Evening star., 1920-03-04
M'ADOO OSA|DJg6{
BURLESON'S CHOICE
FQR PRESIDENCY
Postmaster General Called
master Politician OF
Administration
BY \. o. MESSENGER.

BY y. o. MESSENGER.
Democratic political leaders in Con
Eress and in the party at large OFTEN
rise to remark and would be beholden
to know, Where Is Mr.. Burleson in
the presidential rivalry, and who is
his choice?"
The Postmaster General is frequent
ly referred to and widely character
ized as 1.-The maste- politician OF this
sdministration.s The Post once De
partment always has been. politically.
the most potential branch OF the gov
ernment service. Don't we all remem-
Der. back In Cleveland's time, wnen
"the headsman OF the party: having
some reference to the execut1oner ana
his ak looping of offensive pohtlcai
heads? Can we forget the Clar
the Hattons the Hitchcocks. the Cor
telyous and other good party men IN
the republican ranks?
Administration's Right Bower.
Mr.. Burleson is known throughout
the Capitol and the private rooms VI
the House and Senate office puilolnss
as the administrations right t-hand
man. it's executive officer. to fetch and
carry, to deliver orders outright or con
vey suggestions automatically. as the
case may be.
Meet Mr.. Burleson on the street and
ask him about candidates; ne VIII
grasp that famous umbrella about It's
middle a little nervously. look inno-
Gently at you with an ingenue express
sion in those blue eyes. and say:
why. I have taken the POST once
Department out Of politics.. Theo re-
a able-b bodied democratic politician on
the hill and ne will snort: Ieh that
to the marines"
The impression has gotten abroad
among democrats that. whether Mr..
Burleson has taken the Post once
Department out OF politics or not. ne
has not taken Burleson out OF poll
tics by a long shot and that he him
self is for Mr.. McAdoo for President.
And IL he is for Mr.. McAdoo. as many
of them profess to think he is. they
would surely admire to know
whether their impression Is being IN
stinctively shared by the postal serv-
ice or by any chance communicated to
the democrats In the service.
Too Mueh Mystery. They Say.
Democrats complain that there is al
together too much mystery about the
administration attitude" over tho
nomination. For a while they were
C content to bottle up their 1mpatience
with the suggestion that they should
bide their time during the Presidents
illness and until he got on his feet
again and took active, drectlon of
party 1ikafrl.s But Al the tins 0faWs
nearer for the selection Of delegates
they find increasing difficulty In Keep
inf fss ses eS1y aSyk passfie.ss sfi ssanassoas .nsy
have received is the deduction they
drew from the. announcement OF At
torney General. Palmers candidacy
fA%~ n
open tho field for all entries in the
race, leaving the inference to be
drawn that the White House 10 en-
tirely agreeable to the Palmer entry.
coupled with their knowledge that
Mr.. Palmer is first choice Of some of
the active national managers.
Query ~ to Burleson.
Then they came plump up against
the query, where Is Burleson? II
Mr.. Burleson is for McAdoo, as they
thought all along. why was MIR: Pal
mer's candidacy flushed and allowed
to take an aspect Of semi -administra-
tion approval?
The democratic politicians who are
very solicitous to "be In right" with
the administration on the choice of
candidates find themselves in the
position Of the man in the topical
song who was all dressed up and no
place to CO." 1t certainly is hard
lines, they murmur plaintively. So
they are waiting with undisguised
eaEerness for Mr.. Burleson to tip his
hand to come out for the man Of his
chance on its being the man OF the
Presidents real preference.
Tho old gray foxes the wise ones
among the democrats in Congress,
who have lodged the hounds in many
campaigns. are somewhat wary Of
the talk of a revolt against President
Wilson in the rank and file of the
democratic party. For the present
they are inclined to leave the opposi-
tion to Mr.. Bryan and let him run
with the ball II he wants to.
The President is all we have on
earth to tie to-" is the thought ex-
pressed by most Of the democratic
itol. Remove his shepherding. and
thrown @ to the wolves. And then they
wall again. "Oh. why doesn't ne ten
us whom he wants" And. again.
"Burleson, why don't you slip US the
word?"
Field Of Candidates.
The democratic candidatoria1 field
a+ nrasent consists of Mr.. Palmer.
Gov Cox and Senator owen. with
Jockeys up and colors identtned. In
tho stables arc ouppVooO ~S
dark horses" Mr.. McAdoo. Mr. Aoov-
or. and-do they dare presume-the
winner Of the last two derbies! AL
ways. of course. including as per-
manent entry, William ].
Already Senator Owen has fallen
afou1 Of Mr.. McAdoo and set out to
dispute his claim to the authorship
of the federal reserve act. the most
nrecious jewel in the democratic
rrown of legislative accomplishments.
- another column Senator Owens
hacLers nut forth their contention
oeainat - the McAdoo claim and go at
isnath into arguments to prove 1t. in
their view. -.
itol today, noticing q mooest and un-
assuming figure who now occupies a
seat in the Senate. were saying to
each other: "Didn't we have the im-
nression that Carter Glass had some-
thinr to do with that federal reserve
act7s And tho republicans insist all
the time. in season and out. that when
sm "a sa,d and done. tho federal re-
.arva act was really initiated by Som
ator Aldrioh and his republican CO.
workers. years ago.
Thev find themselves somewhat
hustered. however. by the tart rejoin-
Der which comes instantly from the
democrats every time the subject is
hroached: well. the democrats en-
acted It. didn't they? You didn't do
anything while you were in power and
had the chance.