Rock Island Argus., 1920-02-23
MADOO ISN'T
ACTIVE BUT HE
HAS BOOSTERS
Latter Say He Made Few
Mistakes from Vote
Getting View.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial to The Argus.)

Washington, Feb. %. William
Gibbs McAdOo says he isn't a can
didate for the presidency, but will
accept the nomination. He will not
permit his name to go on the presi-
Dental preferential ballots, but his
friends will continue to work for
him. He will have no organization
or headquarters and will not en-
gage in controversy with other can
didates: Yet he will serve if cho-
sen.
Were this a 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 gets a true
impression of what the former sec
retary Of the treasury has in mind.
First of all, he is represented as
feeling that 1t would be undignified
for him to 60 out and seek the pres
idency. He doesn't intend to be an
active candidate in any sense. He
will be passively receptive, that's
all.
Has q Notable Record.
OF course, there is no concealing
the fact that opposition to Mr.. Nc
Adoo among Democrats is based to
some extent on the theory that he
might be unacceptable to the coun-
try because of his family relation
ship to President Wilson. To this
the McAdoo men make answer
thus: McAdoo was one Of the man
ayers Of the Wilson campaign in
1912 and was selected to be secre-
tary OF the treasury because OF his
ability shown in large business en-
terprises. He had already helped
in the drafting of the present fed
eral reserve act and made a record
as secretary Of the treasurey when
he married the presidents daugh-
ter. This, therefore, the friends Of
Mr.. McAdoo assert, was an incident
in his career which has nothing to
do with his political status They
contend that as q member of the
cabinet he frequently, argued with
the president and openly expressed
his differing opinions. But their
main faith is that no man ever suf-
fered in politics from attack based
on personal grounds that were in
herently unobjectionable Their
candidate will be accepted or re-
jected at San Francisco on other
counts.
/ 1t is interesting in talking to
some Of these McAdoo supporters
and some of them have high official
positions in the governmental
=. find how easily they seem to elm
mate all the other candidates for
the Democratic nomination. Mr..
Hoover. they insist. has eliminated
| himself by expressing innocence Of
any party affiliation. and to get a
Democratic nomination an individ-
ual 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 Governor Cox. the McAdoO
people think he is unfortunately on
the wrong side of the prohibition
question and will not be a strong
contender. Senator Pomerene of
Ohio has already withdrawn from
the race Mr.. Bryan, say the Nc
Adoo disciples. doesn't really want
| the nomination for himself. but
wants to have the pleasure Of dom
mating the convention. The big
question is whether or not Mr.. Bry-
an will be delegate. Nebraska in
all probability will settle that in
the negative very soon.
Palmer Next in Order.
Admittedly. Mitchell Palmer is
the most powerful opponent of Will
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