Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-27

" uc NCNA8ISN CACClSu, HIUtCStcu anu
tried to get himself seated by the
national body. He was politely
seated on the sidewalk Outside, but
the next year reappeared with the
scalp OF Guffey. This marked the
passing of the old order in Pennsyl-
vania state Democratic politics.
Palmer is still national committee
man.
He was national committeeman
when the Democrats met at Balti-
more to choose . candidate for the
presidency in 1912. He was for
Wilson. He led the chant. I'VE
want Wilson" He would NOT quit.
Champ Clark had and held almost
the necessary two-thirds, and Will
son asked that his name be with
drawn. But the fighting Quaker
would not quit. II he had there
would have been no Woodrow Will
son in the time OF the world war.
Wilson offered Palmer the place
Of secretary Of war, which he de-
clined because OF his Quakerism.
He was later offered the place Of
chief justice Of the court Of claims
which he Also declined. Then, in
the midst OF the war, he was offered
the post of alien property custodian
which he accepted. D.
When Palmer came to Washing
ton to I'LL this post he went to the
state department to take his oath.
That department refused to accept
him, said here was no such ofiicer
under 1t. He went to the treasury
department with the same result.
Finally he left his oath 1T the White
house and was assigned a single
room back Of . tailor shop. When
he reached that room the next
morning. the messenger who had
been assigned to him refused to ad-
init him. The two men were not
yet acquainted.
An hour later Ralph Stone of
Detroit arrived. He and Palmer
had gone to school together. 1t
was Ralph and Mitchell between
them. Stone brought an Austrian
countess with him and the papers
which delivered a million dollars
worth Of her property to Palmer.
It was his first act under the new
assignment. The second was to re-
cruit ~ an assistant.
The Job Of the alien property
custodian in less competent hands
say the friends Of Palmer, would
have amounted to little. The man
made the job. He took $500, 000, 000
away from Germans and poured II
into the Golfers of the United States
He broke down all that elaborate
German machine, which, through
such agencies as insurance COM
panies, went so far in obtaining
facts for the German secret service
No German, say the Palmer advo.
Gates, will vote for him.
Then Palmer became attorney
general. The fight on the radicals
was Just beginning. He demanded
a Flaw with teeth in it." A radical
went to his house to blow it up
stubbed his toe on the doorstep
blew himself into fragments and
shook up the Palmer home tusI
enough to make the best sort ol
newspaper copy. Palmer Tough
! and is still fighting the radicals
No radicals will vote for Palmer
his friends say.
! Then Palmer launched the f1gh
on the prof1teers, the fight to re
duce the cost of living. He wa
succeeding, his partisans state, un
til Q series Of strikes made reduc
ton OF prices impossible. Their
must be production before ma
terials can be cheap. He will re
turn to the fight on high prices
No prohteer. it is set forth, viii
vote for Palmer.
Then there was the fight of tn
government to break the coal strike
1t seemed to have become the habi
to give the hard jobs to Palmer
He must 60 out and lick the strik
ers. 1t was q nasty Job and on
deemed dangerous by the politi
clans. But Palmer fought hard
employed every resource at his dis
posal and won. The extreme ele
ment in labor will not vote 70
Palmer.
| The friends Of the attorney gen
eral believe that the public will
support Palmer for the enemies b.
has made. They urge him as Atal
wart, four-square, fighting mai
who meets the specifications of tn
emergency. And, he is willing +
run.