Show Daily Editorial ig A Democratic Opportunity I It is keeping far within the frontiers frontiers frontiers fron fron- tiers of moderation radon to say that at no o other Republican national convention has made such uch a show how of ot itself Itself has f filled so many Republicans with anger i with hopelessness with a sense of collective collective col col- col- col Republican unreality impotence ence and incapacity to face events and the present condition of the world In 1912 1512 there was was a ferocious division of ot principles and persons which seemed to c contain 1 aln the seeds of or improvement and concord after arter salutary dis disaster ster This year what is there what evidence of any loftier lottier Intent than to get into Int power by means means of ot sinister equIvocations equivocations equivocations and easy doubtful offers by the exclusion or renunciation renunciation every of very every higher high high- er view or policy than sel selective opportunism opportunism j jA A A. party without a principle and s 's with without ith- ith out a a. commanding representative that and and unwillingly must it be said said said-Is is I all that is left of ot the Republican party so famous of so many many achievements I once of such hopes The hopes are gone It is now a party of obstruction Not to independents not to hundreds of thousands of its own eager eager partisans of not long ago is it now more th than n a last resort It has thrown away Its ts fortune Will the Democrats find theirs On the cardinal cardinal cardi cardinal nal national national and and international policy I of ot the league of nations they have on their side no coteries of visionaries es but the business men of ot the nation the great saving 1 hard rd sense o the people I the churches the colleges the passionate passion passion- passion passion-I j ate longing of ot the millions who saw their sons go to war A great part of I I the Rep Republican party loathes the ob obscurantism obscurantism ob- ob and of or Its Us I present policy The Democrats have only to stick to th the main issue to make I no concession to radicalism radicalism- to wave away the dangerous bids of those who profess ability to deliver class votes of any kind and they can win Th They y never had a better chance but they must have cour courage ge and mal make maUe e. e no surrender surrender surrender sur sur- render of dear to the American Ameri Anteri can people in the barr barren n. n hope of placating placating placating pla pla- cating un-American un sentiments and policies i First of ot all above all aU else J they have need to choose as their candidate candidate can can- can I a man of strength and character charac- charac j I ter who will command the confidence II I j of ot the country And In John W W. Davis they have such a man man New York Tork I I Times Dem I D Democratic Convention I After Chicago San Francisco The advance guard of Democratic delegates is already on the way to the co coast What will be the reaction there to the work p of pf the Republican convention The Republican gathering was described described de- de I de-I scribed as and without ut lead- lead I t That was as things turned out an illusory description If the the thel Chicago c convention looked to the inexperienced eye no noI I eye can be deceived by th the ot at San Francisco tenths Nine of the he Democratic delegates are hand handpicked handpicked picked In 1912 when h the lh p party was party was affecting grea great t de devotion devotion to the principle principle principle prin prin- ciple of f popular control of ot conventions and nominations it the national national national na na- na- na committee tog t to see to It that delegates delegates dele dele- g gates tes to succeeding conventions should be chosen chosen chosen-at at primaries and ana that preferences preferences preferences' preferences preferences' for candidates tes should be ex expressed expressed expressed ex- ex pressed in the same same manner But this year the primaries primaries' and nd expressions of ot preference have been avoided avold d like a pestilence The leading candidates for forthe forthe forthe the nomination have bagged to have their names names withdrawn withdrawn- from consideration consideration consideration consider consider- in the primary states Most of them h have havee vo urged the sele selection ti n of un un- un- un pledged delegates The national committee committee committee com com- and the White H House use have sought to send to San Francisco men who prefer Instructions from the leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers to instructions from the voters A presidential nominee is Is to be imposed on on the party from the the theop top op as everything everything everything every every- thing els else has been Imposed en on it for forthe forthe forthe the last eight years Attorney General Palmer has been allowed to appear asan as-an active administration administration administration adminis adminis- candidate He has collected some del delegates gates nominally n pledged to him B But t few people believe that they are intended to be used ultimately for his benefit The president and the national na na- na- na committee mean mean- to control control the situation If Mr Wilson wants to run for a third third term the convention 1 will accept him If It he wants to transmit the mantle of leadership to Mr McAdoo McAdoo McAdoo Mc- Mc Adoo his son-in-law son the mantle willbe will willbe willbe be transferred The latter enters the convention without a single delegate Instructed in instructed instructed In- In for him and with the active opposition of the delegates from his home state Yet he Is generally generall re regarded regarded regarded re- re as the logical l nominee in case tl the e president decides decide to to another another an an- other the fight for the ratification of the Versailles treaty as it stands Mr Wilson has demanded a referendum referendum dum on The San Francisco convention will assemble next week weel mainly for fo the purpose purpose of allowing him to notify it what the Democratic platform plat plat- form torm is ls' to contain and who Is to be toe the theD D Democratic candidate The The drama at San Francisco as was was the case at Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- cago will be managed from the wings At Chicago there was a a. Junta of senatorial senatorial senatorial sena sena- managers managers' At San Sari Francisco there will be one orie one undisputed manager manager in hl chief New chief New York Trib Tribune ne Rep J T Twenty enty Years BackY Backward rd With With Witha a candidate and anda a platform the the i patty tty has has' unde undertaken take to turn the the po political clock back to 1900 I Tl The Chicago convention was only In Incidentally ing concerned with the nomination nomination nomina- nomina nomination tion of ot a candidate for president Its main business was to steep Keep th the control I lot of the Republican organization in the j I hands of a little littIe group of reactionaries II who dominate jt it Harding owes ves his I nomination to the fact his his- personality personality personality per- per and his record fit Into this pros prop pro- pro s p I gram Senator S Harding may be elected I president of the United States Wit he will never be president of the United I States except in name In the event of r I la a Republican victory next November the executive power will be In the 1 hands of the the Lodges the ees the Watsons and the theother theother other other old guard senators who bossed the Chicago convention and made it the servile cre creature ture of their political desires The Republican party today is as s reactionary as it ever was under HanI Hanna Hanna Han- Han na and it has a candidate ate for president I I dent who Is far more pliable than McI Mc- Mc KInley All AU the liberal tendencies of I I the party have been shackled All AU that was wa progressive has been stifled II Everything that that men like Hughes and andI Hoover Hooyer represent has been repudiated I I The last vestige of have I been eradicated The rho revolt of 1912 I II I Is merely mereb a memory Nothing Is left leff I of it except a a rancid recollection of or I that were lost the power and patronage I because of it The I moral lesson is completely forgotten forgotten and a and nd the ancient partnershIp partnership b between t en Republican an polIticS polIticS' politics politics poli polI- Is tics ticS' and sp special cial privilege The country is in a mood to demand Information It will Insist on knowing knowIng know know- Ing exactly where Senator Harding stands In regard to the treaty of ot peace whether he is for the treaty with the Lodge reservations for he voted whether he is for tor the Knox separate separate separate sep sep- arate peace with Germany for which he voted whether he is with the battalion battalion battalion bat bat- of death who dictated the treaty plank In the Republican platform plat plat- form I The question will not stop with the treaty The senator cannot indefinitely I dodge the prohibition Issue He cannot cannot cannot can can- not indefinitely d dodge dge the labor abol Issue issue I Ho He cannot cannot- indefinitely dodge the taxation taxation taxation taxa taxa- tion issue He cannot indefinitely I dodge the Mexican issue lIe He cannot i dodge any issue unless the Democrats I at San Francisco make such monumental monumental mental fools tools of themselves that the campaign is lost to them before it is beg begun New begun n. lew New York world Dem I Dollar Memberships A New v Political Deal t Chairman Hays of the Republican national committee Is is by by far too adroit and farseeing a manager not to realize the importance of profiting by the the- theles lessons les les- lessons lessons sons taught by the recent revelations concerning campaign financing Those Thos revelations unquestionably were the determining factors in sealing the fate of ot of more than one of ot the leading candidates candidates candi candI- d dates tes for the presidential l nomination at Chicago and by the selection of ot b a candidate or candidates for candidates for CoolIdge as well as as Harding was untouched by bythe bythe bythe the senatorial investigation into the expenses of the primary y campaigns campaigns- against whom it will be impossible to cast the reproach that their success was bought the Republican party has eliminated that element at least from the war of of discussion that is about to open But these nominations do not o or of themselves extricate the party managers managers man managers agers from the intricate problems connected connected con con- netted with the financing of ot a national campaign and Chairman Hays has announced announced announced an an- his purpose to taKe e up an of oft suggested method of accomplishing two extremely important results results namely namely first the raising of sufficient funds for campaign expenses without Incurring incurring incurring Incur incur- ring the stigma of putting the party under obligations to men of grea great I wealth and second the popularizing i of the cause by making party adherence adherence adherence ence carry with it some measure of In Individual individual In- In responsibility beyond the moral moral moral mor mor- al obligation to vote on election day for the party's candidates If It Mr Hays can carry out his thought ant and nd persuade the rank rank- and file fHe o of ot the Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican voters loters of ot the country to pledge their devotion to the cause which the their part represents by paying say 1 each Into the party treasury he will have hav accomplished something really worth wort while At the last presidential election something more than votes were cast for tor the Republican electors A drive properly organized along modern methods by the experts in thafield that tha field would undoubtedly reach a very large proportion of the voters and while It is not intended to limit contributions contributions con con- to the minimum sum named such an effort would serve as a a. concrete concrete concrete con con- crete evidence that the party hadle had le learned a lesson from the recent exposures ex exposures exposures ex- ex and sincerely desired to to profit profi by the fate of the candidates whose aspirations were stifled by the weight weigh of ot the money obligations under which they were placed J Chairman Hays' Hays suggestion therefore therefore therefore there there- fore comes at a psychological momen momento moment to insure for it a large measure of suc- suc cess Moreover the psychology of the plan itself will commend Itself to the reason of thoughtful voters A man or ora ora ora a woman values something that has had to be paid for far more than something something some- some thing tiling to be had for tor the mere asking or even for less than that personal ef effort effort effort ef- ef fort Membership In one or the other of the great national party organizations organizations Is a nebulous affair at the best for its obligations are not binding and they are often weakened and broken by the very slight cross current of prejudice prejudice prejudice udice or or feeling But if that membership membership membership member member- ship carried with it an obligation to take part in its work t to the extent of ot contributing to Its campaign funds is it not reasonable to assume that tha the interest of the Individual In the ul ultImate ultimate ultimate ul- ul triumph of the party would be greater than if there here were no such fuch connecting link Philadelphia lInk Philadelphia Public Ledger Ind |