The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-01


clos analyzing the political situation e
Throughout the country based upon q 4
personal visit by the writer to most OF h
the states from coast to coast during t
the last two months.) j
WASHINGTON. Nov. Just why le
The Democrats viii lose the presidency
may be hard for the staunch advocates OF |
the league of nations to understand. but
anyone who got beneath the veneer of po-
litical oratory and propaganda Of either
party in this campaign and mingled with
folks everywhere must have learned that
after watching the wearisome debate IN
the United States senate for more than a
wear the country bestirred itself only with
difficulty in the last few weeks of the
campaign on the league issue. For the
experiment of a referendum on the league
of nations question as Il controlling intu- |
ence with the voter has worked only IN |
spots. The result in a few states viii be |
Attributable 10 feeling for or against the /
league. but not many electoral votes will |
have been cast on account of the league. |
Massachusetts. with its large number of
.dpfectionS of Irish Democrats would have
been Republican for other reasons. New
York may be ClaSSed in the same category,
and similarly New Jersey. As for the
I
and Italian votes. these are not so much
Che effect OF the league issue as the whole
Wilson foreign policy IN Europe. The
groups of foreign-born did take an inter
est in foreign questions. But the Amerl-
can people as Il whole have too recently
| been plunged into the maelStrOm of world
| politics to give preference to international
affair; over home issues.
1t has been found difficult in this cam
paign to interest the average farmer, who
J IL, FE,11 AArq -
| wheat. in the merits of article 10. 1t Is
difficult to interest the business man in the
! possibilities of foreign trade under the
/ league of nations when he Is worrying
| about the excuses Of the excess profits tax
at home. 1t is difficult to explain the i'm
Dortant relationship between stabilized
Europe and expanded markets for Ameri-
can goods instead of turbulent Europe
and cancelled orders because of lack of
Icreditl when in the background of so
many minds is the impression created by
the constant hammering of the Republ-
can party against the Wilson cabinet for
its alleged lack of interest in domestic
reconstruction since the armistice.
| The desire for u change of personnel at
| Washington was the dominant issue in
this campaign. 1t did not even extend
tc q clear understanding of q change of
policies The Republicans offered very
few constructive suggestions and We're
content to center attention on the weak
ncsses of the incumbent party. The
Democrats also INDUCED in a destructive
campaign or stayed on the defensive. Mel
Their party clearly outlined reconStruc
ition policy. The Democrats are being
turned out of power for failing to put into
effect a change in cabinet after the wal
ENDED and fer failing to preserve enough
of the wal machinery to effect transi
ltion during the reconstruction periot
without letting the cost of living e
higher than it was during the war itself
The Republicans are not being brough
into power because they are considered
Inherently better than the Democrats
Though among partisan Republicans it i
Insisted that the vote is for a bette
lgroup of administrators inside the Repub
lican party than the Democratic part
could afford 1t is for the moment vot
against the Democratic administration.
The writer's conclusion after man
weeks of study from an Independent
viewpoint is that not so much Is expecte
from Senator Harding as from the i
men with whom he will surround himse
in the cabinet. 1t is a negative mandate
verdict against the party that has bee
in power and not an affirmative expires
sion for anything else except possibly Il
- hope that the Republican administrator
- will profit by the punishment and prote:
G against the Democrats.
hI OF course it is none of the writer
\ business to say whether the impression
Al Democratic ineffciency which has been
assiduously spread by the Republican
is a just one. Anyone who was
4 Washington during the war knows no
4 difficult it was for any administration
4 do the Job that was done, how many we
4 the inevitable irritatiOns and restriction
and how unfortunate it is that the Dem
Gratis didn't have four years of peace
\ which to work out their ideas of progre
sive government without having the
legislative program interfered with nj
by war and then by Republican sena
and house in the last two years.
But the country doesn't accept excuS
and looks coldly at the results. T
Democrats say they could have done not
4 ing on reconstruction policy during t
last two years because the Republic
n senate and house blocked everything, b
the real truth of the matter probably
N that the breakdown in President Wilson
\ health left the Democrats without
leader and that with the mind of
Wilson occupied with the treaty even
@Sl fore his physical collapse the Repubhca
managed to carry on continuous Off
sive through their spekaers IN the hol
n and senate. That IS what IS winning
m election. 1t is the writer's firm belief Il
the Republicans could have won the pre-
dency this time without any organizat
or Headquarters. The die was cast wi
the nominations were made. The nat
has been set for change for a long til
Governor COX hnsel mas Deeh an
cidental figure in the whole thing. Ma
Lpeople believe him better administra
than Senator Harding. but will not v
for him because of their party feeli
Moreover. the Democratic campaign
been unfortunately handled by Cover
Cox himself. He should have insis
lupon the retention of Homer Cummil
as national chairman because the lat
did have some semblance of an Organi
ton ready for action the day after
San Francisco convention and e
though Cummings himself might not hi
been in active charge the effect of der
ing him was serious blow at the NOR
of the whole Democratic party. 1t t.
weeks of precious time to get many Y
son Democrats back into line.
81 Moreover, although hindsight is bet
m than foresight many Democrats adj
that Governor Cox's talk about sl
- fund and efforts to buy the president