New-York tribune., 1919-01-19
Vance Mccormick Quits AS
National Democratic Pilot

ne sun goes on to a recital Of the
other important designations which have
punctuated the Wilson regime. "The
New York Evening Post" however,
comes boldly out with an extended con-
slderaton Of just those aspects of the
case which are being mostly interestedly
discussed in "unoffcial' circles.
"Soldiers and sailors are not the onlv
ores who are in need of rehabilitation after
the war" says "Thc Post" "Thc political
parties are candidates for little recon
struction on their own account They, too
are more or less warbattered veterans
Especially is this confessed in the
case of the Democratic party''
After commenting upon what it terms
democratic lame ducks with nary
crutch-in the shape of good Office
to support them," this paper continues:
"The resignation of Vance Mccormick
chairman of the Democratic National Com
mittec, is taken as a signal that the work
of tonlng UP the party is soon to begin. It
is not that Mr.. Mccormick was thought of
as a hindrance to the work. But he has
been called to France to give technical ad-
vice to our peace delegates and it is felt
that the choice OF his successor NAV be
made the occasion of calling upon the party
to brace up"
In considering the man upon whom
J,,+xy of
Evening Post" does not pause for so
much as a glance toward Mr.. McCor-
mick's possible successor.
at is" it states instead, "the confident
prediction of party leaders in Washington
that President Wilson, as soon as he gets
home, will take hold of the work of putting
his party in fighting shape for 1920.
"lf Mr. Wilson does feel that this is
duty laid upon him" "The Post" continues.
"the obligation is not hard to understand.
1t is that of man summoned to make good
the losses he himself has caused and to
overcome, in one year, the difficulties which
he has created in six. This is not to imply
that President Wilson has not been re-
markaby successful leader of his party
since 1912. In many ways his record as
such is unprecedented and brilliant He
made Democrats do a lot of things which
were hateful to them Yet he kept them in
power. There was gainsaying the au-
thority of the man who won for his party,
largely by his personal efforts, two Presi-
dental and three Congressional elections
He was the master of the legons. But he
lost his latest battle. That might happen
to any leader but the demoralized and
despondent state of mind in which the
Democratic party now finds itself is due
ship which President Wilson has exempli-
fed. This is the reason, as we say why
it is regarded as his peculiar duty to
help reorganize and cheer up his party
followers"
The root Of the Democratic difficulty
this paper finds in the fact that Mr. Will
sons leadership has been $50 nearly
exclusive"
ut is not" it goes on, "simply that he
has overshadowed other Democrats. They
have almost ceased to be visible to the pub
lie eye. With Wilson out of the Presden-
tial campaign next year, whom could the
Democrats nominate with any hope of sue
cess? This is question to puzzle the
shrewdest. The point is that Wilson's meth
ods be they esteemed good or bad, have
not had the result either of strengthening
old Democratic leaders or developing new
ones. There arc no towering figures, next