The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-23
HITCHCOCK LOOMS
FOR PRESIDENCY
Democrats Think He Will
Be the Wilson Entry In
the Race
WOULD BE GOOD
TREATY LEADER
His Declaration for Light Wines and
Beer Expected to Give Him Strength
Friends Believe Wilson Will Not
Be q Candidate.

WASHINGTON, March Ex-senator
Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock of Nebraska.
acting Democratic leader of the
senate, who heretofore has merely
been classed among those men
toned, = suddenly is looming up as one
of the real possibilities for the Demo
cratic presidential nomination. OF all
the candidates in the race Mr.. Hitch
cock seems to fill President Wilson >
bill of requirements better than any
other and it would not be surprising
to find him the fully approved Wilson
entry at San Francisco.
All of this, of course, is contingent
on the question of whether Mr.. Will
son himself will be candidate for n
third term. While speculation as to
tins has diminished considerably in re-
cent weeks-due, chiefly to Mr.. Will
son $ physical conditioned it is an
element III the situation that has not
been disposed of finally. Some of those
who are close to the White House de-
scribe 1t as ''toss up" as to whether
Nh Wilson will run. Still others who
are Just as close would be surprised If
Mr.. Wilson enters the contest.
Mr. Hitchcock S sudden prominence
IN Washington political gossip comes
about by reason of two things: First,
Mr. Wilson $ apparent desire to make
the German treaty an issue in the cam
paign, and, second, Mr. Hitchcock i
ont -and-out personal platform for the
removal of the restrictions on the man
utacture and sale of light wines and
beer
Aside from Mr. Wilson himself. there
i nobody among the Democratic en-
tourage, save Mr.. Hitchcock. who is in
a position to carry forward the fight
for unreserved ratification OF the treaty
as campaign issue Mr.. Hitchcock i
regarded as having done very well in
MS engineering of the treaty in the sen
ate as ranking Democrat on the commit
| tee on foreign relations He stood his
ground against the heaviest of the Re
publican heavy artillery, and although
he met defeat, it is commonly recor-
nlzed that nobody under the crcum.
stances could have done much better
Mr.. Hitchcock is the only one of the
Democratic possibilities who has ha6
| much to do with the treaty fight. The
Others have carefully lodged the issu,
some OF them have even stood against
| the President and for ratification will
| The Lodge reservations None of then
Is making or has been making the
treaty an issue in the pre-conventio1
campaign.
1 II Mr. Wilson really intends to max,
the treaty an issue in November. poll
ticians declare it would be the logica
thing for him to get behind Mr.. Hitch
cock as the candidate. And if sucl
should be the ease, it would not be sur
| prising If the Democrats would nomi
nate him at San Francisco to avoi,
! breaking with the President on the ev,
of the campaign
! Mr. Hitchcock 5 announcement in fav
or of beer and wine is in his favor witt
the Wilson group of Democrats, VIII
believe that such an issue will help tn
party at the polls
Nebraska will have is delegate
pledged to Mr. Hitchcock at the con
vention Some scattering delegate
from other states may be for Hitch
cock.