The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-07-08
CAMPAIGN TO Be
FOUGHT IN EAST.
EXPERT ASSERTS
Says Election of Roosevelt
Made to Please MCAdoo
Forces and Because of
Cox'S Wet LeaningS.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,
Especial Correspondent of The Ne

NoPeCldls correspondent or The News
Sclmitar.)
SAN FRANCISCO, July S.--PiclSing
vice-president ordinarily is about as in
teresttng as inaugurating one; he is in
distinct in the, picture.
But the selection of Franklin D.
Roosevelt, assistant secretary of the
navy to go along with Gov. Cox on the
Democratic ticket, was an episode in
national politics of no minor impor
tance
Under the rostrum where nominating
speeches were being made for a half
dozen vice presidential aspirants, Char
lie Murphy. of Tammany hall; George
Brennan, of Illinois, who is the sue
cessor of the late Roger Sulllvan; Jim
Nugent, of New Jersey; Fred Lynch, Of
Minnesota; Wilbur Marsh, of Iowa
Norman Mack, of New York, and Ed
Moore, the campaign manager Of Gov.
Cox, gathered for a conference, and,
in full sight Of onlooking correspond
merits of Edward Meredith, of Iowa,
secretary of agriculture; Victor Muir
dock, of Kansas, member of the federal
trade commission and Bull Mooser of
1912, and Bainbridge Colby, secretary
of state, and also Roosevelt, progress
sive.
Gov Cox wisely left the choice to the
managers here. Hearst would have
liked to see Colby named, and there was
some thought that the support of the
Hearst newspapers would be easily as
sured if Colby were chosen. But while
! 1ammany favored Colby and gave indi-
cation of burying the hatchet with
Hearst in the coming effort to re-elect
Al Smith governor of New York, the
s. leaders argued with Murphy that Roose-
, velt's name would be worth more. votes
to the ticket and that his selection
would please the McAdoo forces, which
had been led by Roosevelt.
Wet Leanings Factor.
The Western men--Meredith and
Murdock--were eliminated when 1t was
decided that on account of Cox's wet
leanings the campaign had better be
waged in the East. Roosevelt, 1t was
contended, would give assurance to
Westerners that the ticket was pro-
ed that he was popular with navy men.
OF course, Roosevelts -Tammany
record in New York state will help get
Independent Democratic votes for the
ticket.
II. is an interesting sidelight that
many here ventured the opinion that
the name Roosevelt would appeal to
those voters who may not exactly con-
fuse Franklin D. Roosevelt with Theo-
dore Roosevelt, but who would consider
that all Roosevelts must be worth while
folks.
AS a matter of fact, the vice. -presiden-
tial candidate whom the Democrats
named Is a. second cousin of the late
COl. hOOS0VelL. II is ~
the colonel started in as an assistant
secretary of the navy. too, and resigned
that job to go into the war, after which
he entered politics on large scale as
J governor 0s New. York.
THE name OF Franklin d. Roose-
veit has often been suggested for
governor OF New York and the inde-
pendent Democrats this year were
thinking Of naming him for the United
States senate to oppose Wadsworth.
Popular in Washington.
Franklin Roosevelt is popular with the
newspaper men in Washington. who
knew him throughout the war as the
man who was continuously urging a
naval offensive. There has been some
Josephus Daniels in the management
of the y navy department, but all
thoughts of discord were swept out
of consideration by the fulsome speech
I made by Secretary Daniels for Frank
lin Roosevelt after the latter had been
named by acclamation as the vice
presidential candidate of the party.
One after another the vice presiden-
tal aspirants withdrew from the race
as soon as the conference under the
stage of the auditorium was over, All
the leaders and bosses agreed that the
!. by the addition Nof Roosevelt, and
V though some observers noted q confess
SION OF weakness IN lne ulSCuSSlOH
about a Western candidate, the deci-
sion to fight it out in the East is
a bold one.
The leaders asked what vice-presi-
Dental candidate could carry Western
states that Cox himself couldn't carry
and few seemed to think the addition
of Murdoch or Meredith would con-
tribtue as much as would be gained
bv the political advertising already
given the name Roosevelt and the
known executive ability and in
dependence in politics of Franklin
Roosevelt
The vice presidential choice helped
soothe the McAdoo group from the
East though the Westerners SHOOK
their heads and shrugged their shoul'
ders as they faced the prospect o.
campaigning for a man who won hii
nomination through the support of We
states. But the Eastern Democracy
confidently smiled and said that thu
election would be won or lost in thu
East anyway.
It is too soon to say which view
point is more logical, ,but the leaders
probably will find on consulting Gov
Cox that he will wisely decide to maxi
a vigorous fight in the West and fa
West as he must make in the East.
Copyright, 1920, by David Lawrence.