The Washington times., 1920-01-30
.INDEPENDENTSTO
DECIDE 1920 RACE
Expert Finds Nations Sentiment
Is Turning Against Methods
OF Both Old Parties.
By WuLIAM PHILIP SIMNS.
International News Service

The November election will depend
entirely upon the independent vote,
and. despite anything professional
Republicans and Democrats say to
the contrary. the independent"
now hold the balance OF power as
they never held it before, and will
positively elect the next President
OF the United States.
This statement was the outstanding
feature Of the report made here TO-
day by a nationally acquainted Dem
ocrat from New York, following q
special tour OF investigation which
carried him through several OF the
doubtful States. into three OF the four
great sections Of the country and
threw him into close contact with all
conditions Of people.
Sounds Nations Feelings.
The findings Of this political ex-
pert are deemed important not only
because they are based upon a wide
experience In national politics dating
back to 1896. but because they are
merely tho report of conditions as he
found them. not necessarily as he
would have them be. His object was
to set the feeling" OF the country.
not to prove partisan contentious.
Before starting on this trip" he
said. II had noted evidence of q cer-
tain Independent ground-swen. but
| had not been prepared for what
was actually to run up against
IT found the people of this country
standing on their hind legs and paw
ing. They know what they want and
they want IL. Furthermore. they
know how to get II and they are SO
ing to have 1T
Never in my life have I seen such
big percentage OF Democrats and
Republicans talking alike. openly
proclaiming their intention for some
man with q program and not for the
mere nominee of some party.
II do not think this necessarily
means an Independent or third party
candidate" tho Investigator con-
ttnusd. though such q candidate. and
q winning ono At that, is not the i'm
possibility the regulars Of both the
big parties would have you believe.
1T does mean that the old days Of
strict party lines are gone. probably
forever: that the peoples votes can
no longer be delivered en- bloc, and
that this year. particularly. neither
Republicans nor Democrats can eject
laOtT Cduoluot0 ~itHOuI tnS buppCTt
Of the intelligent. independent vote.
Leader. Need Foresight
Tho successful party will be the
party whose leaders have tho gump-
ton and foresight to recognize this
fact and act accordingly. II either
Of the old parties puts up . machine
made or hand-picked candidate, that
party might as well dust OF the
vraA ~y.h %,
members will surely need It
IF both Democrats and Republi-
cans make the same mistake. and both
put forward such a nominee, then
both will be beaten. ] am confident
that there would be a spontaneous.
popular demand for a real. honest-to-
godness man: that such . man could
and would be found. and that the in
dependent vote would put him across.
Tho ratio. ] believe, would be about
forty-nve votes for the independent
to twenty-five for the Republican can
didate. twenty-five for the Democratic
nominee, and hve scattering.
IF the reactionaries Of the old
parties gain control, and try to put
one Of their own stamp across on the
public, they are in for a sad awaken
ing, unless the present unmistakable
mood of the mass Of the people under
goes a sudden and decided change.
Want . Real Man.
Folks everywhere are demanding
. real man who has done something.
. business man, and an administrator.
'doer' OF things. And the, party
that chooses such a man as it's stand
ard bearer this year will win"
who are some of the men most
talked about In this connection" the
political pulse-feeler was asked.
II found Herbert Hoover was being
discussed by the public generally per.
haps more than any other one man."
he replied, which fact I take to be
true sign of the times. Hoover, they
know. got away with a big Job In
creditable style, and folks are for
him because he appeals to them as
'doer,' an administrator Of proved
ability. Many seem to think he could
administer the business of the United
States in the same way. They don't
seem to know or care what his poll
tics Is
General Wood. among the Republic
can candidates, is being talked OF In
certain sections, / find, not for what
he has done as a soldier, but as an
administrator and organiser.
Former President william II. TAFT
is mentioned much more often in the
Middle West than I imagined would
be the case, because he had never
been generally considered as posi-
bility in the East, where 1 had been.
Psychologically. this was one OF the
most Interesting things I ran into,
this TAFT talk, for the reason that