The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1920-09-24
srHE sUNv NANTs cox ELEcTED


NTHE SUM- WANTS cox ELECTED.
The following was published in The
Baltimore Sun Of Sunday, September
10:
AT best, the election of '1r. Hard
ing would mean a bitter and protract-
ed fight over the League, with the re-
suit doubtful At the worst, it would
mean that the present situation of in
juries and dangerous uncertainty
would be prolonged indefinitely It is
this state Of affairs which led the in
dependent New York Evening Post to
say the other day that there is but
one choice for the non-partisan
friends Of the League. 1t is this which
has led Independent papers like the
Post and the Springfield Republican,
as well as such Lifelong Republican
as Theodore Marburg to declare for
MIR. Cox. The Sun cannot see how any
friend OF the League, who considers
that issue the most important one be-
tore the country, can do other than
support the Democratic nominee.
s'There is another strong reason
why the Independent voter should
support Governor Cox. AS we have
said, neither of the candidates is Of
the highest calibre, politically. But in
diYidually, man for man, IN intellect,
in forcefulness, in ight-mindedness,
in political courage and in capacity
for handling public affairs, the Dem
ocratic candidate Is far superior to
his opponent 1t would be unkind, If it
did not have vital bearing on the
question before the people, TO refer to
Senator Hardingss intellectual quail
ty as revealed by his public utter
ances. s1ovenliness Of thought and
the use Of gh-sounding words with
out a knowledge Of their meaning
are the chief characteristics of his
speech The Frenchman who said that
the style is the man did not merely
make a telling epigranl; he expressed
serious truth. 1t is impossible for a
man who talks as Senator Harding
does to think clearly or to reason
logically.
~As Governor Of Ohio his record,
even his opponents admit, has been
exceptional His firm and fair hand
ling OF labor disputes gained for him
the friendship Of both labor and cap
ital In this connection he showed
that he placed the public welfare a.
bove partisan consideration when he
removed a Democratic Mayor who
was not adequately handling dan
gerous industrial situation and placed
Republican Mayor In his place He
showed it again when, in reorganiz-
che school system of the State, he
incurred the hostility of the politicians
by abolishing a number of paid Off
ces. The result was that, although
there were fewer offices to distribute
the school facilities in rural districts
were made comparable to those in
cities and a grammar and high school
education was made possible for
every child In the State. He reformed
the prison as we'll as the school sys-
tenn, secured the enactment of a
workman's compensation law, ini-
tiated d budget system and placed on
the statute books many laws helpful
TO the farmers.
mate of the man upon his public Mt
terances; a glance at his record con-
firms 1t. Mr.. Harding has been Iy7i-
ted States Senator for 51a years. In
that time he has introduced 134 bills
all but a dozen Of which were for PEN
sions, private claims, relief Of Ohio
financial institutions or individuals,
or otherwise of the variety known as
spork measures. Five of the others,
provided for changing the names of
steamers and none was OF any large
Importance. During this period he was
absent form or lodged 1,163 roll calls
and quorum calls. He has never taken
the initiative in fighting for any con-
structiYe measure of public import
ance and never taken a notable part
in any such fight. In other words, in
all his public career he has never
shown the possession of any of the
qualities essential to leadership.
Here Is an important work Of ac-
complishment It is not to be belittled.
II Governor Cox has not that large
grasp OF fundamental public questions
which distinguished Roosevelt and
distinguished Wilson and Hoover, he
is nevertheless alert, quick minded
and forceful. His style of speech is di-
rect and uninvolved; the hearer does
not have to puzzle over his phrases
to get his meaning. His thoughts do
not dwell as exclusively on great af-
fairs as serious believers in the poll
cies he advocates might wish, but he
is not unmindful of them, and he a.
dopts naturally right attitude to-