The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-06-18

Gum thoe 4hdy NC SNHdlOildl llCtUSc.e
This part of the country seems to be
prepared for an old-fashioned cam
paign, but some Republicans of the
younger and more progressive type
hope it will not be too old fashioned
with too much of an appeal to the
conservative forces in our social sys-
TEN lest the Northwest be driven to
q more liberal candidate elsewhere.
But the most interesting thing about
the Harding candidacy is that however
much it is disliked, the moment one
mentions the possibility of supporting
the Democratic ticket. there is a shud.
der ofgadisdain among these RepubIi-
cans which shows that, partisan feel
ing ssis IRA Their acute hereabouts. MANY
are already committed to- Harding
| without even Knowing whom the Dem
| ocrats win select at San Francisco and
what the platform will be. There is
| an expectation that the Democratic
| platform will be much more liberal
than that framed by the Republicans,
but the reaction against the Wilson adj
ministration has, unfortunately for the
| Democrats, precluded in many cases
even the possibility of weighing the re-
| spective candidates and their platforms
impartially. There is mostly an i'm
| patience to have change, and the
thought of perpetuating the Wilson
j administration is sufficient to turn
lukewarm Republicans to Harding
Inside the Democratic camp, partic-
ularly among the progressive elements,
the Republican platform and candidate
are viewed as a reactionary combina-
tion that cannot prevail. Minnesota
Democrats will go to. San Francisco
with militant step and enthusiastic ex-
peetations of outdoing their Republic
can rivals. Yet the delegation from
Minnesota will under the unit rule be
voted for a conservative like Attorney
i, General Palmer.
/, Brother Bryan is immensely popula,
in these parts, particularly with the
farmer, a circumstance that has made
more than one Democrat ask whether
Edward T. Meredith, secretary of ag
rieulture, business man and farmers
man, who happens to have the endorse
ment of Mr.. Bryan and the Iowa dele
. CATION, wouldn t be good man to hea,
the ticket. Meredith is really wortl
watching. A ticket like Cox of Obi
( and Meredith of Iowa would not be un
2 acceptable to many Democrats, though
McAdoo is much better known and i
: supposed to have accumulated NOR
elements of political strength, partic
G ularly with labor, than any other can
didate
The fact that Mr.. MeAdoo is the son
in-law of President Wilson is again an,
+ again cited as an obstacle to his can
g didacv, though the cry of a Wilso
dynasty" is not so much based upo
o the family relationship of Mr.. Meade
and Mr.. Wilson but upon the appre
hension that Wilson policies will b
McAdoo policies and that to all intent
: and purposes the vote will be for
third term of Wilson There is to
much disaffection among Democrats t
ignore this sentiment. Indeed. it
he fundamental reason for the growt
/ Of the Cox boom.
The Ohio governor has not been
part of the Wilson administration eve
l though he must naturally say he az
| PROV es Of the Wilson administration i
1 order to catch the support of the vii
son followers. Governor Cox has no
only carried Ohio during the perio
when Harding was active in Ohio poll
tics, but he is trife moist on the pre-
hibition question. This should win hin
the support of such wet delegation
y rs New York and New Jersey and h
should absorb the western strength q
/ Governor Edwards, as in Michigan an
Al Nebraska.
III But Edward Meredith is dry an
30 is Mr.. McAdoo The only chanc
1 for Governor Cox to be on IA tckS
with Meredith and earn the approx,
4 of Bryan is to say the prohbitio
\ amendment is now the law of the Ian
/ and that it IS net the business of IL
l future chief executive but the congrei
/ to declare how much alcohol can
1 used in light wines and beer That
l the attitude of Vice President Ma
shall who, by the way, has mar
| friends in this section of the countr
Far from considering him in the lig
i vein that he was discussed two or thr
1 years ago, the speeches made by Il
vice president in the last wear ha
l won him many admirers, particular
\ among the conservatives If this be
l wear of conservatism, the analogy
4 Harding might be Thomas Marshf
of Indiana or John W. Davis of We
- Virginia, at present American amba
- sador to Great Britain.
II But the Northwest isn't expccti
II ultra conservatism from the Democrat
II party this year. 1t is expecting a Ii
II eral, almost socialistic, platform fr,
II the Democrats. and there would be :,
II prise indeed if McAdoo isn't the no
II inee.
Ill
II