& i - -,u
Th&- Commoiser
l-.-' 'L. 20, NO. 8j
o
rno of liis state, had boon chdson for the vlco
presidency by tho same vote given to the presi
dent. To ubo u striking expression coined -by
Sfthutor Johnson at' Chicago recently, "there is
only "a hoart beat" betwoon him and tho whito
hotise. Ho is now' tho choice of his state for tho
presidency, thpugh not sooking the place.
Strange that such a member of committee should
havo been overlooked.
Senator Poinorono, who roprosonts Ohio on
thq resolutions committee, sat just in front of
Chairman Glass. Ho is not. only a prominent
member of tho senate, and from one of th,o four
big5 slates, but ho may bo regarded as the spokes
man on the committee for Governor Cox, one of
the loading candidates for tho presidential nomi
nation. Senator Pomorone may bo supposed to
bo vitally intorostod in the platform, and it ox
citod some surprise when Chairman Glass passed
him by. ' V
Now York will present Governor Smith, but
the empiro state is not represented on the sub
committee, oven though that state is represented
on tho resolutions committee by Hon. .Bourke
Cockran, a man who has marfy claims to dis
tinction. '
Novr Jersey, tho home of tho president, has a
candidate for president in- tho person, of its gov
ernor, whom tho chief executive cordially con
gratulated when ho was elected last fall. Even
New Jersey's "representative on the ''committed
was not appointed on the Bubcommitee.
. Oklahoma has endorsed Senator -Owen and
Iowa Secretary Meredith, but both of the states
wore ignorod.
In selecting a representative of Now England
Chairman Glass passed by Senator Walsh of
Massachusetts and named the representative of
Maine. This is more astonishing when it is
known that Senator Walsh who had been chosen
Hocrotary of the resolutions committee, sat by
Mr. Glass on tho platform, nearer to him than
any ono olso except his volunteer aide, Secretary
Colby. Senator Walsh is not only one of the
ablest Democrats in th6 senate, but is one of tho.
most progressive members of tho party. '
Evon Senator Smith of South Carolina, who
moved the appointment t of the committee , was
'forgotten. It is 'customary ' in- parliamentary
bodies to Include on a commlfinn thn man whn
moves its appointment, but Senator Smith has
become so unimportant abactor among the"
Democratic senators that his rights to a place
' on tho sub-committee would not depend entirely
'on-parliamentary usage.
The members selected are of course mon who
are respected and esteemed, the chosen mon
frohi their respective states.
Senator Walsh of, Montana is not only ,a
prominent senator, but was mentioned XoV chair
man, but in conventions, mon are estimated by
relative standards and according to importance
of the states they represent and ospeqially' with
a view to embracing all Important factions.
In the appointment of this, committee the
Chairman seemed to have used an invisible -yard
stick or to- lave, chosen by chemical analysis,
feoverai of the members of the sub-committee are
known to bo favorable to ex-Secretary McAcoo,
while others may be expected to awing. into his
column when relieved from allegiance to others.
One so rompte as myself from the fountains of
Information is unable to judge whether tho tost
of availability for this important sub-committee
was personal or had to do, with platform plans.
r I may add that the omission of my name
from tho list was to be expected first, because
inyj?olitical activities, though extending over
many years, have not yet been sufficient to bring
me within the vision of the gentlemen from Vir
ginia, and second, because my contributions to
the president's successes would make my ap
pointment seem like an effort on the part of
the executive to. intorfere with the freedom of
the committee deliberations,
Nevpr before-tfas -a great convention of: our
party had to deal with issues ' so momentous.
There is at home an unrest 'hever before known,
and the old world is nearer to chaos than ftv
has been in centuries. If there iy?s over a time
When Democrats ought to take counsel together,
ahd in generous spirit seek to understand the
new currents of thoughtaud' chart the political
Yeas it is now. How inopportune that we should
be sent upon the angry ocean with sealed in
structions. . I haye'oomo to the convention more impressed
than In any former convention with the, re-
sponsibility of a delegate and anxious that the
party platform shall' meet tlfe needs of the day
r' f - & -s" '
and draw to our standard a majority of the vot
ers of tho United States. In witness td my de
votion to my party's welfare! am proposing
Ave planks that seem to me to be of importance
One applies to industrial disputes, a plan pre
sented by our nation to the world, endorsed by
governments representing three-quarters of the
population of the globe and made the chief corn
erstone of the league of nations. Another pro
poses a government bulletin intended to furnish
an unpolluted channel of information to 'the
voiors and to provide a means by which candi
dates for president, senate and congress may lay
Choir claims before the public without any con
siderable expense. A thir'd embodies-proposals
dealing effectively with the profiteers. The
fourth congratulates tho party upon its part in
a great moral reform and pledges enforcement
of a law upheld in every detail by the supremo
court. The fifth seeks to make the conclusion
of peace as easy as was a declaration of war; ad
mits us to tho league of nations, and gives our
nation the moral leadership of the world with a
Democratic president at the head of the
procession.
Are not these things worth - achieving? And
yet when I come to San Francisco I And that a
few men who claim a monopoly of interest ' in
.the president personally in the party's welfare
seek' to brush aside all the great issues that press
upon us and announce as the one outstanding
principle in the code of democracy that a
president not only can do no wrong, but cannot
make a mistake. Even Germany has repudiated
the theory upon which this proposed slogan is
based. These over-zealous friends cannot rep
resent v the president in such a course as they
ought to know that the Democratic party was
never less inclined than now to accept such a
doctrine even If we had a president willing to
ask it or courtiers foolish enough to advise it.
RIVALRY. OF CANDIDATES ;
San Francisco,' July 1. Te rule idopted by
thrcominitteo on resolutions forbids the report
ing of' anything done in the committee, until the
4 platform is. ready for the convention. As r am
a member of the committee I cannot tsayiiny
thine from which conclusions may be drawn
As it is impossible to know when the committee
will be ptble to report and impossible to do any
writing between the conclusion of the commit
tee's work and the action of the convention
I am compelled to turn from the subject in
which I feel tho deepest interest to a subject of
secondary importance, viz,; tho ticket The per
sonal element is very much overestimated. Sup
porters of a candidate become inflamed with the
idea that everything depends upon his nomina
tion, and we are told "as goes Podunkr so goes
the nation, and cap carry Podunk."
This is especially true of the pivotal states.
States like New York and Indiana, and more
..recently, Ohio, have claimed to hold the elections
iiutheir handsK Indiana has had the vice presi-
, dency from the time wheu the memory of man
runneth not to the contrary, and tho New York
delegation takes the Democratic party up on
the mountains and offers -it tho earth every
fouy years. Just now Ohio poses as a pivotal
state, but it does not take, much to make a
pivotal state out of any commonwealth that has
a candidate. Since the presidential election four
years ago turned on a few votes in Californta
it's a poor state that cannot prove to its own
satisfaction that its electoral Vote may do
torratne the presidential contest, and therefore
, "nominate our' man anoV save the party." '
One thing is apparent; no one can be nomi
nated without tho approval of the president' Tho
' Republican convention had to wait for word
from a sick-bed in Pennsylvania, and this con"
vontion waits for word from a sick man" in Wash
ingjon, but Penrose was in position tp confer
witlv othors. Here, we are dependent on intui-
, -; "". "? ni. u multitude of
counsel there is safety." '
. MV. Palmer made his campaign on the theory
that he represented the President. In Georgia
the; question was Whether the voters would sua
tain the administration by voting for Mrl Paiml
. or of permit a cruel world to say that the Presi
dent had been repudiated. In Michigan Mr
Palmer again appeared as a representative of the
President's ideas and his forces horo are mar
shalled under the leadership of the HdnornhiA
. Vance-McCormick, Chairman of the democrat r
- committee in the last campaign and noas near
t!Sr Ppen 1 anyae is permitted to J
But Mr. Palmer seen tn i 6i ' . .. ? ?.1
convention which la so nnWniin t - . lfl
ILI1 "3 tUat , mistake h
"" "l"u U"""K ' past eight years doi
not seem to be rallying Cp the support of 5
Palmer. Somehow thW a inv ,... ., l ai
the" determination which is so evident whenevi
uuuo oubBooio mut mere as any nart nf n
nnrintw in rViil, r .... u u
z::u7 : .;;;:"""" vezioci:atlc voter h
wv.ucu u. uiiioiuui conclusion on any sub1e
from that to which (he President lias arrlvS?
The Cox boom seems to have spent its forci
The Governor of Ohio lm ,i Avc!
worthy of commendation; speaking politically 1
could nnt niHto h ani.r 9 ut .. - .. ' Jl
nb Til-jr-i" T , , """ s or tne ric
t, ia, mut w una Kept ail the commanc
,.p ium m youm out ne certainly doc
r "", ana tnat is loyalty to the homl
,u " utulLU srwpie -wim the saloon. A maJ
who can take an oath tn mmnnrf , - n. j
tion of his state and then ait. in tii m
capital and without protest or lifting a hand t'i
prevent It. watch tho iirAwn , nnn
llnuor dealers itamnfifnt-iiv rmf n v,.i , j
hoping to return) attempted to overthrow every!
thing that the temperance forces of Ohio havl
accomplished in 50 years such a man is noi
T-, - - i'ut "" "". yvmiQ jLiouse at such t
time as .this. Whon ho Mori ith i, i
at Cincinnati and went intothe governor's ofl
v. u. , mujuiity oniy aoout nair as great ai
his increase in the county in 'which Cincinnati
i luuutuu, ue soia ms nirtnright for a mess oi
nnt intra nnA 4. fj4.tK li. xi .
i""''') ", xik ijuuviu,- m. taices more than twrt
. years to EOt a birthrie-hK rfnf rp , n 1.3
No man can go before the 26,000,000 of womcifl
' vuioi-H wuu me smen ot tne boer vat on his gar-
XUOULB.
.The. drift is towards McAdoo. We are toh
that tllft Pl'ftRfflATlf panllv Annatl v.-vJ. iir. i - .
DUt this ClnP.su not. lmrmnnWa arflu t. j-a i. i
government employees, -are ctiairegafdlng Mrj
McAdoo's express wishes and tryingftd force tha
nomination unon him mmr hia mntanf
Mr. McAdoo cannot in my "judgment, carry
muuubh iue mpi5n tua nanaicap of his re-
iauonsmp to tne President, no matter hmxr w.:
"nMnr-d'W 1,Ati.Jf-!.. vr JJri "! v . J .'
AX. 7 -, my UB v no w popular he' is,
-with certain' groups of voter's?-' He will be the
target of every enemv nf tha v.!,, mt4.u..t.:
the President's ability to express the idealism?
V1 w Aiuencttu peopie. The "Crown Prince",
argument is alreadv hofn i,aa k rt,.uit 1
and Democrats cannot deny, that it has some ef-:
j.tivueaa ua a weapon, some 30 years ago1
we xancea aoout "Grandfather's hat" but therei
was a ceneration howoAn o m.ma td...,.i.,
and his grandson candidate. That was a break inl
tuo iiuo uonsiaeraDiy greater than the break bc-i
v,rCD a. jTicaiueut una nis daughter's misband.!
xzuieuiuu-y government is at its lowest iw
-- Europe; is a family -dynasty, likely to become'
popular in' the United SfniAR? -Tf inn.. r.f no,-
fair that a man should surfer merely because!
una .mujioibu juiuhbij: witu an historic famliy,
hilt" a rn.,mTiflirTl"'la a nnn-n ( 4. -.1.1.
great auestiOnS to dfifnnrl an i-nAUrir1i,nVc, lif
to claim for himself the White House and fori
uis onspnng tn honor of-b.eing the grandchil
dren or a PreHirtfmh Tho nvainnA nnmn..nf
is likely td feel that success in the campaign is of i
i.uu Btoai, uuporiancG to oe jeopardized by un-v
necessary hurdles and the partisan Republican!
who might otherwise be drawn to the ticket is ?
pt to iina m sucn a relationship too alluring an
excuse for remaining with"his party. What
Shall it nroflh n. nnrtv if it iinf tu nt;tnia
of a whole family and lose -its: opportunity to, J
ii v., . i,-
CONVENTION TAKES UP TASK OF BALLOT
",, ' XNG FOR PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE
San Francisco July 2.-The first and second
ballots do tfot give much indication of the final
result. Neither McAdoo nor Palmer developed
thO' strength that their supporters, ha"d expected.
They were close together on the first ballot
and their gains on the second ballot were small
and almost equal. Qox's vote on the first ballot
was surprisingly small. It increased some on the
second ballot but in still; -too inconsiderable to
give him much encouragement.- The vote cast
by his state for the wine and beer, amendment
puts him on record As his manager gazed over
the Sahara desert that .expends from Pensacola
to Puget Sound he must contemplate with dis
may the arid naturWthe political soil. If
that seconds -vote hatl"nbt?been taken he inigUfr
xK...H
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