The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-12-22
POLITICS BOIL
in WASHINGTON
President Wilson Expected to
Announce Intentions Before
Democratic Meeting
WOOD BOOM DISTURBING
Republican Bosses Fail to Kill
Generals Popularity and
Are Growing Nervous

Washington. Dec. 21.-Before the
smoke clears away from the booming
of the big political guns at the meet
ing of the democratic national COM
mittee here on January Sth it will be
known whether President Wilson viii
be candidate for a third term or who
the next democratic presidential stand
ard bearer will be.
The republican national committee
met here last week without taking any
steps to indicate who their president
ia1 nominee will be. The republican
selected Chicago, June Sth, as the place
and time for holding their nominating
convention. Instead of trying to- pick
the presidential nominee the republican
national committee devoted the better
part Of its time and effort to trying
to squelch the boom for General Leon
ard Wood. None of the numerous
other candidates gained any headway
and it was not noticeable that the en-
thusiasm for General Wood at the
gathering was lessened by the efforts
of the bosses to kill it.
The meeting of the democratic natl
onal committee here on January Sth
viii sink into insignificance in political
Importance in comparison with the
Jackson day dinner to be held at the
Shoreinan hotel here that night. This
banquet for which 500 covers are to
be laid will really be a rally for the
democrats. All the apparent demo-
cratic presidential candidates will be
on hand to make speeches. Requests
have been made for far more than the
500 places a this dinner. So pressing
have been the requests for admission
that seats around the hall are to be
arranged for 500 enthusiastic demo-
Gratis who want to hear the speeches
although they cannot hold the knives
and forks.
President Wilson will attend the
jackson day banquet if he is suffici-
emily recovered in health by that time
and will make a speech.
The marked Improvement in the
president during the past ten days
would make it appear that he will
attend. The speech he viii likely de-
liver will indicate whether he wishes
a third term. it is believed. If the presi-
dent is unable to attend he will send
an address to be read to the assembled
democrats, it is expected. Should the
president make it clear that he will
not again be candidate he will not
suggest the men to succeed him. 1T Is
believed. remembering the fate of for
mer candidates brought forward by re-
tiring presidents.
Indication by President Wilson that
he will not again be a candidate will
open the way for the boom of about
a dozen prominent democrats. 1t is
the rather general belief here that the
president will inform the gathering
that he will not be a candidate.
This will likely crysta1iZe the SEN
timent for one of the many candidates
who have wished for several years
that the presidential lightning would
strike them.
Eight years ago at the Jackson day
banquet the democrats gathered IN
much the same way they are expected
to next month and listened to speeches
by Champ Clark, Woodrow WILSON,
William Jennings Bryan and Oscar W.
Underwood. from the speeches they
delivered it was freely predicted when
the banquet was over that Woodrow
Wilson would be the party nominee
because he had made the best speech
and best impression.
This time speeches will be delivered
by the president. if he can attend, by
William G. McAdoo, Champ Clark, A.
Mitchell Palmer, Governor Cox and
Senator .Pomerene of Ohio, Senator
! Underwood and probably several other
prominent democrats.
The Jackson day dinner has hereto
fore been held each four years under
auspices of the democratic organiza-
ton of the District of Columbia But
this year and hereafter it is to be an
annual affair under auspices OF the
national organization as party get
together no matter if the party is in
glory or despair.
The real business before the demo-
cratic national committee meeting viii
be the selection of the convention city
and the date. Six cities. ST. Louis.
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis,
Kansas City and San Francisco are in
earnest after the convention, with
prospects of being selected in the order
named The republicans last week set
June Sth for their convention. It is
usual for the democrats to convene
about ten days or two weeks later, in
order to prevent the republicans get
ting out with their nominee and get
(No. 1-continued on Page 81