, 1920-07-15
Columbia Wills to Have Editor as
a Guide During Next
Four Years.
VIEWED AS GOOD EXPERIMENT
An Apathetic Campaign Likely to
Warm up-Doinas Of Republican
leaders-Trade Restrictions With
Russia Lifted - Mexico More
TranquiI-Spa Conference
and Foreign Affairs.
By e. E. cLIPsoN.

America, ever resourceful and willing
to- try anything once. has shown the
spirit Of true democracy by going to
various professions for its presidents.
The first one vas a civil engineer. and
since his time the White House has
been occupied by lawyers, diplomats.
professional politicians, a planter, SOL
dlers, a tailor, i've college presidents.
one of whom also preached a little, and
the other of whom practiced law a lit
tie, and several others who at various
times in their careers were identified
with trail blazing, farming, legislating
and the law. Now the supreme expert
ment is to be tried, for Ohio, mother of
presidents. has produced twins. and.
singularly enough. both are newspaper
men. The claim has long come from
various sources that the newspapers
u the country, so nothing is more
logical than an editor as chief execu-
tive.
Barring accidents or the totally un
expected, either Editor Harding or Ed
itor Cox will sit in the presidential
chair March 4, 1921. The consensus of
opinion gathered from public express
sions and the news Of the day. is that
1t is an experiment worth trying. No
very pronounced evidences of worship
for. either candidate seem manifest as
yet in the great body of the electorate.
but that is a condition In keeping with
the editorial personality and may cas-
lily change as the campaign warns up.
Until the day of signed news articles
and editorials changed he condition
| slightly, the newspaper man has al
ways been a somewhat submerged
voluntarily submerged - personality.
He has been a most potent leader and
director in his quiet way, but seldom
for him the heroic role. He has created
many heroes. but little hero worship
has come to him. His Ideals would not
admit of 1t. Cincinnatus patiently
blowing is more ideal In the general
newspaper creed than Cincinnatus
leading armies.
Now the editor gets in front of in
stead of behind the calcium's bright
glare. The public will, metaphorically,
see two editors at least. stripped to
| their very souls; but as each has had
some stripping In state politics the or
deal will be less severe. Also. the pro-
fessional halo makers, In this case the
| political managers of the w candi-
dates, will soon be charging upon the
nobility of the editorial calling and the
| self-sacrifcing qualities which 1t en-
tails. Already the haios are In the
moids and before November 1t is safe to
assert, both candidates will be heroes
to their respective followers. although
at present they are Just ~level-headed
Representative citizens, with consider
| able edge In ability over the average.
The exaltation Will extend, in some
| degree. to the whole newspaper profess
| sion. and some there are who think
| this will not be a good thing. Any
way, after next March the people will
have an opportunity to see how an edi-
tor, who never fails to tell how the
country should be run, VIII run 1t him
self.
The aftermath of the Democratic
convention has not been greatly dis
similar to that OF the Republican con-
clave. The bulk of party sentiment,
with the exception of the naturally
disgruntled, seems inclined to abide by
| Governor Cox. just as the bulk Of Re-
publican sentiment abides by Senator
Harding. Bean spillers have been ac-
| tive in 10th parties and Nicholas MUIR
ray Butler, in his attacks on the forces
| of corruption. did not say any more.
tndeed not as much, as William Jen-
| nings Bryan, In p-ost-convention utter
ances, has said along the same strain.