The Washington herald., 1919-09-27
POLITICS
By The Occasional Prophet

Democrats who seriously con-
slider the future of the party are
reckoning upon the part Thomas r.
Marshall. Vice President. will play
in the next national convention.
Although he obtained only the vote
of Indiana in 1912, it must be re-
membered that he held the delega-
ton solidly for many ballots. He
entered the convention with no
previously prepared campaign for
the nomination as did the other
candidates.
The Wilson campaign for the
Presidential nomination dated back
for eight years. Some of the most
skillful boosting in political history
had been going on for him for
years. Champ Clark had the pres
tige OF a quarter Of century in pub
lie life. William Randolph Hearst
spent s1.oOo,000. it is said. in de-
veloping the Clark campaign.
Work in behalf OF Underwood had
been under way for at least four
years, while the Harmon candidacy
had enlisted an army of clever
boosters for two or three years.
Marshall was yet in the Office of
governor of Indiana. the first State
position he had ever held. He had
made no campa ign for delegates
outside his own State. 1t is doubt
ful if a dollar was spent toward
his Presidential aspirations outside
OF Indiana. Marshall went before
| the convention with only his record
as governor behind him.
At one critical moment in the
Baltimore convention it might have
been possible to have won the
nomination for him.
The nomination for Vice Presi-
dent came to him without his seek
ing it. In fact. he had to be awak-
ened in his Indianapolis home at
o'clock in the morning by his friend
end neighbor. Meredith Nicholson,
in order to get his consent to ac-
Ncept the honor.
Marshall has lent certain dig
mtg to the Vice Presidency that has
not only placed that Office in higher
esteem. but has drawn attention to
NllC uNdihISs VI OCCUPANT. line
country has learned to now Mar
shall as a broaj-gsuged man, schol-
arly. sp!endidly balanced, deeply con-
cerned in Americanism and the equal
of any of the statesmen Of the day
IN political wisdom.
In the seven years of incumbency
of the Vice Presidency Marshall has
formed many lasting friendships with
Democratic Senators and party lead
ers. Comparatively unknown in 1912,
he is today the best known of the
Democratic leaders, excepting of
course Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Bryan.
If it is the Vice Presidents desire
to become candidate for the Pres
idency he probably occupies strate-
Gic position only equaled by The
President in building up support. =
I think I can safely say that Will
son will not be candidate for re-
nomination. I would like to state
all the grounds have for SAYING
this, but it would not be polite to
do so at this time
The point I wish to make is that
the race for the Democratic nomina-
tion for the Presidency is now an
open one. The other thing I wish to
impress upon the public is that Vice
President Marshall will be a serious
contender for the honor il he decides
to seek it.
Eleven years of public life-four as
governor of Indiana and seven as
Vice President-have made him quite
different factor than he was in a
convention that had been cooked and
primed for another.
II is predicted that the Marshall
boom may be started almost any
day in Indiana