The evening world., 1920-02-21
M'ADOO IN RACE
FOR NOMINATION,
SAY HIS FRIENDS
"PaSSively Receptive Candi-
date Seems to Have Strong
AdherentS.
By DGUid Laurence.
Especial Correspondent Of The Eve.
nina Worldly

WASHINGTON, ID. C.. Feb. 21
(Copyrght, 1s2O). - william Gibbs
McAdoo says he isn't a candidate for
the Presidency. but will accept the
, nomination. He will not permit his
name to go on the Presidential pref
'erence ballots, but his friends will
continue to work for him. He will
have no organization or headquar-
ters AID will not engage in contrO-
versy with other candidates. Yet he
will serve II chosen.
We're this a normal year in Presi-
Dental politics. the McAdoo method
of approach to the Presidency would
be distinctly novel, more so, indeed
than the Hoover method. But from
friends Of Mr. McAdoo in the national
capital one gets a true impression OF
what the former Secretary OF the
Treasury has in mind. First OF all.
he Is represented as feeling that II
would be undignifed for him TO 60
ont and seek the Presidency. He
doesn't intend to be an active eandi-
date in any sense. He will be pas
sively receptive. that's all.
OF course there Is no concealing
the fact that opposition to Mr.. Nc
Adoo among Democrats Is based. to
some extent, on the theory that he
might be unacceptable to the country
because Of hls family relationship to
President Wilson.
To this the McAdoo men make an
swer thus: McAdoo was one OF the
managers OF the Wilson campaign in
1919 and was selected to be Secretary
Of the Treasury because OF his ability
shown in large business enterprises.
He had already helped In the draft
ing OF the present Federal Reserve
Act and made q record as Secretary
Of the Treasury when he married the
Presidents daughter. This, therefore,
the friends OF Mr.. McAdoo assert. was
an incident In his career which has
nothing to do with his political status.
They contend that as a member OF
The Cabinet he frequently argued with
the President and openly expressed
his differing opinions. But their main
faith Is that no man ever suffered In
politics from attack based on personal
grounds that were inherently unob-
jectionable. Their candidate will bo
accepted or rejected at San Francisco
ON other counts.
HIS FRIENDS SWEEP ASIDE ALL
RIVALS.
n is Interesting in talking 10 some Of
these AcAdoo supporters-and some
OF them have high official positions
in the Government--to find how
easily they seem to eliminate all the
other candidates for the Democratic
nomination. Mr.. Hoover, they insist,
las eliminated himself by expressing
innocence Of any party affiliatio on, and
to get a Democratic nomination an
Individual must, in their opinion, have
been Democrat at least as far back
AS 1879, though he might be forgiven
lapses in the period before that.
As for Gov. Cox, the McAdoo people
think he is unfortunately on the
wrong side OF the Prohibition oues-
lion and will not be a strong con-
tender. Senator Pomerene OF Ohio
has already withdrawn from the race
Mr.. Bryan, say the McAdoo disoiples
doesn't really want the nomination
for himself, but wants TO have the
pleasure OF dominating the conven.
ton. The big question is whether o,
not Mr. Bryan will be a delegate
Nebraska In all probability will settl,
that in the negative very soon.
Admittedly, Mitchell Palmer Is tn,
most powerful opponent OF william
Gibbs McAdoo. Both are strong WI
son followers. but among the Nc
Adoo men one hears serious doubts
expressed as to the Attorney Gen
erals availability because OF his un
happy contact with union labor IL
the coal strike. In contrast, there Il
pointed out the record OF the forme
Director General Of Railroads, VIII,
gave the railroad brotherhoods
square deal and perhaps even NOR
sympathetic treatment in the matte
Of wages than they have receive,
from the hands OF anybody else II
the Wilson Administration. The ide
seems 10 be that tho brotherhood
viii not forget and that labor gen
orally will be affected by the oon
tagion OF brother McAdoo's zeal 10
the cause OF the workingman.
MANY ARGUMENTS MADE n
HIS BEHALE
To hear il from the McAqoo boost
ers, the former Secretary u ia
Treasury will commend himself {
the Democratic Convention becgus
OF a series OF acts which. howeve
devoid Of political intent they ma
have been while he was In ofice, can
not but be counted upon TO get votel
Mr.. MeAdOO, II Is Insisted, worlte
hard for Woman Suffrage, did a grea
deal Tor the soldiers by fathering IN
War Risk Insurance Act, helped bus
mess by his part In the Federal re
serve Act as we'll as IN the smoot
operation OF the Federal Reserve Sys
llI his Tn.