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Show OHIO PRIMARIES HELDGRUG1AL Regarded As Most Important of Three Pivotal States in National Election By H. N. RICKEY. N. E. A. Staff Correspondent COLUMBUS, O., April 26 Tho presidential pres-idential primaries In Ohio tomorrow will have an important bearing on tho final battle for the Republican nomination nomi-nation at Chicago. Ohio is probably tho most important import-ant of the two or three pivotal states in a national election. Tho tide from the east which ran so strongly for Hughes in the returns on the election night four years ago. did not sweep over Ohio. If It had, he would have been elected. Ohio went nearly a hundred thousand Democratic that year and made Wilson's olection possible. Time waa when Ohio could safely be counted on as Republican, but in those days tho balanco of political power in the state lies with tho independent voters who comprise from a quarter to a third of the eleotorate. Whilo tho bulk of these independents independ-ents probably consider themselves nominally Republicans or Democrats, party ties bind them so lightly that tbey take delight In golnjc off tho reservation res-ervation on election day if their party candidate or platform is not entirely pleasing te them. Will Try to Please Ohio. From the standpoint of practical politics, pol-itics, both the Chicago and San Francisco Fran-cisco conventions will try to nominate men who, soem to have at least as good a chance to carry Ohio as the other candidates for the nomination. Tho fact that Cox has been elected governor of Ohio three times on the Democratic ticket will give him a lot of prestige at San Francisco. None of the other candidates for tho Democratic nomination havo had tho temerity to enter the contest against Cox for the Ohio dologa,tlon, From the Democratic standpoint the April 27 primaries will simply put tho Beal of approval on the Cox candidacy and insure tho undivided support of the Ohio delegates for Cox until ho haB been nomlnatod, or releases them to vote for someone else. Ohio and Republicans. In the case of the Republicans, the situation la entlroly different. Sepator Harding, who occupies somewha tho samo position with tho Republicans that Cox does with the Democrats has had to contest with Wood for the delegates to the Republl-ca Republl-ca convention. And It is a real contest Early In tho fight, which began several sev-eral months ago, it looked as though tho Wood campalgnwas making great headway. It was well financed and thoroughly organized. Tho samo aggressive ag-gressive tactics which have characterized character-ized the Wood campaign throughout the country, have featured it in every section of the state. Harding Stock Rising. The Harding pooplo soon awakened to a realization that unless they got mighty busy, tho senator's presidential aspirations stood a good chance of getting get-ting a knockout in his own stato. During tho past few yeoks there seems to bo little doubt that tho Harding Hard-ing candidacy has been meeting with more and the Wood candldaoy with less popular approval. Wood's candidacy has suffered from the unanswered boodle ohargos and tho growing charges against Wood's failure to play tho gamo, according to tho rules, by keeping out of anothor candidate's homo stato. Harding has been as frank about the financial side of his campaign as Wood has been avaslve. Harding has made a public statement state-ment that tho estimated total expense In and out of the stato is about $75,000 Of this amount his friends and neighbors neigh-bors in the city of Marion havo subscribed sub-scribed $30,000 and there Is no single subscription for over 31,000. What Wood Entry Means Tho Wood poople unquestionably thought they could got tho Ohio delegation dele-gation for the general, or they would not havo entered his namo in tho primaries pri-maries and made tho aggrossivo fight lor him that they have. If thoy louo they can hardly hopo to got tho votes Oven after Ilardinir in thrtmsh vith them at Chicago. If Harding wins, especially if ho wins by a largo onough plurality to indicate in-dicate great popular strength, he will go to tbo Chicago convention as the favorlto candldato of tho conservative party loaders and will have a good chance for the nomination If the conservatives con-servatives control, i Harding's failure to beat Wood In Ohio yill not only put tho senator out of tho presidential raco, but will probably prob-ably retire him to privato life after his present senatorial term. That the senator and his followors fully realize this Is shown by tho tro-mendous tro-mendous effort thoy are making not only to carry tho state, but to pile up the largest possible majority. It is, of course, more or less of a guess, but it looks as though Harding will defeat Wood in Ohio, although It would not be surprising If his majorltv la smaller than he and hJs friends would like. oo |