The Washington herald., 1920-02-15
Failure to Rally around One
QfMany Candidates Marks
Political Uncertainty of Age
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

.
was a foregone conclusion, and
Democrats were early convinced
that the pendulum In their party
had again swung to the Bryan side.
In 1912 the Taft Denomination was
a certainty, though the Pyogressives
and the Democrats~kept politicians
guessing until their conventions
were over. -Four years ago Presi-
certainty. and the seekers for a
contest had to go to the Republican
convention to find II.
Wilson Expected to Retlfe.
The conditions this year are in
sharp contradiction Of those which
have prevailed for a quarter of b
century. In neither party is there
Indication of a majority leaning to-
ward one man. While the Presi-
dents cryptic silence concerning his
own purposes and possible ambi-
tions. has kept certain strong and
popular members of his party from
coming into the open. it is the gen.
eral conviction that his attitude,
when announced, will be that Of one
retiring from politicalsstrife. 1t is
entirely possible that the abnormal
situation in which the affairs of the
nation have been placed by the
world war might have made 1t pos
sible for the friends of the President
to ignore the deeply-rooted public
aversion to a third term, with some
chance of success. But when to the
anti-third term sentiment is added
the doubt as to Mr.. Wilson's ability
to stand the strain of a presidential
campaign few, even of his chief
idolators will be willing, to press
his candidacy. Yet untn he speaks
there will remain several presiden-
tial candidates. within his party
unannounced
do not myself think that the
candidates whose appearance is
thus delayed are likely to suffer.
Politics is one branch of human en-
deavor to which the copybook max
i'm about the early bird does not
apply. The early bird is apt to fur
nish fat pickings for the later COM
ers. Particularly is this likely to
be the case in a campaign in which
the candidates are legion and the
issues Ill defined.
Party Issues Not Yet Defined.
Nobody can tell at this moment
what will be the paramount issues
OF the coming campaign. The Re
publican organization is so puzzled
by the problem that il Is Offering
prizes for suggestions of a platform
likely to awaken public interest and
enlist public support. 1t is worthy
OF note that the New York Tribune.
which is gathering and tabulating
suggestions of this character re-
ports that interest seems to center
upon those bearing upon interna-
tional relations. That may well he
because at the moment the papers
are busily discussing the treaty,
and the League of Nations. Among
students of politics however there Is
a very well defined feeling that be-
fore the conventions interest in in
ternational' problems will lag, and
shat questions of internal develop
ment and industry, governmental
thrift and relief from burdensome
taxation will be the issues upon
which the outcome of the election
will depend.
But these are issues upon which
no sharp divergence of party lines
is possible IT is unquestionably
true that on the issue of govern
mental economy. and high taxes the
Democratic party will be on the de-
fensive. 1t fought the war. and is
responsible for the enormous ex-
penditures entailed by that Job. 1t
Is a matter OF common notoriety
that much fragrant and scandalous
eNtravagence accompanied these
eNpenditures-not more perhaps
than always attends the prosecution
of a war. for war is waste. but still
enough to furnish the Republicans
with a line Of attack. More peril
Gus to the Democrats than actual
wartime expenditures, will be eyi-
dence of any failure or unwilling
ness to reduce expenditures since
the armistice. and of this the Re-
publicans claim to have gathered a
mass of telling evidence.
Both Favor Suffrage.
But it is evident that on the alb
stract principles of economy, eff
cheney. sturdy Americanism and the
like one party can preach as plausi-
bly, as the other. Each will declare
itself the mainstay and successful
champion of woman suffrage; neith-
er will express itself too frankly on
the mooted question of prohibition,
unless in the Democratic ranks Mr.
Bryan and Governor Edwards IN
sist upon a fight to finish So
far, as present indicat tions go a
shrewd and cautious student of po-
lftics might write a platform ac-
ceptable to either party. There is
a certain emphasis laid upon the
lack of distinctive party lines by
the fact that the two very dis
tinguished public servants are be-
ing widely discussed for presiden-
tial honors without anyone being
quite clear as to which party can
claim either one. The position of
General Pershing and Mr.. Hoover
today is not peculiar to these gen.
tlemen. It is shared by a very great
body of the electorate.
With most of the presidential pos
sibilities however past affiliations
compel alignment with one or the
other of the great parties. And the
uncertainties which characterize
the political situation have bred a
multitude of candidates. among
gentlemen of a calibre not hitherto
Regarded as presidential.
Predicted Conventions Fall.
This is a feature of the present.
day situation which was not at all
foreseen four years ago. l recall
that 1t was the general saying
around the conventions at st. Louis
and Chicago that they would be the
last great nominating conventions
to be held. 1t was thought that the
wide extension of direct primaries
and the presidential preference sys-
tenn in practically all of the States
would rob the conventions of their
power. A popular candidate with a
strong organization to press his
cause could cinch his nomination in
the primaries. and the convention
would become nothing but a ratifi-