The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-11-13
cox TO LOSE
LEADING ROLE
-.-SULLtvAN
Declares Ohio Governor Not
Likely to Continue as Lead
er of Party-Bryan Come
Back Unlikely.
REVEALS INSIDE STORY
BY MARK SULLIVAN


Such a multitude of things happened
at the recent election, and SO many
Of them were spectacular, that it was
not surprising if the public finds it.,
self wandering in a fog composed
partly of fact and partly of surmise.
In an effort to get rid of much of
the surprise and bring the actual
facts into their true relations, there
is no point more convincing to start
from than the present condition and
future prospects of Democratic SEN
ators and representative who will be
in congress after March 4. What
these leaders will do and what poll
cies they have must appear in due
course. For the present, let us con-
slider a separate thing, the future of
the Democratic party as a national
organization whose chief function
looks to the selection of candidate
for the presidency every four years
Committee Controls
In this sense the controlling body
of the party is the Democratic Ma
tional committee. Whatever the par
ty is to do officially must be done
through this committee. Normally
this committee more or less goes to
sleep during the four years between
elections, but it is understood that
some elements in the party will un-
dertake to bring about a special meet
ing in December or January to sur
vey the conditions, take account of
assets, and determine what to do
about the next four years. At that
Ohah will IA
element in the party is likely to be
dominant and just what individual is
likely to assume leadership.
About this last point. there is much
talk that is the sheerest surmise and
goes far afield from the facts. In one
quarter it is said that Cox will con-
tinue to be the leader: in another that
Bryan Is going to come to line IN
Washington and take charge of the
Democratic party; in another that the
friends of Mr.. McAdoo are going to
be dominant in the National COM
mittee.
Ended With Deficit.
To consider these possibilities in
telligently, one starting point as good
as any other is the hard, definite, and
insistent fact that the Democratic or
ganiZation ended the campaign with
loan due at the bank for $150.000,
and other bills aggregating nearly the
same amount, total deficit of nearly
100000. That deficit is there Some
body must pay it. My observations
have been that the persons who make
up a deficit under such circumstances
usually have a good deal to say about
the future management of things,
Money talks. 1t talks as much when
it is in the form of campaign contri-
buttons as anywhere else.
This deficit of nearly s3OO,O 900 is the
most concrete and urgent fact in the
Democratic situation. To be sure.
deficits are no novelty with either
party. But this is a deficit with a
failure. There is all the difference in
the world between a deficit plus sue
cess and a deficit plus failure.
Deficit Four Years Ago.
The Democrats ended their cam
paign four years ago with a deficit
of over twice the present sum. But
they were successful then, and a sue
cessful party need have no trouble
about meeting deficit. BY that same
token the Republicans right now have
a deficit over five times the Demo
Gratis, deficit of $1,600,000. But the
Republicans are the successful party.
1t is the Democrats who should worry
l don't doubt that if the Democrats
had the necessary machinery, they
could make up their deficit of $500, 900
through small contributions from a
large number of individuals There
are plenty of loyal Democrats, but the
trouble is the Democratic National
Committee is not in a good state of
organization and has not got the rath-
er elaborate mechanism which alone
can collect large sums in small con
tributions. Under these circumstances,
Continued on Page TWO)