The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-25
By HUGH ". ROBERTS

By HUGH ". ROBERTS
 Washington, September 24.-(Spe- cial. )--That the national situation from a democratic standpoint looks dubious is attributed by national leaders of the party to two main causes:
 CD The party as party has not yet got into the fight.
 (2). The tireless efforts of republican newspaper correspondents in creating a "defeatist''s atmosphere in democratic communities.
 That the outlook will begin to show improvement about October l and that the situation as 1t is today will be com pletely overturned within the last three weeks of the campaign. democratic lead CTS seem to be assured.
 While the very fearless fight of Gov ernor Cox, fight conducted single handed and alone, has served to main tain democratic morale there is little question but that to a great extent pessnlsm has prevailed.
 The republican newspapers have not played fair-not only in the west during the recent visit of Governor Cox, but in the east also. The democratic national committee, on account of fund short ages, has been unable to counteract republican publicity. As consequence, in many sections of the country count less thousands of people have little knowledge of what is actually occur ring, and what the real issues of the campaign are
 Democratic pessimism, in the rank and file. is not only due to the present indication of Harding victory in No- vember, but to the fact that the demo- cratic machinery does not take adyan- tage of an estionably splendid op- portunity to carry The day
 It comes very straight to Washington newspaper correspondents direct from those in charge of the democratic cam paign that there is no real reason for democrats to despair. National leaders do not despair On the contrary, they are rejoiced that the outlook is very, very much improved.
 That there will be sufficient funds by October 1 to guarantee the conduct of the campaign is understood to be true. There will be no such sum as the re- publicans possess. But, coming direct from the people in the form of small checks, it will serve the purpose.
 Democratic speakers will be sent abroad beginning october l, and there will be change in the programme President Wilson will handle the league issue. while Governor Cox will talk to the people on subjects which are nearer to their hearts, and vastly more easy to be understood.
 President Wilson, it is indicated. hay the fight. He initiated his efforts by subscription of $500. and it is learned that 8 great many other democrats, who had not contributed. hastened to emu late his example. And then the Presl- dent, speaking through Secretary Yum ulty. destroyed by republican witnesses the contention of Senator Harding that a man could not support the constitu- tlon of the United States and the cove nant of the League of Nations at the same time. partisan admission is to the effect that the President made Harding appear in a rather ridiculous situation. So well does the President understand the subject, and so anxious is he that he have opportunity broadly to discuss 1t, that it will soon be re- vealed as part offdemocratic strategy that the league. as an issue, will be put in charge of the chief executive. Very much has been said by repub- licans in criticism of Wilson and ."Wil- sonism." But no one denies the hold that the President has on the imagina ton of the people. And anything ema- mating from the White House is assured of publication in every daily newspa- per of the United States, even in those which did not hesitate to treat with more or less contempt-whfch took the form of omission--Governo Cox, who is merely candidate
 And with President Wilson handling g the league topic, Governor Cox vii have opportunity to discuss other topics He wants to talk about the cost of liv. ing. He wants to assail the republican Congress which ignored Wilson's re- lpeated pleas that it do something to al. 1eviAte the burden under which the peo' pie of the country were-and are l eroaning.
 1 covfnor Cox is very anxious to driv.
 home the fact that the republicans
 when first contemplating adjournment were ordered back into harness b,
 President Wilson. who mildly inter
 posed objection on the ground that thu Congress had acted on no one of hi.
 suggestions for the relief of the people
 The republicans were afraid to adjourr I in the face of the President's rebuke Governor Cox is very anxious to cal the attention of the people to the fact