The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-04-30

] aoHhah dciHOSiucy. ~ tHiicS lHt
World has great difficulty in recos
nizing in him any variety of democ
racy. In the Missouri convention there
were no artificial obstacles 10 the ex
ism and antl.Wilsonism, and anti
Wisconsin was routed, as 1t deserved
What ever may be said of Pres
| ident Wilson's methods, the demo
cratic party cannot repudiate his prin.
ciples without stultifying itself II
may go down TO defeat as the cham.
pion OF his policies and his admins
tration, but it cannot antagonize the
ideals he has had in view without
steering straight to disaster, az it
did in 1896 when it threw over Grow
er Cleveland,
There is much discomfort within
the democratic party. The presidents 8
personal influence is still at low tide;
but nevertheless it is only under his
leadership that the party can be
held together, 1t is only on the rec.
ord of his administration in war and
in peace that a democratic candidate
for president will have the shadow
Of chance OF election.
Reed has run counter to the ma.
jority sentiment OF his constituents
for years" says the New York times
"As he was told in the state conven-
ton, his political offenses antedate
his opposition to tie league Of ma
tions covenant.
in deed they are many and seem
to arise from some curious element
of opposition or cantankerousness in
his mind. His war against the president
and the league filled up the measure
Of democratic wrath against him in
Missouri He was ripe for punishment.
Severely is he punished. He has SET
his own opinions against those o.
the democratic party of Missouri he
has msrepresented the state II must
be clear to him Low that he repre-
sents nobody in Missouri but his
personal friends and followers and
remnants Of proGermanism and its
collateral hatreds"
That the demand Of the party for
the support Of the democratic admin
istration's record. and not straight
cut league Of nations sentiment was
responsible for the outcome is tn"
opinion OF the Detroit FreePress
which says:
II every man in the convention had
agreed with Reed on the league, IT
would still have been political
necessity to get rid OF Reed Tho
state has been drifting toward the
doubtful column for a long time. Old
Missouri democrats have been pulling
up stakes and migrating to Okla
homa and the southwest, while Iowa
and Illinois republicans have been
leaving the extremely high-priced
iIrms in those states to buy cheaper
Land in Missouri There is no less
an authority than Champ Clark for
the proposition that this process is
slowly working toward the transfer
nation Of Missouri into republican
state
In that situation Reed a.}s the
Missouri democrats TO give lin a
vote Of confidence when approval Of
Reed means condemnation Of eight
years Of democratic rule.
This is not overestimating the case.
Reed has belonged with the upposi-
tiCn to the administration eyer since
Wilson was elected. If Reed was
right the party has been wrong and
To 90 to the Missouri voter with an
Of Reed was to 80 with
n confession Of failure. That would
be suicidal in a state where rcpubli.
cans lave chance to win The
democratic leaders could not get tc
the voters and say, Reed was right,
our party has blundercd in every
hing it has tried to do, but sun We
ask you To support our prty."
A rcbullr to Reed, then was d. po-
itCal necessity and back Of that nee.
-Ssity lay other reasons for getting
id a. the Kansas City troublcmakcr .
He is a politician who believes tina. .
political success is attained hy the /
simple process of rewarding ones ,
He is a fdctional politician, and q |
arge faction Of the Missouri democ- |
'aCy knows him best for the wounds |
ne las inflicted upon its members .
Al OF these have been waiting for .
heir chance to down Reed, and Reed |
made the chance for them by fighting !
he majority Of his party in the |
nj Ia.
when the federal reserve system was
till under discussion down 10 the
lay when lie was beaten in the Jop'
in convention.
The Joplin Globe, published in the
'ity where the convention was held,
'ather accepts the view Of the De.
roit newspaper in the following Ian.
yuage:
70 have failed to decide between
PRESIDENT Wilson and Senator Reed /
would have lost more votes for de.
nocracy than could have been re-
-ained in years. The general public,
una particularly the independent vot-
r, has no use for assembling. Part
rs that eYade grave issues are no
more popular than individual evaders.
There are times when diplomacy re
!uires that inconsequentials be disre
,arded, but the WilsCn-Reed case was
not nconsequential. The strength
hat comes from doing what ought
o be done will come to the demo
ratio party as a result of decisive
Iction in this matter. To have failed
would have jeopardi2ed the partys
uture success, both this year and in
n future campaigns.