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jpSCEMBER, 1920
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The Commoner
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As Editors See It
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CSJg THE GREAT REFERENDUM
'VSghe magnitude of the nation's verdict against
, OT?sonIsm is bo tremendous as to bo almost bo-
uvybnd ordinary comprehension; like the statistics
of the great war, or the measurements of inter
stellar spaces. It will be att aid to annreoiation
ot it, however, to compare or to contrast it with
v rormer electoral results, some of which were re
garded as overwhelming.
t ; In the twenty-four presidential elections pre
ceding this-one in which the popular vote could
' ' be- counted, twelve presidents were chosen by
minorities of that vote, and twelve by majorities.
Three of the former did not even have plural
ities, namely, John Quincy Adams, Rutherford
' B. Hayes, and Benjamin Harrison. Jackson had
.majorities of 139,212 in 1828 and 157,313 in
.1832. Van Buren had only 27,027. Harrison,
' in-" the y famous, log cabin and hard cider cara-
. paign, secured a majority of 145,914. Polk,
the -first 'dark horse," won by a plurality of
38,181, but was in a decided minority of the
-Whole vote. T.aylor, with a plurality of 139,556,
was also a minority president. Pierce had a
plurality of 214,G94, by far the largest thus
far, and also a clear majority; due to the de
cadence of the whig party. Buchanan had a
plurality of 496,905 over Fremont, but was in
a 'decided minority ot the whole.
The first Republican president, Lincoln, had
- a plurality of 489,495, but was a minority presl-
"denU In his second election, however, he had
a majority of 494,567; -by far the most over-
whelming" victory thus far on record. Grant had
. .goifly 305,456 plurality in 1868, but a majority
""qt all, and in 1872 his plurality over Greeley was
. 726,991. " There followed five minority presi
dents. Hayes did not have even a plurality,
falling 150,935 short of it. Garfield's plurality
' '"Tas-only 9,464; Cleveland's 23,005. Harrison
fell' 9,5,713 short of getting even a plurality.
. -CJeteland for his second term had 363,612
plurality a landslide; it wag considered but
was still in the minority, jifeKinley in 1896
had 567,692 plurality, and in 1900, 860,788;-
- and both times clear majorities. Roosevelt in
1904, eclipsed all records with a plurality of
2 544.343, andot course an immense majority;
"and,Taft in 1908 did nearly -half as well with a
plurality of 1,269,806. Wilson was both times
a 'minority president, in 1912 being "in a small
: V Minority, though lie had a plurality, due to the
Republican split, of 2,123,188; In. 1916 his
.xjlurality was 581,941.
v . -By the side of these Mr. Harding's plurality
which appears to approximate 7,000,000, stands
in a class Qf its own. Allowing for the virtual
doubling of the electorate by the enfranchise
ment of women, it still far .exceeds even Colonel
Roosevelt's figures in 1904. It amounts to near-
- ay. seven per cent of the entire population, and
'-"to 20 to 22 -per cent of the entire' electorate.
In many important -states his plurality equals
' ten per. cent of the entire population. Moreover, it
--was won in a straight, uncomplicated fight.
There were no sfates out of the" union or under
military rule, as in 1864, 1868, and 1872. There
was no such adoption of an outside candidate
as in 1872. There was no such excitement over
" astrenuous personality as in 1904. There was
: no. schism of the opposing party as in 1912; no
'. such campaign of camouflage as in 1916. There
jvvas just the direct issue: For or against Wii
onism. On that the nation delivered" he great-
1 lest referendum ever1 known in the history of the
world, . .
" s The1 electoral vote, while completely over-
whelming, is for obvious reasohs less impressive
; rand is no more decisive than on some ofcher occasions.-
Mr. Wilson in 1912 had 435 votes to 0C
- "f nr the other two candidates. Roosevelt in
l904had 336- to 140.' Urant in 1872 'had 206
against 63, and in 1868 he had 214 against 71.
Lincoln in 184" had tllo-greateat preponderance
.record, 1 2 to 21, or fully teii Jo one. Pierce
fhW254 to 42. Harrison Tjeat Yan Buren by
SSSSito-OO? 'Jackson A 1832 bttf 9 to 07.
-romVofr the earlier 'divisions were even more
Striking, "but tno meraw kw " -
boforo known in Amerlcau political, history.
Harvoy's Weekly.
THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP
Much talk is heard already about a now Demo
cratic leadership. At the San Francisco con
vention there were only two real contenders for
President Wilson's mantle. One was Mr. Mc
Adbo, who was looked for by his supporters to
maintain the Wilson tradition in the Democratic
as well as in the loreign field. Like his father-in-law,
Mr. McAdoo was a southerner horn,
transplanted to the middle states. Ho seemed,
therefore, to have the habits-of mind required
to weld together the two clashing elements in
the Democratic party.
His successful rival was Governor Cox, a
northern Democrat, whose, career had been
shaped along tho? lines traveled by most of the
successful leaders of that school. Ho was alert
and liberal-minded enough on local issues to bo
elected governor three times In a naturally Re
publican state. Ho was in a class with Govern
ors Johnson "of Minnesota, Pattison of Pennsyl
vania and Horace Boies of Iowa. Yet his point
of view was narrow and his political intincts
allied him with the northern macbino elements.
He was classed as a "wet" and as a friend of
the old-line organizations in the big states
Tammany's here, Mr. Nugent's in Now Jersey,
Roger Sullivan's and Brennan's in Illinois, Tag
gart's in Indiana and the Boston crowd in
Massachusetts.
Cox was nominated by a combination of these
groups, who wanted to register a protest
against the Wilson leadership. But no sooner
was he nominated than be cut away from them.
He went to Washington and made his peace
with the President. Next came his "dry"
speeches in the west. He finally based his
campaign on issues which turned every north
ern state, three of the 'our border states and
two of the southern states against him. Ho was
beaten worse 'than Parker was.
After Parker's defeat Wihiam J. Bryan
"came back." McAdoo is probably now plan
ning a "come-back" as the representative of
Wilsonism. On domestic,, questions he has been
a ""dry," inclined to train with Mr. Gompers
and to favor government operation of the rail
roads and similar ventures. In his homo stato
he is outside the Tammany fold and is elsewhere
recognized as naturally dispdsed to radicalism.
The election marked a vigorous reaction
from such tendencies. Mr. McAdoo has, there
fore, little political capital left to work on. Ho
was a bad forecaster, except, perhaps, in so far
asjje manifested a certain distrust of the value
of a Democratic presidential nomination in 1920.
, The only Democratic leader who realized the
party's predicament and told the truth about it
w:.s Colonel Bryan. His judgment was magnifi
cently vindicated. ' But that may not have en
deared the other losers.
McAdoo, Cox and Bryan are about the only
figures now on the Democratic horizon. But
the nominee in 1924 is likely to be some one
out of the limelight of whom chance brings
conspicuously to the front In the 1922 elec
tions. New York Tribune.
BRYAN PROPOSES IMMEDIATE CHANGE
The Hon. William J. Bryan- who for twenty
four years has held 'his place as the' fbromost
personality in the Democratic party, made a'n
Interesting suggestion last month. He proposed
that President Wilson should promptly resign.
This act would make Vice-President Marshall
- President without .a moment's delay, and with
'no other formality except the oath of office.
Mr. Marshall, in turn (as suggested by Bryan),
could at once appoint Senator Harding Secretary
of State and himself retire from the presidency.
Under the existing law of uiccession, the Secre
tary of State would become President for the
remainder of the unexpIredtteVm. The out-going
congress has a working Republican majority in
the House with a bare majority in the Senate.
- fnu r,enia tvmdft liv Mr. Bryan coum ne
. -i.j -.ni,. aHrhtf filfflftultv 3n fact.
eg difWrehtrfrom theresent that comparison 0Te Vastly easier to put into effect
:&Q$aL irrevelant., After all ifr jraa . a-referen- gjy Xtlon7oi a D0W prlme Minister in
' dSL a plebiscite, tmjjp. gn a thintbat Has happened at leasl twl
dent wanted, anq. 11- vu !. v - tue average aunae iuo Ami,
against liim with a numercial emphasis never a ytar u
half
m
century. It is not merely curious but nnm
Tittva been so generally regarded a fantswUc. it-
is poriecuy just to ay, without reflection upon -any
Individual, that an office once galnod fn thft ;
country is regarded &n a personal porquiBlto, mH
to bo retained, either for itu power or for iW;
emoluments, or now, as long as possible. It J
not a wolcome thought that Iho country must
continue lo endure the deadlock between con
gress and the White Housa until nutin nn ih
fourth day of next March. Mr. Harding, of cour, ,$
wouia naiurauy prorer the delay on varJoua ac
counts; but it is a bad syutera that make the
delay possible.
Those aro not whimsical observations, nof
are they intended In the slightest degree an r
flections upon Mr. Wllaon. It is the ayatera
Itself that we are digcuflgfne. It wmttd hn nnlV
frank to observe In nasalnsr (hat the onlnlnn h
been and remains widespread throughout the,,
country that Mr. Wilson's serious and protracted
illness has definitely shown us tho reasons why
the founders of tho government provided for a
vice president, Tho Amorlcan presidency lf tha
most arduous office In tho world, and its duties
aro too taxing even for men in vigorous health.
It is utterly contrary to American nrornfloni...
however, for anybody to resign from high office. :
lno iow exceptions merely go fo prove the rule.
It Is tho system itself ihat should bo changed,
But for the bother of presidential elections, ft
two-year torm with eligibility limited to threa
consecutive terms a total six-year period
would ho wholly desirable; and in any case,
whether torms bo longer or shorter, tho lawn
should provide for tho prompt retirement of a.
President aftor tho election of his successor.
That the country would cndo.'se such a Changs
cannot bo doubted. Stops should be take
promptly. Tho American Review of Rovlewlf.
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THREE MONTHS OF QEKTUHEH
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This is takon from a nowa story published fa
Monday's Star; '
"Senator Lodge expressed regret that new m
ministration is to be delayed three month.l
is unfortunate, ho oald, that the change in ad
ministration and in congress should have t
wait so long a tlmo aftor tho people have ex
pressed themselves at tho polls. Ho said ho
would approve a change in tho law of tho land
which would make the newly olected President
and congress take office early in January,"
The Massachusetts senator should move to
bring tho change about. He would be well em
ployed and well supported.
The delay In such circumstances as now exist
makes for embarrassment and temporary paral
ysis. Observe A president and congress have
just been chosen on the principles enunciated
in the Chicago platform. Out of respect to the
people, legislation should bo drafted and appoint
ments to office made on those lines.
And ye( President Wilson will enjoy tho right tA
of recommending legislation and making ap
pointments to office till March 4, and Is utterly!
opposed to the principles laid down in the trlr,
umphant platform. He cannot be expected to go
counter to his own convictions, and the present
congress, in agreement politically with the one
that will succeed it, cannot he expected to accept
his recommendations or appointments made af
ter his repudiation by the people and on the eye
of his retirement from office
So between now and the inauguration of the
new order we shall have principally gestures.
Not until Mr. Harding takes hold and the new"
congress begins to function will the path be clear
for the advance the voters at their latest oppor
tunity have decreed. Washington Star,
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DEMOCRATIC DUTY
J. T
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In an interview given yesterday, former Sena
tor Lewis of Illinois said something Jf a slang
phrase Is permissible, said a mouthful. Take
this:
"The Democrats mifst do everything to lielp
President Harding's administration carry out
the policies voted by the people. The democracy
must be patriotic, not party idiotic. We cannot
do against Harding that which we condemned
the Senate Republicans for doing against Wil
son. We would earn the contempt of public
opinion."
The President asked far "a solemn referen
dum" on the league of nations. That Is to fmy,
he asked for an indorsfment of his ndmintra
tion on the treaty of peace signed by him lu
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