Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-03-22
Enttnrial Digrat
An InAepenAent Analysis Of Leading Cu.
rent Events - Rejected In the Pub.
lie Press Of the Country


Many Of those who regarded the announce
ment Of Attorney General Palmers candidacy
as a signal that President Wilson himself was
on. Of the race have since revised their opinions
and now see in Mr. Palmer's act only . ma
neuyer to gain general Endorsement by DEM
ocrats for the administrations record. They
point out that such an Endorsement, while con-
nected with Mr. Palmer's name, would apply
with equal or perhaps greater force to Mr..
Wilson il he decided to seek third term. =
At the same time it is realized that Mr..
Bryan is bound to be great force at the San
Francisco convention. He is understood to
be irrevocably opposed to long tenure OF the
presidency, and was in fact the author OF the
one-term plank in the 1912 Democratic plat
form. Moreover Mr. Bryan emphatically does
not want the peace treaty injected into the
campaign, but would make the hight on do
nestle issues. 1t is foreseen. therefore, by
political prophets that If Mr.. Wilson's candi-
dacy comes up at San Francisco 1t Will be
strenuously fought by the former secretary of
state
The Tucson Citizen (Rep) is one of those
who prophesy Mr.. wilson's candidacy. This
year will not see Hamlet played with Hamlet
left out" it declares but, true to its political
beliefs it adds the prediction that when it is
all over, much like the masterpiece, everybody
who had anything to do with Hamlet or Ham
let's ideas. including the prince OF supernatlon-
alism himself, will be deader politically than
the Loco Focos or the Anti-Masonic party"
For the Citizen is sure the treaty must be the
issue, and therefore
n,rf,- cfand q
Wilson idea. They cannot repudiate Wilson
and get anywhere. Having so declared in their
platform, they must, then nominate Wilson. >
It is clear also to another strong Republi-
can paper the New York Tribune, that the
president has taken an uncompromlsing stand
toward the senate for the very purpose of
projecting this issue into the campaign and of
making himself the necessary and logical nom
inee Much" it says, supports this surmise.
Son-ir-l law McAdoo does not know which way
the cat is to Jump and pathetically begs for
unnstructed delegates. Mr.. Palmer seems
equally distracted. The Hoover boomers ap-
pear to have encountered presidential brick
cats 1t seems absurd to speak of third term
candidacy as possible, but what other explana-
ton is there?'
If the Republicans could pick out the DEM
ocratic candidate for president, Wilson would
go in by a unanimous vote" believes the San
to recent statement OF ex-senator ]. Hamil-
ton Lewis of Illinois. "once. and perhaps still
near and dear to President Wilson. that the
Democratic convention might renominate him
despite anything the president wishes
IF we understand J. Ham correctly" COM
nents the Chronicle, what he means is that
the Democracy feels that since its present des-
perate condition is due solely to the presidents
antics, it does moi promise to let the author of
| its misery get away but will compel him to
stand up and take his medicine When the
vote comes the Democrats determined that
it shall be on Wilson and not on them
The Washington correspondent of the Br-
| lningham Age-Herald DEM says faCly that
President Wilson will accept the nomination
! If offered to him on the basis of the League OF
Nations as the issue. But ediorially the Age
Herald regards 'ail speculation based on the
presidents plans for the future" as the meres,
surmise." 1t thinks MIR. Wilson's health may
| be an obstacle:
Grave doubts are expressed" it says. "as
! TO the consequences were Mr.. Wilson to plunge
into the strenuous worl, of campaigning He
may be almost well, but he is not young
man by any means, and he lacks the strength
to go through another strenuous political bat
tie Doctors have expressed the opinion tha
any undue strain would bring about a relapse
which probably would prove FATAL
And regardless of what decision the presi
dent reaches" concludes the Age Herald. "tht
disagreement between the president and Mr.
bryan will not be closed Whether Mr. Will
son is third-term candidate or not it seems
inevitable that the League Of Nations will fig
IRE in the campaign and a split in the rank
of the Democratic party may be the result"