Evening star., 1940-10-13
Nebraska Claimed
By GO. P, but Shift
Is Seen by Democrats
Formers and. lobor Held
Less Favorable to New
DeoI Than Hitherto
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,
Star Staff Correspondent.

SS0u uOu sbtuSBtV
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,
Star Staff Correspondent.
OMAHA, Oct. l2.-Nebraska has
been, and probably Is today, in the
Republican column In. the presi-
dental race. The Democrats are
doing their utmost in these last
weeks of the campaign to improve
President Rcosevelt's chances in the
state-and their leaders say they
believe the tide is turning his way.
These Democratic leaders are
banking first on the war situation,
with its corollary, "the experienced
man" is needed to head up the
American Government. Next, they
count on the Federal checks which
are going to the farmers of Ne
braska. In parts of the State, they
say, drought has had the farmers
fiat on their backs for seven years.
Without the administrations aid,
the farmers and the small business
men who do business with the
farmers, would have completely
folded up. And finally they are
counting on the Presidents popu-
larity with labor. organized and
unorganized, and the w. P. A. vote.
They have seen the farmers
checks, the w. P. A. and labor turn
in victories for Mr.. Roosevelt in
1894 and 1896. and the Democrats
expect that with the added war is
sue, the State will finally land in
the Democratic group on election
day.
Change in Sentiment Evident.
1t is true, however, that the Re-
publicans made considerable gains
in this state in 1888, when they
elected three of five Representatives,
and that in by-election held this
year. in the first Congressional dis
trict, the Republican candidate won
by much larger margin than his
Republican predecessor. The Nebras-
ka farmers were giving evidence of a
change of heart toward the New
Deal-even with its farm benefit
payments. Also there are straws in
the wind here showing that labor
is not so strongly pro-Roosevelt as
1t has been
A poll taken by employees of
large Omaha printing establishment
showed a 60-40 division-in favor of
the President. This represents a
considerable shift to the Republican
side.
AS in Missouri. Wisconsin and
other Midwest States, there is
large population of German blood in
Nebraska. There is doubt that these
people vote as racial group today,
although they have at times in the
past. One of the important DEM
ocratic leaders told me. however, as
an assured fact, that this group
would vote pretty solidly for Mr..
Willkie, although in 1882 and 1886
it supported Mr.. Roosevelt. There
are other groups of foreign blood in
the State, among them the Poles,
the CZechs and the Scandinavians.
The German Americans, however,
are by far the most numerous. The
last census gives the number OF
citizens of German blood, born of
German parents in this country, as
135, ,785, and the number of German
born as 1854. The Czechs are Sec
ond, just about one-third Of the
German-American total.
Little Said on Power Issue.
Nebraska, the home OF Senator
Norris. leading exponent in Congress
of public ownership of utilities. has
so far heard very little of the power
issue. which 1t was expected would
be raised as a principal issue against
Mr.. Willkie in this State Very little,
indeed, has been said in the cam
paign against the Republican
nominee on the ground that he was
recently president of big power
company-and a holding company
at that.
1t may be that more will be heard
about Mr.. WILKES activities as a
power magnate" when Senator
Norris comes into the State to cam
paign. as he has agreed to do in the
last couple of weeks of the campaign.
Nebraskas other Senator, Burke,
q Democrat, has agreed to stump the
country against a third term.
Senator Norris has been for years
a great vote-getter in the State.
How much strength he can transfer
to the President is question. There
&c ctr third .fnrYV1 fa1E
even among Democrats. in Nebraska,
where that issue is being kept alive.
Senator Norris will have to defend
his own opposition to third term
expressed in a vote for the La Fol-
lette anti-third term resolution dur
ing the Coolidge administration.
Votes in 1882 and 1886.
President Roosevelt in 1886 car
ried Nebraska over ALI M. Landon
with a vote of 347,454 to 248.73l.
Four years earlier, he defeated for
mer President Hoover in this State
with a margin of $4,000 votes. In
both elections. the great bulk Of the
German-American vote went to Mr..
Roosevelt.
Mr.. Willkie, when he visited Oma-
ha on his return from his recent
swing to the Pacific Coast, was given
cordial reception. $4,000 or $4,000
persons turned out to listen to him,
a great political gathering for this
State. Reports vary as to the re-
ception of his speech, some holding
that he left his audience cold, and
others that hesroused the listeners