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Show Pennsylvania Governor Man of the Hour in Opinion of Commoner. By WlTjTilAM .flSXN'INGS BRYANT Copywright J920, by William Jennings Bryan. Written Exclusively for Universal Sar- vice. CHICAGO, June 7. The great subjects sub-jects that now absorb attention are. What will the platform vsay and who will bo the standard bearer. The one Jterm question is not attracting as much attention as might be expected In view of the fact that the fight has to be made on policies rather than upon men. Governor Lowden has ventured to suggest a plank which evidently represents rep-resents a settled conviction. Speaking to the newspaper men he'sald: "I have had one thing in my mind for a good many years that I am going go-ing to suggest, to the resolutions committee. com-mittee. In each congress In which I served, I introduced a resolution for an amendment to the constitution making the president Ineligible to succeed himself. I have advocated before our constitutional convention the incorporation of a similar provision provi-sion in our constitution with reference to the governor. ' j One Term "iietlcr "I have been persuaded that the chief executive, either of tho state or of the nation, my ho knew that he would not succeed himself, do n'ot care how good a man he is would make real achievements within one term than he ordinarily would In eight years If during dur-ing the first term he were considering the question of ronomlnation. When asked whether he would maltc tho term four years or six, he answered: "In the resolution which I introduced intro-duced repeatedly in congress I extended extend-ed the term to six years but I am not clear upon that. J do not think that it Is essential. I think that oven a four year term, whore, when the president went In, he Icnow that he was going to achieve anvthlng he had began tho first day of his term to do. that, he had only four years to carry out his idea, ho would achieve more In that four years than ordinarily ordinari-ly was achieved in eight years." Byynii 'Wills l.owdrit I -am glad to preso'.it to my readers Governor Lowdcn's Views on this sub-joct sub-joct and if my endorsement is of any value in a Republican convention. I am glad to second his efforts in this respect. Like the governor. I introduced intro-duced a single term resolution when a member of congress. I would rather have a single term of six years than tc have the president eligible for a second term, but 1 prefer four years to six. A good president, if ho has nothing to think about but the public welfare, can make himself immortal in four years. A bad president would excite a fjreat deal of discontent if for six years he were permitted to override" tho legislative branch of the government with a veto. Will the other candidates join Governor Lowden in this laudlble effort to freo the cUlef executive from iho influence, of a selfish ambition, or will they prefer to leave the way open for a second term if they succeed suc-ceed In getting tin first? I.owtlen For League Governor Lowden has also expressed express-ed himself to the press as in favor of a league of nations with reservations, indicating that he is willing to accept the Lodge reservations as a fair interpretation in-terpretation of Americanism. He has also come nearer than most of the other candidates to expressing himself on the liquor question. He favora the enforcement of the prohibition prohibi-tion law on the statute books, and as governor signed tho Illinois enforcement enforce-ment law. The decision of the supreme. court upholding the prohibition amendment the prohibition enforcement law, and denying all the relief asked by the wets, ought to end the controversy. John Barleycorn is now officially declared dead and the Republican convention obght not to, hesitate- to bury the corps by a platform plank committing the party to prohibition as tho permanent policy of the country coun-try and to the enforcement of the Volstead Vol-stead law without any weakening of its provisions. The Anti-Saloon league, whose national na-tional officers aro now in session In Chicago, have resolved to "ask the national conventions of tho political parties to adopt a plank in their respective re-spective platforms, declaring for the effective enforcement of the 18th amendment, and laws enacted pursuant pursu-ant thereto. They also request the said parties. "to nominate only such candidates as are strongly committed to' this policy of enforcement." A meeting will be held Tuesday afternoon af-ternoon where speeches will be made by a number of supporters of the amendment. Senator Johnson, while insistent upon up-on a clear-ctit declaration In tho platform plat-form against the treaty, seems inclined to pussyfoot on the prohibition question. ques-tion. He is quoted as expressing the opinion that the subject will not be mentioned in the platform. And, while Senator Johnson is quite positive in his opposition to tho league lea-gue of nations as outlined In the covenant cove-nant submitted to the sonaje, ho does not attompt to describe or outline such .a league as he would consider proper. This, it seems to n'c, Is a weak- point in the senator's program. A ouccessful attack upon any given policy usually includes tho suggestion of an alternato proposition, and a failure fail-ure to offer a plan for any league of nations is apt to mke tho issue merely mere-ly a choice between the league proposed pro-posed by the president and no league at all, whereas, thirty-four of the forty-nine Republican senators voted on record in favor of accepting the treaty including tho league of nations with certain specific reservations. Governor Coolldge will profit incidentally inci-dentally by the recent supremo court Coolidfie in Limelight He, It will be remembered vetoed a bill passed by the legislature of Massachusetts having for its purpose the licensing for the sale of beverages bever-ages coniuinlng more than one-half of one per cent ulcojiol. permitted by the Volstead act. Tho court has sustained sus-tained the governor's veto by nullify-' Ing statute passed in other wet states. Governor Sproul is the most important import-ant arrival. He heads the list of dark horses, although be Is now so much talked about that 't Is hardly fair to class him among the horses described as dark. He was the central figure today at tho Pennsylvania headquarters. He looks the part. Ho Is alarge man, has a strong face, and Is 'the picture of health. He baa tho Pennsylvania' delegation behind him, and that Is second in size to New York's delegation, delega-tion, lie is a neighbor to tho JSmplre state and a neighbor, also, to Ohio. He has boon in public life for many years. As senator in the stale legislature legis-lature he had an opportunity to acquaint ac-quaint himself with governmental affairs af-fairs and his experience has beeiv still fiirthcr enlarged 1 since he became chef executive of the Keystone state. He Is a business man, rather than a politician, and would be especially acceptable ac-ceptable to those who emphasize the need of business, methods at Washington. Washing-ton. He had the cpurage to announce himself as candidate for governor on a platform declaring for national prohibition pro-hibition and for woman's suffrage. As governor he led the fight that secured his state's ratification of the two amendments. The Republicans are looking for a candidate with virtues enough to float his campaign and without specific objection to embarrass embar-rass him. Governor Sproul is believed believ-ed by many to bo the man of the hour. '-oo |
