Evening star., 1936-10-16

! 4
Marion County,
which includes David Lawrence.
Indianapolis.
: Second, the relief workers.
Third, the labor vote.
ar The Republicans are inclined to
-concede that all three groups will be
heavily pro- Roosevelt, but their effort
now is to cut down the majority so
as to enable the other groups that are
.pro-Landon to roll up vote big
enough to offset the rest.
Indiana shows a strong pro-Lan-
don sentiment in the rural districts
and towns. Indeed, the Republican
trend is somewhat higher than nor
NAL outside the cities.
" Can the Republicans cut down the
Marion County vote? The private
polls made by the Republicans and
Democrats both show large number
of "doubtfuls." Registration is high.
Allowing for doubtfuls and undecided,
1t would appear from these polls that
Marion County-a pivotal county-is
! likely to go for Mr.. Roosevelt.
City VS.. Country.
Up in the northern end of the State,
Lake County, which includes Gary
and the steel mills, is said to be
heavier Democratic than it was four
years ago.
If the gains being made by the
Democrats in the cities can be
matched by gains in the counties, In
diana will go Republican, for the
rural vote is heavy.
'" The question really is how heavily
Democratic are the cities. The Repub-
licans refuse to admit that the labor
vote will run 7 to or to for
Roosevelt. as is being claimed by the
Democrats. Likewise, they insist that
the Negro vote will not divide to
for Mr.. Roosevelt, but possibly 50-50
: The labor vote is not as solid as
It was few weeks ago. Discussion
of the pay roll cut to be imposed by
the Roosevelt administration next jan
uary, when every worker has to give
up per cent of his weekly pay and
= when -ths employers have to pay
per cent besides, is raising a good
deal of. protest. g..
Fear Pay Raise Curb.
The particular thing that is hurt
ing the Democrats is the realization
on the part of workers that If the
employers are saddled with an extra
tax 1t is simply going to increase ex-
penses so as to prevent raises in wages
for some time to come
My own feeling Is that the pay roll
tax is going to be very unpopular by
. the time it goes into effect next jan
uary and that the switching Of labor
votes in this and other States in the
last two weeks of the campaign will
be traceable entirely to the so-called
social security tax that workers have
TO pay.
- 1t is not an easy thing to argue
with worker in abstract terms about
benefits he might get several years
hence and it is not easy to tell him
that he himself doesn't know how to
take out insurance and that the Gov
.ernment must do this for him. Nor is
At easy to tell him that if he stops
work at IS years of age he may get
e8.88 week for his pension.
Protest Means Sought.
Workmen, when told about the COM
ing cut in their pay roll, are exhibit
ing a good deal of opposition and are
asking how they can make their pro-
test felt. One thing seems sure-the
social security may prove boomerang
and will be the direct cause of Re-
publican gains in Congress this Au-
T, ,tumn.
: The relief vote which is expected to
go Democratic is to no small extent
intertwined with the Negro vote. The
Negroes who have been getting reliet
money have boastd to their friends
about it. The Democratic precinct
bosses are passing out the word that
unless the Negroes vote for Mr.. Roose-
welt, relief will be cut off. A whisper
Ing campaign has been started to the
effect that Democratic experts arounc
the voting booths can tell by the rims
of the voting machines whether 6
vote Is being cast for Mr.. Roosevelt
The Republicans used to have the
Negro vote. They still have much OF
1t. But the defections are consider
able. The Republicans are trying tc
remind the colored brethren that il
the Roosevelt administration is such
q good friend of the Negro, there has
been ample opportunity to dislodgs
some of the Southern Democrats who
hold committee chairmanships anc
are all-powerful in blocking anti.
lynching legislation. The Roosevelt
administration is being asked by some
Of the Negro leaders who are Repub.
lican in their sympathies to pledge
themselves to get rid of Southern dom.
lnation in Congress.
State Race More Certain.
The outcome of the Indiana elec.
tion is uncertain so far as the nationa
ticket Is concerned, but, oddly enough
there seems general feeling that th'
Republican State ticket will pull
through. This is in part due to th'
unpopularity Of the taxes imposed b!
Gov. McNutt's regime.
The Democrats are well organized
Their two per cent club" has fur
. nished them with ample funds. TIL,
Republicans have hard fight aheae
OF, them if they expect to win indiana
and at this moment the State Is lean
ing toward the Roosevelt column, bu
with changes likely in the next tw'
weeks.