New-York tribune., 1920-10-21
Hays Predicts
|HardingVictory
In a Landslide
Declares Republicans Will
Garry Every State West
of the Mississippi River
With Exception of Three
All Over, Meeting Closed
Westerners Amused, He Says,
by Cox's Attempt to Make
Campaign on One Issue

Will H. Hays, chairman Of the Re-
publican National Committee, return
ing yesterday from a trip to West
ern campaign headquarters, declared
that the Republicans would carry every
state west of the Mississippi River
except Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas.
He added that the election, a week
from next Tuesday. would be q bigger
Republican landslide than in 1904. Mr..
Hays was emphatic in his claims. He
based his assertions, he said, on re-
ports from the Republican leaders
in practically all Western states with
whom he talked either in person or
by telephone. while he was in Chicago.
otis all over,' he declared inform
ally. "The meeting is closed already"
Then Mr.. Hays issued the following
formal statements:
"The West has been amused at the
effort of the opposition to try to de-
velop their campaign on one issue. 1t
has been amused at tho Democratic
misconception of politics and the pub
lie mind. In an effort to placate the
Wilson followers, who were defeated
in San Francisco, Candidate Cox made
his trip to Washington and definitely
made his contract with the President
resulting in their wcll-remembe bered
statement that they were in complete
accord
Calls Cox Campaign Dismal Failure
"Then Candidate Cox went out on
his own responsibility, with his own
managers, and conducted his cam
paign all over the West and Middle
West, entirely dropping the President.
This campaign was the most dismal
failure in the history Of Presi-
Dental candidates. In utter despera-
tion their whole plan was changed and
tense of standing alone, sought again
the hopeless help of the President
and his friends accepted their require
ment that the Wilson league be made
the sole issue, accepted the Wilson
leadership entirely together with the
financial help from tae rich Wilson
leaguers, and started out to vindicate
the Wilson Administration and the Will
son league. In that mire they are now.
Desperately seeking to hide behind
a peace smoke screen, which is as
/
would keep us out of war; desperately
but vaiNly attempting to escape just
and due responsibility for a score OF
tragic failures in domestic administra
ton; afraid to discuss their party
record, and offering no constructive
solution for the problems which they
failed to meet, they strive to develop
a campaign strategy of one issue.
Up Against an Accounting
"They propose to settle this cam
paign in Europe, when every taxpayer
in America is crying for q discussion
of the means for a better and more
efficient and more economical constitu
tional government at home. When they
keep the discussion on their one issue
they are still hopeless, with the Presi
dent and the candidate insisting tha
Article X is the heart of the covenant,
while the great majority of their owl
party long ago repudiated Article y
and many of the other provisions.
"The Democratic campaign manage
ment cannot fool the West. The Dem
ocratic party is squarely up against al
accounting of its stewardship, which
it cannot avoid it is face tt
face with the demand of the West Il
be shown just how it is proposed t
solve the problems and why the Demo
cratic party is entitled to be trustee
in the crisis at all. Everywhere OIL
every side from everybody all over tn,
West one hears eight years is NOR
than enough-let's clean house, AM
they are certainly going to clean house
Sees Democrats Demoralized
"The Democratic organization is en-
tirely demoralized in many of tn
states which are frequently Demo
cratic. They have given up the Presi