Denver labor bulletin., 1918-12-07


McAdoo has resigned his place in the
cabinet because he wants to start at
once his campaign for the Democratic
nomination for the presidency in 1920,
according to the opinions of men who
are close to him here.
He has resigned his place as di-
rector general of railroads, according
to reports, in order that he may. with
out embarrassment to the President,
declare himself the champion of per
manent government ownership and op-
Grafton of railways, canals and steam
ship lines. This is the estimate of his
motive made by these same men who
have his confidence.
Public ownership is TO be the big
issue of the 1920 campaign, as the
politicians here see the situation, and
while McAdoo has never yet declared
himself for public ownership he has
indicated that he was drifting in that
direction. He has told his friends that
he went into the railroad administra-
ton with mind open as to issue of
ownership. and that he has now made
up his mind. He is evidently going to
tell the country, after he becomes
private citizen, what his view now is.
Only the other day, when announc-
ing his retirement on January l next,
he said that the process of further or
ganizing the railroads as one nation
wide system would continue as long as
he remained. Altho the Association of
Owners of Railroad Stocks was at
that moment. in session in New York,
employing battalion of lawyers head
ell by Elihu Root TO bring legal pro
ceedings against the government to
stop further "serambling Of the eggs,
McAdoo was determined TO continue
the Scrambling.
Ready to Bag Progressives.
In other words, Mr. McAdoo is set
ting the stage for anneNing the pro-
grcsSive sentiment Of the nation in
1920 to one of the old parties in which
the special interests have a big voice
He viii make his peace quietly with
the conservatives, such as the South
ern Bourbons, and at the same time
will attempt to draw in the progress
sives by a platform Of radical prom
ises.
The Republicans will try TO do the
same thing with flag waving and push
ing their progressives forward to pub
lie view. Both party machines are
scheming to keep the progressives
from getting together without an en-
taugling alliance with the special in
terests and from capturing one of the
old parties or forming an independent
party. They weif-know that the re-
dictionaries cannot win at the polls
where a clear issue is allowed between
the people and the special interests.
Senator Lewis, defeated Democratic
senator from Illinois, started the fire
works recently by introducing reso-
luton favoring government ownership
of interstate railroads, telegraphs,
telephones and also national lines of
communication necessary TO complete
postal and telegraphic service to the
| citizens. The last clause of his reso-
luton is evidently designed to save
the faces of the reactionary Democrats
since it permits them to deny that
their Democratic presidential candi-
date is pledged to any definite public
ownership at any definite time or
place.
The Republican Split.
Lewis has thrown down this chal-
lenge in the Senate because the small
group of progressive Republicans
holding the balance of power in the
! Senate is favorable TO public owner
ship, and will never vote against an
| endorsement of the principle. The
standpat Republicans. on the other
! hand. will be forced to vote against
the resolution. That will split the Re
| publicans, upon one issue at least.
| The Lewis resolution gives McAdoo a
fine opportunity to profit by their dis
putes. During the next two years the
| Republican party is bound to remain
sharply divided between the friends
and the enemies of public ownership.
and McAdoo may play the role this
| time that his distinguished father-in-
4 L.. ,nl
Whether either Democrats or Re-
publicans succeed in annexing the
progressive and radical vote in some
| diplomatic combination with special
| privilege depends chiefly on how wide
| awake the voters to be annexed arc.
If they and their leaders are again
| captivated by the idea that reaction
! aries and progressives can unite and
\ that such union will produce laws that
strike Mt the root of special privilege,
the 1920 election will be repetition
| of those of the last twenty years. The
volume of unimportant noise will be
amusing to the more sophisticated
LaFollette Case Dismissed.
After thirteen months of sidestep-
ping the matter the Senate commit
| tee on privileges and elections dis
missed the "disloyalty" charges filed
against Senator LaFollette by the
Minnesota public safety commission
| thru Senator Kellogg of that state.
The speech made by the Wisconsin
leader Mt st. Paul in September of last
year, before the producers and con-
sumers conference called by the Ma
tional Non-Partisan League. was held
! to be none of the business of the
Senate. Nothing in it was found dis
\ loyul hut eyen had there hacn any