Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-30


states from coast to coast during the last
two months.
Just why the democrats will lose
r1he presidency may be hard for the
-stanch advocates of the league Of na-
tions to understand, but any one who
got beneath the veneer of political
oratory and propaganda of either par
folks everywhere must have learned
that after watching the wearisome
debate in the United States Senate
for more than year the country be-
stirred itself only with difficulty in
the last few weeks of the campaign
on the league issue.
For the experiment Of a referendum
on the league of nations question as
controlling influence with the voter
has worked only in spots. The re-
suit in a few states will be attributa-
BILE to feeling for or against the
league but not many electoral votes
will have been cast on account of
the league.
Massachusetts,. with it's large num-
Der of defections of Irish democrats,
would have been republican for other
reasons. New York may be classed
in the same category. and similarly
New Jersey. As for the losses to the
democrats of the German and Italian
votes, these are not SO much the ef-
fect OF the league issue as the whole
Y 'ilson foreign policy in Europe, The
groups of foreign-born did take an
interest in foreign questions. But the
American people as a whole have too
recently been plunged into the mael-
strom of world politics to give pref
erence to international affairs over
domestic concerns
DiMeuft to Interest Farmer.
1t has been found difficult in this
campaign to interest the average
1arner. who is grieved over the fall
in the price Of wheat. in the merits of
article 10. It is difficult to interest
1he busipesS man In the possibilities
OF foreign trade under the league of
nations when he is worrying about
at home
II is difficult to explain the i'm
portant relationship between a stabil-
ized Europe and expanded markets for
american goods dnstead of turbulent
Europe and Cancelled orders because
OF lack OF credit when in the back
ground of SO many minds is the inn
preston created by the constant ham,
mering of the republican party against
the Wilson cabinet for its alleged lack
o! interest in domestic reconstruction
since the zrmistice.
Eel at Washington was the dominant
issue in this campaign. 1t did not even
extend to clear understanding of a
change Of policies. The republicans
offered very few constructive sugges-
tons and were content to center at
tention on the weakness of the incum-
bent party. The democrats also in
dulged in a destructive campaign or
stayed on the defensive. Neither party
clearly outlined reconstruction pol
Icy.
Cabinet Changes Fail.
The democrats are being turned out
Of power for failing to put into effect
change in cabinet after the war
erded and for failing to preserve
enough of the war machinery to ef-
feet transition during the recon-
struction period without letting the
cost OF living go higher than it was
during the war itself.
The republicans are not being brought
into power because they are considered
inherently better than the democrats,
though among partisan republicans it is
insisted that the vote is for better
publican party than the democratic
party could afford. 1t is for the mo-
. ment vote against the democratic ad-
ministration.
The writer's conclusion. after many
weeks Of study from an Independent
pected from Senator Harding as from
the ten men with whom he will sur
round himself in the cabinet. 1t is a
negative mandate, a verdict against the
party that has been in power and not
an affirmative expression for anything
else except possibly the hope that the
republican administrators will profit by
the punishment and protest against the
democrats.
Difficult for Any Rule.
OF course, it is none of the writer's
business to say whether the impress
sion of democratic inefficiency which
has been so assiduously spread by the
republicans is a just one. Any one
who was in Washington during the
war knows how difficult it was for
any administration to do the job that
was done; how many were the inevita-
BILE irritations and restrictions. and
how unfortunate it is that the demo-
Gratis didn't have four years of pezce
in which to work out their ideas OF
progressive government, without hav-
ing their legislative program inter
fered with first by war and then by q
republican Senate and House in the
last two years.
But the country doesn't accept ex-
-Cuses and looks coldly at the results
THE democrats say they could have
done nothing on a reconstruction pol
icy during the last two years because