Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-14
4 Big Man and a Big Democrat

ITO homely, yet sound, philosophy OF
living and profound knowledge Of gov
ernmcntal economies and party doctrines,
add the saving grace of humor and you
have combination that is rare in these
trying days OF dangerous demagogues with
their untried theories and their myriad of
impractical "isms." Tho fortunate pos
SCISSOR of such combination necessarily
stands out from the rank and file of those
who lack either the philosophy, the knowl-
edge. the humor, or all three. To Thomas
Il. Marshall has been given, or he has &C.
quired, these characteristic traits OF mind
and character and he exhibited them in
their full flower yesterday when he de-
livered an address before the members Of
the Virginia State Bar Association. Incl
dentally. he added host OF new friends
TO his already long list OF old ones in Vir-
ginia.
In this disturbed, postwar period, when
so many public men apparently believe the
nation is bound head-on for the demrition
bowwows, Mr.. Marshall Is joy to any
audience. His irrepressble humor bubbles
up continuously and in the most unexpected
places. He is no respecter of persons or
august bodies dignity does not sit en-
shrned before him, and his delightfully."-
keen thrusts at men and affairs. while leav-
ing no rancor, carry home their points in
fashion that more pouderous thinker
could not contrive. Least of all is he n
respecter Of himself and his job. He is not
obSessed with the dignity of the high place
he holds. Yet no man ever has discharged
tbs" thankleSs duties OF the vice-presidential
Office more effectively or more satisfactorily
to rival factions and parties. Nor is he
n respecter of the United States Senate, over
which he presides and which he facetiously
calls the Cave Of Winds" He knows, he
knows
The Keynote of his address, Back to the
Constitution struck a particularly respon-
sive chord in the heart OF his Virginia audi
ence, for that indeed is the platform OF
Virginia Democracy. His denunciation of
the recent and numerous mutiations OF the
Constitution and the prevailing trend to-
ward Capitalization OF government could
not fail to satisfy body of Virginians,
who recognized the sound logic of his appeal
10 check the tendency toward placing all
powers in Washington, lest the government
of the United States fall into the hands Of
those whose foremost interests are not in
democratic government. 1t was an enun-
citation OF the real, old-fashioned Demo-
cratic doctrine the tenets OF the fathers
who wrote the Constitution, and the Vice
President raised the danger signal. which
his party darcs not ignore without counting
disaster.
Nice-President Marshall has grown ire
nlendously in public as we'll as party favor
in the last few months. AS Governor OF
Indiana he was one Of the party stalwarts;
then the vice-pres!dency seemed to swallow
him up. But recently he has emerged from
the shadow of his Office and today he stands
fouE-square 10 the world q big man and
big Democrat. and. whether or not he in
tends il so, a clever politician. The Times
Dispatch has said before, and repeats it
nov, that the party when it convenes in
San Francisco, could go much further and
do much worse than to make him its
standard bearer. Certainly he can have
N!rginta's electoral vote, provided its own
fayorite son is not in the running.