Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-22
DEMOCRATS NEED
/ GOV. COX IN EAST
earty Organization Is Para.
/ Iyzed While Candidate Is
Il on Western Tour
"HARD MAN TO ORGANIZE
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT

HtAn Correspondent of the Evenins Public
Xkf Ledger
SChicago. ILL.,. Sept. 81
Cbx's presence is needed in the Fast to
n1Hke the Democratic national orGnni2a.
ftcn function. The Democratic Ma
tional Committee and its chairman
seem to have little capacity to act and
70 reach decisions in the absence OF the
Democratic candidate on his speaking
tour of the West.
ES Within the last few days two i'm
portant matters have come up before
Chairman White and his associates
without any decision being reached.
The American Federation of Labor.
whose officials. under the leadership Of
samuel GomrerS. are supporting the
Democratic candidate, has proposed to
cooperate with the Democratic party,
giving the party the benefit Of its or
ganization and Of its mailing lists for
party purposes. The intcrChurch move
rnent. which is deeply interested in the
League of Nations. has mace some
what similar proposar.
Upon these propositions tho Demo
cratic organization has delayed action.
There appears to be a iurr Ui AGILITY
to reach prompt decisions in the ab-
scnce of Governor Cox. About Repub.
lican headquarters here the criticism
is heard that both in New York and
IN Chicago there is sort Of paralysis
In the Democratic organization.
Organization Two Months Behind,
This criticism of the Republicans is
probably exaggerated. As Already
pointed out in this correspondence. the
Democratic national organization is at
least two months behind the RepubIi-
apiyntipn vi -, A.,
more than two months behind it in get
ting under way. The Democratic ma
tional organization is not yet func-
tioning. And the peculiar relation of
Governor Cox to it makes il difficult
for it to function. Governor Cox is
virtually the head of whatever national
organization there is. Chairman White
being merely the governors man. And
Governor Cox is away on a long trim.
hard to reach and hard to keep fully
Informed
The example Of the Republicans this
year in having an organization fully
prepared and ready to act when the
nomination was made will be likely to
be followed by other parties in the fu-
ture. The Democratic party was handi-
capped by not having funds to begin
with when the convention was held and
by not having any organization already
active in the field. The change in the
Craftsmanship so late in the day as the
change from Mr.. Cummings to Mr..
White was mistake from the point
Of view of effective organization An
extraordinary political organizer might
have taken hold when Mr.. White did
and improvised an effectual machine in
time for the active campaign, but Mr..
White is not proving genius at or
ganization.
In Ohio, where Governor Cox is well
known, his friends describe him as "a
hsrd man to organize" This does not
mean that he is at all like President
Wilson in H., relation 20 his men. AS
matter Of fact, he is very different
from the President. He is familiar and
easy and always accessible. lie listens
toseverybody. readily, takes all kinds of
aCsace that IS offered, but he actually
sends for and consuts with few men.
t Cox Plays Lone Hand
He plays a rather lone hand politi-
cally so that his representatives on the
national committee are often at a loss
to know what he intends TO do or what
his judgment will be on certain policies.
Mr.. White has made the mistake of
disagreeing with his chief on one or two
occasions especially when he made the
announcement from Washington regard.
ing the relative unimpOrtancc OF tho
League OF Nations issue, and on the
campaign fund charges. Chairman
White, Judge Moore and the governors =
other natural advisors were uninformed
when the Pittsburgh speech was de.
livered. Their position is difficult. with
an organization only just starting in,
and candidate who goes his own way
and who is hard to reach.
Ins, .n1a