Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-25
CAMPAIGN is ENDING
ABOUT AS 1T BEGAN
Real Issue Before the Country Is Not the
League Of Nations, but the Dis
mIssaI From Power Of the
Democratic Party

~
"A two notable events are scheduled. one in
/, Washington and the other in Philadelphia.
The mass meeting of Republican women
in the Academy Of Music tonight will be the
first of its kind ever held in Pennsylvania,
! so far as known. The women in charge Of
| it are aware that we have government by
| parties composed Of voters who are agreed
on general policy. While free lance voting
! has its merits. and it's defenders. It is fortu-
nate that the great mass of voters remain
! loyal to their party. They may be dissat-
isted with its management or with some Of
! its nominees, but as between their own party
| with which they may not be altogether sat
isfed and the opposition party with which
they are wholly dissatisfied. they choose their
own party. If they use the opposition party
at all it is temporarily for the punishment
| of their own leaders who have betrayed them.
| Then they return to their original allegiance
The women who have aligned themselves
| with the Republican party here have quickly
| mastered the rudments of political action
| They did not postpone interesting themselves
| in public questions until they got the vote,
| so they are now prepared to use it with in
| tclligence. Every appeal for them to remain
''nonpartisan' has fallen on deaf ears.
| They wish to have some effective say in
| politics, and they know that they cannot do
| this If they remain on the sidelines shout
| ing maledictons on both contestants or
merely watching the course of the contest.
1t may be entertaining and exciting to be
a dog and bay the moon. but the moon
never was disturbed in the least by the most
musical baying ever launched into space
against it. The women tonight will talk to
some purpose. for they will address them
selves to the practical issues of the campaign.
Next Wednesday the President will meet
in Washington n delegation of ro-league
Republicans who have decided to vote for
Mr.. Cox. and it is understood that he will
address them on the league and probably
congratulate them on their Independence
| of character and on their patriotic wis
dom" in breaking away from their party.
What the President will say to them will
| be interesting. but it will not be important.
| 1t will be interesting because it will reveal
| the relation between his views on the league
| today and those which Mr. Cox has been
| expressing during the campaign. When he
has finished we shall know whether he is
pleased with the course of Mr.. Cox.
AS matters stand today. it is not very i'm
portant whether he is pleased or dispeascd
with Mr.. Cox All the forecasts made by
impartial observers indicate that Mr. Cox
will be defeated week from tomorrow, not
because of his attitude on the league but
because he is a Democrat The forecasts
may be wrong but it is not likely. Yet it
must be admitted by every one who does
| not wish to deceive himself that nothing is
certain in politics except that the majority
will win in an election. In spite of this
| uncertainty, the probabilities favor Mr..
Harding.
A. L. Lao.
| the contrary. the real issue before the coun-
try is whether we shall have a Republican
or a Democratic administration in Washing
ton for the next four years. This was the
issue when the nominating conventions were
| held, and nothing has happened in the inter-
vcning months TO change it.
The Democratic party has failed TO deliver
the goods. Its friends have been insisting
| that it prosecuted the war to a successful
| conclusion, and they have been doing their
best to create the impression that it was a
Democratic war. But the country knows
better. 1t is aware that during the progress
of the conflict the Republicans in both houses
| of Congress co operated most heartily and
sincerely with the Democratic majorties
there in passing all the laws needed. 1t was
| not until the autumn of 1918 when the war
| was nearly ended that the Democrats were
| rebukcd for insisting that they alone could be
| trusted to carry on the fight. The Prcsi-
| dents appeal for the election of a Demo
| cratic Congress. on the ground that only
| Democrats could be trusted to co operate
! with him, resulted in the election Of Re
| publican House and Republican Senate.
Within less than ten days after the election
the armistice was signed.
When it came to making peace under
| Democratic leadership there was miserable
| { ho- nt hpnn do for
the reason that the Democratic President has
refused to consent to n peace save on his
| own terms and he has had control over
enough of his own party to prevent the Sen
| ate from agreeing to the treaty Of peace in
any form dspleasng to him.
The only way to get peace and the only
way to solve the big problems Of the next
four years which has appealed to the coun-
try has seemed to be through the restoration
Of the Republican party to power. Whether
| it il more than seeming we shall know next
| week.
That there is widespread dissatisfaction
with the party in power in the White House
is notorious. The dissatisfaction exists
within the ranks of that party itself The
parading Of few disgrunted Republicans
| in Washington next Wednesday could easily
be offset by the parading of ten times as
| many disgruntled Democrats before Senator
Harding. The function is a mere stage play.
Governor Cox began his campaign with a
charge that the Republicans planned to buy
the presidency. Every sophisticated poll
tician knew at once what this meant It
was confession that the party represented
| by Mr. Cox was so weak that it was neces
sary to resort to the arts of the demagogue
to stir up hostility to the opposition. Every
| fl,at INN Dgqib 70
party to buy the presidency, for every one
knew that the American electorate is not for
sale. AS the campaign progressed the charge
has been dropped and we are hearing moth E
ing more Of it, and the statement Of expen-
ditures filed in Washington by the Repub-
lican national committee last week shows
that the estimate made by Chairman Hays
three months ago has not been exceeded.
The Democratic candidate has been chop