Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-10
PARSONS REVOLT
HELD AID TO cox
New York Democrats Said to
Hail 1t as Turning Point
of Campaign.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

| NEW YORK. October 9-Republi-
cans and democrats who have been
|, predicting that Senator Harding
would win the election unless some
thing happened in October" are won
+, dering if the revolt started by Her
bert Parsons, influential republican
|! leader here. against Harding can pos
4 sibly be that Something"
The democrats in 1912 won by a
Il division in the ranks of the republican
i party. They succeeded in 1916 again
Il because they retained the support of
!! the progressive elements that had
! broken away in 1912. The big question
lQday is whether the republican party
| Will divide definitely into pro league
OF nations and anti-league factions.
Announcement Il Sensation.
The announcement by Herbert Par
sons that ne must resign as a member
| OF the republican county cofnmitte e
and support Gov. Cox has produced al
| most as much as a sensation as if
former President Taft or EIihu Root
or former Attorney General Wicker
Sham had Withdrawn support from
| Harding.
The republicanism of Herbert Par
sons was unquestioned. But he took
part IN the war as a lieutenant col
ohei. and he is so affected by the
! death and obstruction he saw in F.u-
D., rope That he cannot recognize domes-
I tic or local issues as transcendinp
that OF the league of nations.
Discusses Issue.
The issue" says Mr. Parsons in
ms letter of resignation. lis not be-
tween the league as Wilson brought
~ and the league with reservations
! Inc situation in the Senate is such
that the treaty cannot be ratified in
no in, l., til,
| 1t. There will be reserva tions such as
VIII relieve America of obligations
| even moral, under article " and will
render Congress wholly free to de-
| clare war or not in any given case
The issue to the American voter is
between going into the league with
reservations and not going in at al
Harding is and will be for not going
! in at all"
| Democrats Stimulated.
/, The effect of Mr. Parsons bolt has
| been to stimulate the democrats to
further effort and to dismay the re-
publlcans, many of whom in their
hearts are absolutely in sympathy
with Herbert Parsons. and disappoint-
eo at the Des Moines speech of Sen
| ator Harding, in which he definitely
abandoned the present league of ma
tons with or without reservations or
interpretations or any obligations
whatsoever, and declared for a new
association.
Here in New York. where the i'm
portance of the existing league. with
It's membership of thirty-eight ma
tons, is recognized by many repub-
1can business men as having a vital
relationship to the sterilization of
world economic conditions and the
prosperity of this country, the action
| of Herbert Parsons will make votes
| for Cox.
| Republicans disappointed.
| There is disappointment among re-
publlcans that Senator Harding sur
| rendered to Senators Borah and John
+, son and threw overheard Senator
Lodge and former Senator Root. Had
Mr.. Harding come out for the present
| league with the Lodge reservations
| as he voted a year ago he would have
preserved party harmony. His al
| lance with the Borah-Johnson wing
of the party has disconnected repub-
licans. The democrats are cocksure
the psychological turning point in the
! campaign has come, and that the
apathy of the country will be con-
verified into a big moral crusade such
as swept the nation in 1916 and
caught the woman's vote.
| Copyright, 192O)