Evening star., 1936-08-23
GOV. M'NUTTLEADS
ORGANIZED PARTY
Apprehension Felt, However,
Over Farm Vote in
e November.
BY WILLIAM L. TOMS,

special Correspondent OF The Star.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, August "a
Such fears as the Democratic State or
eanization may entertain over the ag-
ricultural vote in Indiana are being
most effectively dissipated by the in
decision of the Republican organiza-
tion.
If ever there was such a thing as
strong party organization in the Hoo
sier State, it is the Democratic party
now directed by Gov. Paul v. McNutt.
For directness of action, originality
and sheer ruthlessneSs it is without
equal in the present century. The best
evidence of this is the fact that there
is not a single elective Republican in
the Capitol Building, only a scant
handful of G. o. P. followers" hold
ing appointive positions, and only one
Republican in the Indiana delegation
to the Congress.
Farm Vote Sole Worry.
"Give us an even break with the
farmers and the Democrats will carry
Indiana by safe margin" remarked
q high official Of the Democratic State
organization in describing the sjtua-
ton as it exists today. He went on
to remark that the agricultural vote
is practically the only worry of the
majority party at this time.
But how about the agricultural
vote?
1t happens that the most typical ag-
ricultural district in the Stats is rep
resented in Congress by the lone Re-
publican member foom Indiana, Rep
resentative Charles A. Halleck. At the
general election in November, 1884.
the voters of the second district, 1884,
653 in number, gave plurality of 10.-
942 votes to the colorful Frederick
Lands, the G. o. P. nominee. Less
than a week afterward Lands died
and Halleck, youthful and Spunky, was
chosen as the nominee to succeed Lam
dis. Gov. McNutt chose January 90
as the date for the special election.
On the designated date 95,413 voters
turned out at the polls to give Hal
leck majority of 5,235 votes over his
Democratic opponent.
The reputedly wise" political dope
sterS figured it out that Halleck won
by virtue of being from the section
of Indiana that was stricken by the
1884 drought. This year all IL dis
tricts have been hit by the drought,
and hit squarely. This is what occa-
sions the present worries of the Demo-
Gratis when they attempt to forecast
the 1886 vote. They know that every
farmer in this State of free education
has figured out what he would be
worth today with crib or two of "old
corn" on hand, minus what he has
received and spent in corn-hog money
for not producing the grain and hogs
which command such high price at
the present time.
Hoover Swamped in 1882.
Almost to an individual the farm
ers swarmed to the polls in 1892 to
register their protest against the Hoo
yer administration. Out of a total OF
1889 1888 votes cast in Indiana four
years ago for the first presidential
electors. the Hoosiers voted a plurality
of 184,870 for the Democratic electcl.
At the same election the voters gave
q majority Of 2O8,303 votes for Fred
erick Van Nuys, the present senior
Senator.
Two years later the struggle was be-
tween Arthur r. Robinson, the Repub-
lican Senator, up for reelection, and
Sherman Minton, the Democratic
nominee and choice of the McNutt ad-
ministration. Robinson, sharp foe Of
the New Deal, drew only lukewarm
support from the State organization.
but carried the fight to the opposition.
The total vote in this campaign, Waged
largely on the question of the merit
of the New Deal. dwindled to .458,-
904 ballots, and Minton's majority to
58,198 votes.
Running alongwise with the Roose-
velt- Garner ticket this year, the
Democrats can escape the charge of
taking defensive position as they did
in 1884. The disposition of high Re-
publican leaders to rate Indiana as a
doubtful State, in the face of numer-
Gus polls favorable to the G. o. p, is
anything but subtle reminder to the
Republican State organization to
unite.