The Washington herald., 1920-10-31
Parties More Divided and
Issues More Clouded
Than Since 1884.
WOMEN POWER ENIGMA
Outlook Favors Republican
Success With League of
Nations Paramount.
BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.

reaching its close has had its unique
qualities. Never, perhaps. has there
been one in which so large a pro-
portion of the rank and file of both
Iparties was dissatisfied with the
nominees provided by the profess
sional politicians.
Never have the issues ostensibly
looked upon as paramount been so
befogged in the course Of the dis
cussion, and never before have both
candidates so nimbly tried to take
both sides Of the same question.
Not since 1884 have party lines
been broken by so great a number
Of individual voters. 1t is true that
the revolt has not taken so definite
an organized form as that of the
Gold Democrats in 1895. but the
drift of Republicans. into the Demo-
cratic ranks on account of devotion
to the league idea. and of Democrats
into the Republican fold because of
disapproval of the Wilson admins
trati5n probably affects more actual
votes than were involved in the
MugwUmp secession of 1884, or the
Palmer and Buckner revolt of 1895.
Women Exert Influence.
The admission of women to the
franchise for the first time in the
history Of the nation adds to the
distinGt of this campaign.
How many will vote can only be
guessed at. According to the CEN
ksus figures no less than 26.00O, 900
are entitled to the franchisG,-but the
figures on registration so far as re-
corded do not point to a total woman
vote exceeding 100000. How that
vote will be cast is impossible TO
forecast. Under ordinary conditions
1t might be expected to Civide about
as the masculine vote will be divided.
But this year two issues arc in
volved which are expected to appeal
especially 10 woman voters-pro-
hibitiOn and the league Of nations.
There is a general inclination to
asCrIbe to Gov. Cox a certain lib
erality of view on the liquor question
which may ALLEVIATE a considerable
share of the woman support from
the Democratic ticket. On the other
hand, despite a certain amount of
backing and filling. Cox appears to
have more thoroughly identified
himself with the league of nations
than has Senator Harding and wOm-
ankind as lovers Of peaCe-interna-
tional peace, that is-may be ex-
pected to come heavily to his sup
port. 1t is probable, too. that the
excursions into the realms of the
sentimental and pathetic made by
the spokesmen of the Hamilton Holt
. FF1-
the White House, and by Secretary
Tumulty in his Maryland speech
were intended to appeal to this class
OF voters.
Initial G. o. p. Advantage.
These are features of this cam
paign for which the past furnishes
no parallel and which make difficult
the task Of him who would seek to
forecast the result of the election.
There are other features, however,
which tend to simplify that task.
It is proper TO note that the Re
publiCaHs had at the outset the ad-
vantage of a running start. Their
campaign was under way for nearly
two months before the Democrats
began to show in the running. This
was partly due to the active and in
telligent work prosecuted by Chair
man Will Hays and his associates
for two years prior to the nominat-
ing conventions. Democrats con-
templating the effectiveness Of this
work are inclined to ask somewhat
bitterly what was effected by the
national headquarters of their party,
maintained at large expense, and
with a degree of Ostentation never
hEFnra IL !,
ington ever since the incoming of
the Wilson administration. That is
a story in itself and one that I shall
tell later Enough for the purposes
Of this article to assert that the er-
forts of those headquarters so far
from providing the party with an
effective organization at the outset
af the campaign did not build UP anv
organization, and were positivelv
detrimental in that they collected
large sum OF money that should
have been available for campaign
purposes but was in fact used nm
in large salaries and liberal expen-
ses before the nominating conven-
tlon had been held.
Escaped Complication.
At the outset the Republicans es-
Cdpeu one cOmpllcatiOn which more
than anything else is responsible
for the difficulties of the Democrats
during the campaign. They had no
official leader to placate, no admin
istration in office to be satisfied
even though its satisfaction meant
the estrangement of large bodies Of
voters
The Chicago convention made a
platform to suit what the leaders
believed to be the beliefs Of the
BODY OF American voters, and chose
candidate with the sole idea Of
finding one who would be gem
orally acceptable
The San Francisco convention.
under the domination of Federal
officeholders. adopted a platform
with an eye single to the demands
Pf the administration. 1t broke
away from Presidential domination