
chest is being filled to overf1owing for
the final week of the campaign.
In some of the larger cities, such
as Indianapolis and Gary, which have
large colored populations, the appeal
for support has reached the point
that free beer and sandwiches are
obtainable two and three nights a
week. For the last two elections, the
Democrats have succeeded in captur-
ing upward of so per cent of the
Negro vote. Republicans say they
have a fair chance of winning for the
State ticket in the event they can
revise the colored vote to $3.50
baisis.
In the belief that the Republicans
hold an edge among farmers of the
State, the Democrats will concen-
trate on the rural districts. Con-
versely the Republicans will devote
their final campaign drives on the
large industrial centers, such as Gary,
South Bend, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute
and Evansville. Here, in the final |
stage of one of the States most Wig |
orously-fought campaigns, the Re-
publicans are seen looking in one di-
rection for supplemental support and
the Democrats in the opposite di-
xection.
Visits Benefit Landon.
Gov. ALI M. Landons series Of |
visits to the State seem to have done !
him large amount of indirect good, |
through his personal meetings with |
politicians, who carry the word down |
the line that he is by no means the |
impersonable fellow pictured by the |
opposition. For one thing, the Lam
don visits may benefit him in In |
diana by the election of an extra Rep
resentative or two. AS things now |
stand the Republicans, with only one |
of their party in the Congress, can
hope to increase their representation
to no more than four, barring a
G. o. P. landslide. Study of the vote
at the last two congressional elec-
tions in Indiana establishes the pos
sibility of the State going Republican
by q safe margin and the party at
the same time electing fewer than
half of the IL Representatives in Con-
gress.
Most Independent observers recon-
cile the heavy registration and the
large number Of voters polled as doubt
full in this way-that heavy silent
vote will be cast on November 3 and |
that political traditions will be blasted
If that vote is anything but protest
vote. With the New Deal Demo-
Gratis Of Indiana this is an exceed
ingly touchy subject, but their argu-
ment that the vote will be vote of
acclamation Is not being taken very
seriously.