Evening star., 1920-02-21
ADOOCAND|DACY
AND REASONS WHY,
ASFR|ENDS SEE It
Record as Administrator and
Vote Capacity Are
Commended.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Commended.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
William Gibbs McAdoo says he isn't
candidate for the presidency. but
will accept the nomination. He will
not permit his name to go on the
presidential preference ballots, but
his friends will continue to work for
him. He will have no organization
or headquarters. and will not engage
in controversy with other candidates.
Yet he will serve If chosen.
Were this normal year in presi-
Dental politics, the McAdoo method
of approach to the presidency would
be distinctly novel. more SO; indeed
than the Hoover method. But from
friends Of Mr.. McAdoo in the National
Capital one get as true impression OF
what the former Secretary of the
Treasury has in mind. First of all
he is represented as feeling that it
would be undignified for him to go
doesn't intend to be an active candi-
date in any sense He will be passive
ly receptive. that's all
Relations to Wilson Family.
: OF course, there is no concealing
the fact that opposition to Mr.. McAdoo
among democrats is based to some
extent on the theory that he might
be unacceptable to the country be-
cause of his family relationship to
Adoo men make answer thus: McAdoo
was one Of the managers of the Will
SON campaign in 1912 and was select
ed to be Secretary Of the Treasury be-
cause Of his ability shown in large
business enterprises. He had already
helped in the drafting of the present
federal reserve act and made record
as Secretary Of the Treasury when he
married the. Presidents daughter.
This. therefore, the friends OF Mr.
McAdoo assert. was an incident IN
His career which had nothing TO 90
with his political status: They con.
fend that as a member of the cabinet
M freOuently argued with the Presi-
dent and openly expressed his diner
ing opinions. But their main faitn
n hat NO man aver suffered In poil.
tica from attack based on PERSONA
grounds that were inherently unoo-
iectionable Their candidate Wi! pc,
accepted or rejected NJ san frAhe'seo
ON other counts.
Elininating Other Candidates.
It is interesting in talking to some
Of these NcAdoo supporters-anae some a's
Of them have high Official positions IN
the government-to find how easily.
they Seem to eliminate all the other
"a ndidates for the democratic nominal
ton. Mr.. Hoover. they insist, has
eliminated himself by expressing inno-
cence of any party animation, ana 10
get a democratic nomination an IN
dfyidual must, in their opinion. have
been a democrat at least as far back
as 1912. though he might be forgiven
lapses in the period before that. AS
for Gov. Cox, the McAdoo people think
he is unfortunately on the wrong side
of the prohibition question and VIII
Pomerene of Ohio has already with
drawn from the race. Mr.. Bryan, say
the McAdoo disciples. doesn't really
want the nomination for himself. but
wants to have the pleasure of doml-
Mating the convention. The big ques-
be a delegate. Nebraska. in all prob
ability, will settle that in the negative
Admittedly, Mitchell Palmer is the
most powerful opponent of William
Gibbs McAdoo. Both are strong VIII
son followers. but among the McAdoo
men one hears serious doubts ex-
pressed as to the Attorney Generals
availability because of his unhappy
contact with union labor in the coal
strike.
MeAdoo's Clains for Support.
In contrast there is pointed out the
record of the former director general
of railroads, who gave the railroad
brotherhoods a square deal and per-
haps even more sympathetic treat
n!ent in the matter of wages than
they have received from the hands of
anybody else in the Wilson admins
tration. The idea seems to be that
the brotherhoods will not forget and
that labor generally will be affected
by the contagion of Brother McAdoo' 8
zeal for the cause of the working
man.
To hear it from the McAdoo boost
ers, the former Secretary of the
Treasury will commend himself to the
democratic convention because of a
series of acts which, however devoid
of political intent they may have been
while he was in Office, cannot but be
counted upon to get votes. Mr.. Nc
Adoo, it is insisted, worked hard for
woman suffrage. did great deal for
the soldiers by fathering the war risk
insurance act, helped business by his
part in the federal reserve act as well
as in the smooth operation of the fed
eral reserve system, did his part in
moving crops when the farmers need
ed money, put the rural credits law
into running order. did a lot toward
urging a firm policy in handling Ger
many and did his share in fighting the
war.
The philosophy of the McAdoo group
seems to be that the democratic con-
yentfon will choose a candidate who
has the largest potential strength in
the matter Of vote-getting. Thus is
Mr.. McAdoo trotted out as the friend
of the suffragists. the farmers. the
soldiers. the union labor organiza- :
tions. the business men and bankers
of the country and the advocates OF
Americantsm.
Ne Ambiguous Position.
On one thing. however. the McAdoo
candidacy will not be ambiguous
Others may say. as Mr.. Bryan has
adroitly done. that the general prin-
ciples" of the Wilson administration
are approved Mr.. McAdoo will say
without the slightest twinkle in his
eve that he whole-heartedly approves
Of the Wilson administration. That
however, may be his admission ticke,
to the San Francisco convention, fol
the delegates in all probability will
not be the Bryan men of old. but the
dyed in -the-wool Wilson men, office
| holders or friends thereof, whose po-
litical life has been made possible by
the incumbent of the White House
| under democratic rule. Mr.. McAdoo
to conclude. is a candidate. He will
not seek the job himself. Others will
try strenuously to do 1t for him.
II fCnnvrigbt 1000