The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-09
POLITICS BACK
ON PEACE BASIS
League of Nations Will Not
Be SO Big an Issue
as Liquor
JOMPA ARSON OF
TWO CONVENTIONS
Beth Were Controlled BY Old Guard
Democrat Stuck to Biggest Vote
Getters Compromise, But Repub-
Icavs DID act.

Especial Despatch to The Reformer.
Corvrirbt 1920
SAN FRANCISCO, July 9.-Any-
body. who attended both the Republic
can and Democrat conventions will
always be asked whc her or not one or
the other or both of them were con-
trolled or bossed. OF course, the Dem
ocrats point enthusiastically to the A
ballots and to the prolonged debate on
the platform as evidence that the del
egates worked out their choices here
without dictation or undue influence.
But the writer, who ism t in the
slightest degree interested in which
party is successful next fall, came to
the conclusion that in only very few
places did the Democratic convention
differ from the Republican gathering.
Essentially they were the same. Sen
ator Penrose welded his influence as of
old. So did Charlie Murphy of Tam
many hall The old guard in each
party came back to party control this
year Alongside the veterans at Chi
cago, the group who tried to get the
domination for Hiram johnson were
The nearest amateurs. And alongside
Murphy of New York, Brennan of Illi-
nois, Nugent of New Jersey, Moore of
Ohio, Marsh of Iowa, and Stanley of
Kentucky, the group of Democrats who
were born with the advent of Wood
row Wilson at Baltimore were the mer-
est cadets.
Everybody who is in position to
know the facts win testify that the
master politician of the progressive
Democracy Woodrow Wilson-kept
hands off because his son law was
in the race, but it is also true that
| McAdoo' 5 fortunes would have Jared
much better if he had had at San
Francisco somebody like Daniel C.
Roper to deal with the Democratic
bosses and talk to them in their own
language The convention itself was
Embossed in the sense that the balance
of power was held by set of western
delegates who were free from eastern
domination. But these delegates were
worn out and confused by the effort
of the chief MeAdoo leaders to play
the game with the old men, which they
knew ever so much better 1t is true
the bosses who favored Governor Cox s
nomination because they thought him
wet enough to help their local tickets
in state and city campaigns did not
actually control a majority of the
| Democratic convention.
Jimmy Cox didn t get tainted nom
nation. No, the delegates who were
for McAdoo were converted by those
infinitely painstaking processes of per
suasion which are known only to those
who have worked on a convention floor
in the heat of battle The West finally
swung to Cox, and the speech made by
Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi,
nominating Cox, together with the
skilfully presented arguments concern
ing Cox S fine record as governor of
Ohio during three terms, helped create
so far as Cox himself was concerned,
an atmosphere entirely favorable. The
deadlock and struggle came because of
the vets who were espousing Cox.
The Democrats must be given credit,
however, for one piece of political wis
dom which the Republicans should have
followed. The managers of the Me
Adoo forces virtually entered into an
agreement that the choice must be Nc
Adoo or Cox. No dark horse was to be
considered so long as either had
chance to win as against any other can
didate. The Democrats didn t elimi-
nate their strongest vote -getters simply
because of the rivalry between manag-
ers as at Chicago One side here sur
rendered to the other.
First Palmer withdrew, then Me-
Adoo's men capitulated. Disinterested
Republicans say Wood or Lowden or
johnson would have been better vote
getters than Harding. OF course, the
leaders at Chicago consid-
cred the resentment over the Wilson
administration so great as to make it
possible for any compromise candidate
to ride into power on the momentum of
the grand old party.
But the Republicans felt sure the
Democratic candidate would be McAdoo
or some counterpart of Wilson. 1t hap
pens that the Democratic nominee was
given birth by parents who are almost |
as resentful of Woodrow Wilson s |
treatment of organization Democrats |
as are the Republicans on other is
sues Wilsonian The truth is, Governor |
Cox may be found praising the league /
Of nations and upholding the record of /
President Wilson's administration but |
Tammany and other Dem
ocratic organizations will spread the
word throughout their various elector-
ltes that Cox means a new deal, a new /
cabinet and no obligation to retain in !
office the Burlesons and the Creels and
their ilk who have helped to diminish
he President s prestige. Nor viii
Jimmy Cox be required to submerge a
domestic issue like the cost of living
% that of internationalism. He will
not be held responsible by the spell
binders in his behalf for anything that
ias happened in Washington in the last
light years any more than will War
'en Harding be held to account for the
Of Taft.
Unquestionably the Democrats have
their chances in the East by
hrowing off the Wilson burden though
hey have taken long chance with
he West which still treasures its ideal.