The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-10-16

I for the democratic nomination lost hui
by the narrow margin OF seventy-nins
votes. But the man who won, a justice
OF the supreme court or the state, Tully
Scott. has been considered AZ leaning
toward the radicals in many OF his judi
cial decisions and in his attitude gem
| EARLY. The consequence IA that many
conservative democrats are disposed 10
withdraw support from him.
Senator Thomas TO Run.
This tendency has been increased by
n development OF the last few days. The
present democratic senator. Charles s..
Thomas, had determined 10 retire TO
private life. and had formally refused
to be candidate in the democratic
primaries. Since the result OF those
primaries. however, he has determined
TO run Independently and has come out
on platform which opposes the League
OF nations, giving among other reasons
that the league commits the United
States 10 direct participation in the
political religious, racial. and geo.
graphical differences and controversies
present and future, between nations.
races. and crccds the world over"
This cmcrEeuce ~ senator Thomas Is
naturally disturbing TO tho democrats.
and is one OF the things that tends to
make democratic success on the presl-
dental ticket unlikely. In fact, some
of the Colorado democrats have appealed
to Cox 10 rcpudiAte Thomas, but Cox
has so far refused, Thomas Is univer-
sally recognized MS an able man. with a
free and Independent mind, and his can
didacy undoubtedly viii commend Itself
strongly to his state.
But this In not the end OF the com
pllcations The result of the republic
can primaries for senator was almost ms
close ms tine democratic primaries. A
wealthy mining man. Samuel Nicholson,
won by less than 400 votes. This left
some dsaifcetion in the republican
ranks, and an effort was made TO run
another republican, Waterman, on an IN
dependent ticket. Waterman toyed with
the situation for n while, but has now
finally decided not 10 run.
TO attempt to predict what win come
out of all these complications would be
vain. As ono democratic. congressman
expressed Il to me. THIS years cam
paign Is the worst muddled mix -up we
have ever had In Colorado The one
clear and conspicuous fact is the emor-
gence OF the nonpartisan league.
League Worked Effectively.
Colorado democrats speak OF the
league as having Stolen" tho demo-
that many OF us tend to use when
some one else has been little
shrewder. The truth In al that the
nonpartisan league did was wholly ac-
cordinR to law. and was just what any
group OF voters had n right 20 do and
could do provided they acted COM
pactly under capable leadership. They
merely dld II In such a quiet and ef-
fective way that the politicians OF tho
older parties did not wake up until It
was too late.
The total membership of the nom
partisan league nj Colorado Is only
about 10000, but what they may lack
In numbers they make up in compact
ness and unity. Each member pays
fee OF S1S TO the organization. and
they act under strongly disciplined
leadership and unity in something OF
the spirit OF n fratornal society Their
program, except for one or two pnrtc-
ulars, cannot be considered wildly radl-
cal. II calls, among other things. for
state insurance against hail state
packing plants, state cold storage ware
houses for farm produce. rural credit
cmption OF farm improvements from
taxation. and state operation and dis
tributon of water power.
The more radical parts OF their pro-
gram call for the state operation of
coal mines, which are alrcndy owned
by the state on its school lands md
for state smeters, sugar mills, flour
mills, ana terminal elevators.
Spontaneous Movement,
The nonpartiaan league may pos
incidentally is the one factor In west
crn politics this year which has tho
vitality OF something spontaneous and
indigenous. Tho nonpartlsan league 's
n dominant factor In three northwest