Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-01-08
JACKSON DAY.

drew Jackson this year with unusual enthusl-
am He was born 153 years ago. and at the age
of IA years he joined the American army TO
FIGHT for the independence of his country ana
was severely wounded. He won his greatest
I fame however, in the war OF 1917, defeating
the British at New Orleans, with great loss.
He took very active part in politics and was
! twice president Of the United States. He was
strong democrat, and perhaps no man before
or since his time received more devoted loyalty
from party following than did Andrew Jack
son. He had many bitter enemies and many
warm friends, and was a fighter in civil lite as
we'll as in military life.
The Jackson day banquet this year IS to be
attended by all the leading lights in the demo-
cratic party except President Wilson, who VIII
not be there but will send an important mes
sage" Interest centers largely about the ma
| ture of this message, which no one knows at
present. 1t is rather expected that he may say
something about third term, and many poll
/ ticians are anxious about that matter, both IN
the party and out Of it. The president may re-
leve that anxiety by announcing that he is not
candidate for third term or he may say no
thing about it. Woodrow Wilson can keep his
own counsel and make his own decisions with
out any outside help better than any man who
has lived in the White House in recent times at
least. In our opinion it is really foolish to expect
President Wilson to run for third term. Our
guess is that he has no intention of doing any
such thing, and that if he did he would IN all
probability sign his own death warrant. No
doubt he is getting over his nervous breakdown
from overwork. but it seems almost silly to ex-
n MIN int,o
paign even if he were ready to disregard the
unwritten law against third term. But wheth-
er he will announce his views on that subject at
this time or not we don't know does any one
else know.
William Jennings Bryan is another democrat
ic notabity who will be present at that meeting
and make speech. Next to Mr.. Wilson's writ
ten message interest centers on what Mr.. Bryan
will have to say. Some people think he may
again be candidate for the democratic nomlna
ton for the presidency, but we do not think it
likely. The prohibition question is now out OF
the way Had It been an issue would have
been more ready to predict that Mr. Bryan
might have been the candidate Of the prohibition
forces In late years Mr.. Bryan has been very
quiet politically, and while he gave his support
to the Wilson administration during the war, he
seemed to be chiefly interested in moral ques-
tions growing out Of the war and in prohibition
and woman suffrage. Mr.. Bryan has not the IN
fluence he once had in democratic party coun-
cils but those who suppose he has no influence
at all are likely to find out their mistake as they
have several times in the past when they
thought he was safely tied and handcuffed. 1t
is matter of no little interest to some Of the
democratic candidates for the presidency to find
out who he is going to support for that office II
he is not candidate himself, and they hope to
get some tip on that subject at the Jackson day
banquet.
All this reminds us that the campaign is get
ting under way and in short time now we Will
be electing delegates to national conventions and
the shoutings of the political captains will fill
whole matter is settled by the silent voters
Times have changed lot since the days when
Andrew Jackson lived and led the democratic
hosts in party battles. We are less partisan
now. The independent vote which acknowledges
no allegiance to any party is vastly larger In
fact we think it is really larger than any party
vote It decides the election if it goes strong
ly to one side the other, and it is very hard to
get line on that vote prior to election though
many wise guys will tell us all about what it is
going to do before next November, and their
predictions are liable to look like 80 cents when
the vote is counted. We hope the democrats who
meet on Jackson day to celebrate the occasion
will have a good time and profitable meeting.
The news columns of the Tribune will tell you
all about it.