The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-11-02
WILSON MAY QUIT
IF cox IS LOSER,
WRITER DECLARES
Washington Gossip Points To-
ward Resignation If Poll
Cies Are Rejected by Ameri-
can Voters.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Correspondent Of The News
Qeiynitarl

NoPeCIdI correspondents OF INC N0W6
Scimitar.)
WASHINGTON, Nov. aside
from the actual result of the election
perhaps nothing has given greater
concern in Washington than the pos
sible effect upon President Wilson
of an adverse verdict at the polls.
The president has always had un-
bounded confidence in his own judg-
ment of what the American elector-
ate would do and yet many of his
friends think he will be greatly dis
appointed this time.
He has Ahad reverses before as In
1913, but on nothing that was as close
to his heart as is the covenant of
the league of nations. 1t has been
argued convincingiy in the press that
the election result will not have in
dicated anything conclusive about the
league, and will only have registered
the natural reaction of a people
against their war government. some
thing that has happened throughout
Europe. But nobody in the inner
circle Of the administration has
probably paved the way for the de-
feat.
So far as is generally known, the
president has been continuously op-
timistic about the outcome. Were
it not for the frail condition of the
presidents health, the election might
not be a moment for anxiety. In
deed, there have been rumors that
Mr.. Wilson might feel constrained to
resign the presidency if Cox were
defeated. On the other hand, the
possibility that the senate might go
Democratic has been held out as a
consolation, especially since 1t might
mean the resubmission of the peace
treaty at the December session of
congress, in an effort once more to
reach a compromise. The new sem
ate would not OF course take office
until after next March, when spe-
cial session would be called, but it
Is believed the effect of a Democratic
victory in the senate might mean a
more conciliatory meet in the ses-
sion of congress to be convened next
month.
Friends. of the league of nations
will mot. wait until a. special. session
Fof congress is called next spring in
order to push for the ratification Of
the treaty with proper reservations,
Every vote taken in the senate has
shown more than two-thirds of the
senate as favoring ratification of the
treaty and league in some form. 1t
would help the next administration
immensely If the troublesome treaty
question were out of the way when
the new administration came into
power so that domestic affairs might
be given undivided attention. More
than a year has already been spent
in wrangling over the treaty and the
league while domestic issues like tax
alton, have suffered by neglect The
treaty question may suffer il post
poned to a special session of con-
gress.
1t is considered possible that Pres
ident Wilson's attitude toward a
compromise on reservations will have
been greatly softened by the verdict
at the polls and that a nonpartisan
or bipartisan movement may yet be
started to bring about Americas en-
try into the league during the re-
manning days of President Wilson's
administration. 1t would hearten the
president probably and give him
strength to bear the strain of his
illness.
The true condition of the presi-
dent is a matter of conjecture. Few
people know, though there is the
usual amount of rumor about re-
lapse the best information the writer
has been able to obtain Is that the
president has been steadily improv-
ing and Is much better than he was
six months ago. Nobody can foresee
what the effect of disappointment
may be, but men who know Mr.. Will
son best are convinced that his vital
ity is such that he will be able to
Withstand the blow that is sure to
come. The president does not read
newspapers generally and it is said
that he has not been given any pessi-
mistic reports about the campaign so
that very probably the result will
come as q shock to him.
AS for the rumors of resignation
in the event of defeat at the polls,
this inference is believed to have
been drawn from a recent speech of
Gov. Cox in which he predicted the
retirement" of the president from
public affairs. Mr.. Wilson is a firm
believer in the theory that the head
of a government should resign when
defeated lust as is the plase with
parliamentary government. But cir
cumstances influenced him in 1918
when he lost both houses of congress
to ignore European precedent as ap-
piled to Americas form Of govern
ment, and it is not generally credited
that he will abandon his post before
the close of his administration.
On the other hand if he believed
that by eliminating his own person
ality as a factor, President
Marshall might be able to negotiate
a settlement of the treaty question
with the Republican senate, he would
probably retire. Yet it is known that
Mr.. Marshall doesn't share the preS-
dents views on the league of nations,
and it is hardly to be expected that
he would champion the cause during
the next session of congress. Nobody
can predict with accuracy what
might be the outcome Of the election
on The plans of President Wilson.
All Washington is hoping that he
will bear up under the inevitable
verdict at the polls and that he will
be well enough to remain in office
until the end of his term. Partisan
ship may disappear with the election
and after months intermission the
next congress may come back in n
better mood to take up the matter of
foreign policy and dispose Of it be
fore an avalanche of domestic prob
lens like the excess profits tax
comes down on the next administra-
tion.
Copyright, 1920 by David Law
renCe)
MAN SHOOTS WIFE cETE