Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-04
Are Fooling Themselves
New York World

THE Republican party must pre-empt
the field of progrcssiveness," says Mr..
Hoover.
Tell that to Penroee. Tell it to Barnes.
Tell it to Brandegee. Tell it to Jim Wat
son. Tell it to Lodge. Tell it to Daugher-
ty, the Ohio boss who made Harding
politically. Tell it to the Senatorial
gang that nominated Harding at Chicago
according to the Daugherty prophecy
"At the proper time after the Republican
National Convention meets, some fifteen
men, bleary-eyed with loss of sleep and
perspiring profusely with the excessive
heat, will sit down in seclusion around
a big table. ] will be with them and will
present the name OF Senator Harding to
them, and before they get through they
will put him over"
They did put him over, and the men
who put him over did not put him over
m order TO "pre-empt the field of pro-
gressiveness. On the contrary.
Why should progressives like Mr.
Hoover why should liberal Republican
newspapers like the Tribune and the
Philadelphia Public Ledger, try to fool
themselves as to the political affiliations
of the Republican candidate or the kind of
administration he will inevitably give if
elected?
The Tribune is opposing the reelection
of Senator Wadsworth in this State on
the ground that he is a reactI onary, which
is true; but Wadsworth is no more of
reactionary than Harding and he has
what Harding lacks-ability and courage.
The progressives are right in regarding
Harding as weak and shifty, without pro-
found convictions or deep-rooted political
principles. Where they delude themselves
is in thinking that they are the ones who
would influence him in the event of his
election. They could make no greater
mistake.
Old-Guard President. His record and his
associations all prove 1T He VIII be
faithful servant of the reactionary Re
publican organization, and II was never
more reactionary ANY progressive meas
ures that he advocates viii be measures
that the Old Guard and the Senate
ohgarchy adopt on the ground of ex-
pediency. He and they will give as little as
possible, and what they give they will
give grudgingly.
Knowing nothing shout foreign affairs,
Harding went with the treaty-wreckers be-
cause the Senate gang decided that treaty
wreckIng was good partisanshfp. and II he
ever becomes President he Will follow that
crew to the end of his-term. The man has /.
demonstrated that he is incapable OF
standing on his own feet. He must have
support, and the strongest support that
he can find Is In the reactionary Re
pubbcanism that dominates the organiza-
tion and is in uncontested control Of the
party machinery.
Nobody in the United States knows
better than Herbert G. Hoover that
Harding is not FIT to be President Of the
United States at such q time as this
Other Republican progessives know it
too, although their facilities for realizing
the extent Of the Harding incapacity are
fewer than Hoover's- Even if they are will
ing to delude themselves they ought to
have computations OF conscience about
helping to delude the country
Without question Warren G.. Harding
Is the weakest and the most incompetent
candidate the Republicans have ever
nominated for President of the United
States No amount Of self-deception on
the part Of progressive Republicans can
change the essential facts.