Arizona republican., 1919-07-31
THURSDAY MORNING. JULY 81. 1919
It is the admirer of himself and not Ethe admirer of virtue that thinks him. Eself superior to all others. -Plutarch.
Presidential Candidates


 papers and politicians year before the national conventions have gingerly touched the subject of presidential nominations AS matter of fact the politicians have not touched it all and the news papers have only spoken of the uncertainty of the outlook The impression is streng ngthening that MT. Wilson will again be a candidate for the nomination, ana it is generally believed would receive it. There is no other prominent democrat though there would be many clamorous candidates if he were out of the way
 , On the republican side there is agreement that Colonel Roosevelt would have been the candidate if he had lived His sudden death left party which considered other and in the intervening period has given little thought to the leader ship.
 The Detroit Free Press, independent recently discussed interestingly, the movement in favor of General Leonard Wood which stands by itself as an interesting phenomenon in that while no hostility to has been developed there is no indication that any of republican leaders behind it or endorse it. But the Free Press notes that in all straw ballots that are taken in any part of the country General Wood leads
 It was thought that the world would duce president but of the developments of the war antagonism by private soldiers and lower officers generally to military leaders. We have witnessed how flat the boom General Pershing fell. The war produced American mili- tary heroes of which the civil war fruitful.
 The strength of General Wood the Free Press finds is in the that he is strictly popular candidate. That is say he has chiefly the endorse ment of people who not concerned overmuch with politics especially interested in party organ izaton" question then arises would this popular ity serve General Wood in party convention whose complexion is seldom influenced by people who not interested in party organization?
 z Speaking further of the causes of General Woods strength the Free Press says:
 - The basis of General Woods popularity is tosunderstand. His Rooseveltian antecedents and principles h,s straightforward sense his Identification with the Plattsburg idea; his fearless work for preparedness in the face of departmental opposition the shabby treatment given him through out the whole of the period by an administration which should have been grateful to him and should have made much of him, all have brought him before the public in a peculiarly emphatic way. His has become household word. Today he is infinitely more of hero than General Pershng any officer, who had general command the front lines. the service he has grown snguariy popular by res~ of the way the who passed through his divisional training camp have his praises to their fellows. Many returning soldier who curses practically every other officer has a good word for Wood. And this, unquestonably, is because the gen. cral believes it possible to treat drafted fel low human beings and fellow American citizens and patriots, while he is engaged in whipping them shape soldiers; it is because he recog- nzes the possibility of underlying comradeshp between the in the ranks and the with commission without detriment to any essential dis cipline.
 It is noticeable that as the troops come home from abroad, the Wood boom grows. Evidently the veter- ans talking matters with their families and friends Equally it is plain that the democrats worried the situation; and they particularly because attack upon Wood. The most they dare do is pro- test that a should be nominated for the presi- decy out of sympathy; and this is tickish busi ness, since the very admission that there may be an element of sympathy in the sentiment of the people for Wood is reflection the treatment accorded hird by the present Washington administration
 eOf course it is much to make a guess the outcome of any presidential boom; but one thing is making decidedly for permanence and strength. far General Wood is concerned; this is the generals ability to keep his mouth shut, go about his regular business and let others sing his praises for him
 sGeneral Wood would not fill the popular eye in the same that Grant did. He would not re- ceive the acclaim due successful military leader. But he would have element of indefinite strength wh&h few other republican candidates would have There would descend upon him much of the personal popularity which Colonel Roosevelt enjoyed just as thete would rest upon Senator Hiram Johnson much of aColonel Roosevelts political strength. Much of both this popularity and strength was made up of democratic votes
 Perhaps neither General Wood nor Senator John- son could command the all the democratic per sorh the other, all the democratic political following of Colonel Roosevelt but each could command it in a greater measure than other republican candidate
 Gradually returning to pre-war condi- tions rather resemblance of pre-war conditions.