Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 October 1936 — Page 24

x va x

Two Political W

Votes Cast by Hoosier Laboring Men and )

Women Probably Will: Put President Ahead in State, Wilson Declares.

BY LYLE C. WILSON

Chief of United Press Washington Staff The votes of laboring men and women probably will put President Roosevelt ahead in Indiana.

The contest will be close.

Mr. Roosevelt ican not hope

for anything like the fat plurality he got in 1932. Recordbreaking registrations of voters and reluctance of thousands of them to indicate their presidential preference. | confuse political prophets on both sides. a

But polls and the probable effects of relief checks suggest that the Democrats have broken the Republican monopoly on Indiana’'s«Negro vote and have pulled abreast or ahead in populous industrial areas where Republicans have

a tradition of .strength.

Here as in other lake states the issue of comparative prosperity— now as compared with 1932—is a tremendous political factor. It is aiding Mr, Roosevelt against Gov, Alfred M. Landon. A state tax issue appears to be hurting the Democratic state ticket from Goyernor down. A Democrat familiar with Indiana politics and a member of the party hierarchy here predicted Mr. Roosevelt would carrs Indiana but that the Democratic state ticket would lose.

William Lemke, presidential candidate of the Union Party, is on the Indiana ballot. He has no Union Party candidates for state offices. Republicans and most Democrats believe Lemke's vote will cut sharply into Mr. Roosevelt's strength. Republicans are giving him indirect and perhaps | effective assistance.

Might Offset Negro Vofe

, Harry C. Fenton, secretary of the Republican State Central Committee, estimated that there were 40 Townsend old-age pension clubs with an average membership of $00 persons. If that bloc of votes were cast solidly for Lemke it would offset the Negro vote Democrats expect to poll in Indianapolis.

. Gov, McNutt confidently predicts 2 state-wide Roosevelt: plurality of 100,000 votes, but he concedes that Marion County, which contains Indianapolis, is fighting ground. This state is included by Chairman James E, Farley of the Demo¢ratic National Committee dmong those in which “the Negro vote is the balance of power.” ‘ McNutt told me the Republicans never heen able to carry Indiana withou Negroes. And the battle for oe black belt is on, some major sévantages lying wi th Mr. Roodsevelt Jesse Owens, Negro Olympic hero, has been here on the special frain which is provided him by the Republicans for this campaign. He addressed 4000 Negroes in Tomlinsip Hal and told them: . = e two greatest thrills of my life were when I won Olympic contests and when I shook the hand of Gov. Alfred M. Landon.”

Relief Checks Vitali Factor

Democrats hope fo bring Joe Louis into the state to counteract Owens’ influence, but the big Negro boxer probably will not come. Relief checks are a vital factor in bidding for Negro votes &Xecause Negroes swarmed the relief rolls Jere. Esfimates of Indiana's Negro Yoters ranged up to 45,000 and many thousands of them live in an unattractive community lying on each side of Indiana-av in this city. Sprawling over an irregular, triangular lot which is about one-third of a mile long on its greatest dimension is Federal Project No. H-1601, H-1601 is a brick and mortar bid for Negro votes. It is a low cost housing project for which Public Works ‘Administrator Harold L. Ickes, a past president of the Chicago branch of the National Assogiation for the Advancement of Colored People, advanced $3,025,000 of Federal funds. Carl Ferguson, Indisna director of the Emergency Housing Division of PWA, told me the project would be reserved for Negroes. It will accommeodate 750 families. Republicans somewhat discount

Lyle C. Wilson

H-1601's vote-getting power on the theory that word has spread among | Negroes that its rents will be around $750 a room. Mr! Ferguson suggested $7 as a more likely figure. ° Democrats are confident, newertheless, that H-1601 will be an ‘election day asset.

Indiana Not Slighted

Similarly in other indusfrial areas, notably Lake County where there is a concentration of steel mills, Democrats look to theé'-New Deal labor record to counteract Repub-

lican arguments that the cost of liv-|{|

ing and taxes are going up faster than the working man’s income, The RodSevelt Administration has net slighted Indiana in distributing Federal funds. In three Roosevelt, years, the state has, received $227,395,627 in grants and the aggregate

of Federal loans closed and insured |:

in Indiana is $264,169,764. In those years the Federal government collected $181,121,105 in’ taxes in this state. Small business men, particularly those in smaller communities, apparently are in angry opposition to the tax system impased by Gov. McNutt. It is a gross income tax, according to. its s s, . Manufacturers and wholesalers pay one and one-quarter per cent on their gress take. Retgilers, professional men.

and women and all others with ine]

come pay one per cent. There is a | $1000 exempfion. Republicans charge thas the tax in application has become a sales tax in many instances although Democrats deny that charge. At Republican headquarters. I was shown a French Lick Springs hotel bill. It was for $6 and added to it was six cents ‘with the nota-

tion, “Indiana Sales Tax.”

The French. Lick Hotel belongs to Thomas Taggart, (Democratic national committeeman for Indiana, and Republicans argued that the Democratic committeeman’s judgment of what the McNutt X actually is should be accepted. Republicans promise to repeal thé gross income tax and to substitute a graduated net income tax.

Issue May Hurt State Ticket

Commerce Department reports fix the net profit: of all grocers at 4.6 per cent. Republicans argue that the 1 per cent gross levy on a small grocer’s annual take is, in. effect, a 25 per cent tax on his net income.

That issue may hig ‘the Democratic state ticket, which is ‘weaker now than in 1932 because handsome Mr. McNutt. is not permitted by Indiana law to succeed himself as Governor. Also used against him and his party this year is the charge that he is. taxing state employes for political machine upkeep. MecNutt freely admitted that to me. The levy is taken by the Hoosier Demoeratic Club, known locally as the “Two Per Cent /Club,” because that is the nominal assessment on state job holders. “It really isn't McNutt hold me.

two per: gent, ” “It is graduated

=BETTY LEE'S

100 NEW STYLES They're. the kind friends tel frignds about

NS - SAVE AT PEARSON'S » Saveas PEAR

about $100,000. Republicans assert, further, that McNutt levies on contractors and supplying material to the state. I asked the Governor about that. “Contractors are not solicited,” he said. “If they wish to con= tribute they may.” . : Cites Purported Poll = A Democratic poll purporting t§ have been a house-to-house cant vass of all voters was presented th me as ‘showing a Roosevelt ‘majority of 183,000, but less. partial observers suggested a house-to-house complete canvass was not possible

Democrats bit into Indiana in 1930 and won the state by 50,000. In

411932 Mr. Roosevelt had a plurality

of 184,000 votes and two years ago in a senatorial election the Democratic margin was 60,000. Elkhart County, a . Republican stronghold, may be typical of the condition in other parts of Indiana: The Democratic poll showed a slight Democratic majority but indicated approximately 9000 voters] were undecided. They will determine the winner there. In Republican Delaware County the Muncie Evening Press distribs uted ballots to 19,000 subscribers and received 2845 replies giving Mr. Roosevelt + 1552 and Gov. Landon 1213 votes.

| Negros Ballot Is ‘Mzior- forks, in What I

Promises to Be a a Close Elegtion Rave,

ashifiston Indiana, where politics is

a. profession for aby and. a

hobby for all, may give its 12 electoral votes to Landon. But’

it is practically impossible to find any astute; well-informed |

person in Indianapolis who will make that prediction. A big reason for-almost general anticipation of 'a Roose- | servative

“| velt victory is the expected r : Negro voters of a Republican leade

‘of 50,000, or more

ago made open alliance with the Ku Kui Klan, :

Indiana long has been a bor-.

der line state and its election | is bound to be close in any doubtful year. The Hoosier state went for Roosevelt by 185,000 in 1932. The Negro vote always has been.

the chief basis of what came to. be!

considered more or less normal Republican majorities in Indianapolis. This year most. of the col-

ored voters are getting ready: to}

e state esperate

vate for Roosevelt and the G. O. P. is engaged in a

but apparently vain effort to wean :

them. back. . One reason Indiana may still be

classed as doubtful is‘found in the .

fact that you never know just how dirty its campaign will be until it’s all over: Gov. - MeNutt’s Denie-

Rodney. Dutcher

cvatie machine; is jopenly - assessing state Jobholders for campaign funds

rip which a few years;

: by 50000 ‘or more, . but. not neces-

SB for the Democratic state He aonatos Jim Watson, despite

| mistaken reports from your corre- “| spondent and others in the past,

still is the most powerful Republi-

| can in,Indiana. A sort of a “young {guard,” which has rallied around Watson, has at least nominal con-

trol of the party. ’ “Knifing” Rumors Heard

Watson isn't fond of Landon. The Landonités weren't very re-

“| spectful to ‘him at the Cleveland

convention. Reports that ‘Landon

is being traded down the river for.

support of the G. O. P. candidate for. Governor can not - be confirmed, ‘although there's more Re-

brpriiond ee But a large army yo enthusiastic volunteers, led by professionals who. have been away from the fi six ' years; has been ex-

: tremely. “active.

« They find that the “waste and extravagance” fSsue is the most potent one against Roosevelt, especially dn rural areas. G. O. P. reports from , steel atid other industrial centers, such as Gary, South Bend, Terre Haute, Evansville, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, are not especially en-

Springer Fights Hard

‘Raymond Springer, first state commandef of the American Legion, is the Republican candidate for Governor. Tireless campaigner and handshaker, le says he can end McNutt's unpopular ‘gross income” tax by economies and elimination of alleged beer graft, His opponent, handpicked by MeNutt, is Lieut.-Gov. M. Clifford Townsend, a Grant County farmer experienced. in - politics. The “gross. income” {ax bi practically every ‘one who receives money for services or goods and amounts to a disguised sales tax, which hits the consumer first as an’ earner, then as a buyer. The proceeds - of about” $16,000,000 a year go for education. Small merchants are making al

terrific fight against it. The Mos Nutt-Townsend group insists Springer's election would mean & general sales tax.

McNutt Is Issue Himself

Platinum-haired McNutt is a big issue all by himself. He admits that a star of destiny is leading him toward the White House as a 1940 candidate. A leader, a fighter, an astute politician, a brilliant orator, and dictatorial boss over a ruthless political machine, he has built up a nation-wide network of contacts as Governon as one-time national commander of the American Legion, and former dean of the Indiana University School of Law. Rumofs that McNutt would ‘be given the War Department or ans other Cabinet post have been cure rent in Indianapolis, but are not confirmed by anything this writer has heard in Wash McNutt's critics often refer to him as a “man on horseback” and many confidently expect him to appear prominently in any Fascist movement “which gets going in America. ; ; Angle for Veteran Vote

McNutt and his followers decided, after he ran as strongly as Roose= velt in 1932, that McNutt would gain strength in the state while | Roosevelt would lose. So they sepa= rated the state and national ballots,” Now they wish they hadn't, as | Roosevelt appears ‘much more popus= lar than McNutt. Indianapolis is national heads! quarters for the American Legion and intensive drives have been made for the veteran vote, which

J probably ‘amounts to about 100,000, Copan 1936, NEA Service, ney oo

son's # SAVE.

Trade In Your old: Furniture 1 On BRAND NEW oad

- J i ; y 9

‘

Just Think oF If — You Can

Have This Complete N Living Room for: Less T

Modern Than $100

¢ Yes, everything you see for $9911 pieces

ae,

with a view of refreshing, modern~ The 2-piece suite is extra broad and

‘deep and. heantifully upholstered. Degk h “large drawe -8 book shelves. Occasional

chair has Button _Sarmenising) design.

sag. seat, Everything | is in

Sale Rotriokis. DR PRICE | INNERSPRING

Mattresses : :

AN RE

iLL 4587 for tree home a 1 stration 5 ar