Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-03-05

position behind a candidate. Through
d Washington spokesman, Georgia
politicians are understood to have
appealed to the president to unite
the hands of his attorney general
who could be run as an administra-
ton candidate. This appeal is said
to have gone to the White House
within the pasH four or five days and
Monday night Mr.. Palmer, with the
consent of the president, jumped in
to the fray.
MI. Palmer's Handicap
Both Mr.. Palmer and Mr.. McAdoo,
as Democratic candidates for the
nomination, will inherit some of the
prejudices againsC the administra-
ton. The attorney generals liabili-
ties are perhaps the greater.
Mr.. Palmer will defend every act
of the administration and will cam
paign with administration endorse
ment. He favors the ratification of
The peace treaty as it stands, or
with interpretations only. He viii!
be fought by the "wets'' both before
and after the nomination-if he gets
it. Mr.. Palmer is said to be expect
ing Bryan support at San Francisco.
AS alien property custodian Mr..
Palmer incurred the enmity of the
German vote" BY vigorous enforce
ment of anti-red laws he has incur
red displeasure Of all radicals and
so-called free speech advocates. La
Dor looks none too kindly upon him
because Of his injunction methods.
Palmer's friends say he ought to be
supported because Of enemies he has
made, but it is frankly admitted ne
starts out with handicap.
Mr.. McAdoo also inherits some la
bilities. In fact, some politicians
doubt that any straight out heir OF
the administration can be elected
this fall. Mr.. McAdoo pleased the
labor element by his generous in
creases of wages to the railroad en-
rioyes, but many farmers are said to
be against him because they think he
played TOO much to labor and thereby
increased the cos@ of living to the
farmer and others.
Unless something almost mirac =
lous happens, the president Will go
out Of office year from today. The
Palmer announcement indicates %
Washington that he wants and ex-
poets to retire-possibly to write an
other book OF so which may treat D.
the world war and the Paris peac :
conference.
Between now and next March there
will be fought a spectacular politi-
cal campaign and with Mr.. McAdoo
likely to get into the nomination
race within a few days, and other
candidates bobbing up here and
there, the Democratic pre-convention
contest will be as heated as that
in the Republican party. Democratic
politics awaited some word from the
White House before reaching the
hotter stages, and now that this has
come and Woodrow Wilson has lift
ed the lid from the party pot, the
struggle will grow in intensity with
each passing week.
Pa1mer's Platform
Close friends of Attorney General
Palmer here say his platform will
carry the principal ideas, namely:
Advocacy of the adoption of the
League of Nations as written into
the Versailles treaty, if possible, and
if not, it's adoption with interpre-
tative reservations only.
Opposition to compulsory military
training, law and order as indicated
in his battle with dangerous reds.
Enactment of legislation to regu-
late big business by a federal license
system so as to bring such big bus
mess under supervision that will
stimulate competition and prevent
exorbitant corporation profits. 1t is
confidently expected in administra-
ton circles that Mr.. McAdoo will
soon find a favorable opportunity to
place himself before the voters of
the country, and it was intimated to-
day in the respective camps Of these
two Democrats that they will not
become competitors in the sense that
they will fight each other in indi-
vidual states for delegates.
Attorney General Palmers state
ment is interpreted here to mean
that he is opposed to ratifying the
peace treaty and the League of Ma
tions unless the league is ratified
without observations. He follows the
president in preferring that it should
go into national politics, if not rati-
field by the senate without reserva-
tions. Senator Reed is opposed to
the League of. Nations, with or with
out reservations. McAdoo and Clark
are said to favor the league with
reservations preserving American in
terests. Hoover is in favor of rati-
fication with reservations and is I'M
derstood to have written a letter
last fall suggesting the president ac-
cept reservations to the league and
thus endeavor to put the treaty
through without delay.
Governor Cox, of Ohio, has in three
successive races steered that state
into the Democratic column and
there is considerable talk in Wash
ington about Cox as a presidential
possibility.
Some we'll informed Democrats in
Washington are of the opinion that
the strongest combination that could
be brought into the field by the