Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-08
CHOICE Of RUNNING
MATE: FOR COX IS
NO MINOR EVENT
i'RooseveIt" Would Be Mag
ic Name With Some Vot-
Selection Made to
Suit Eastern Campaign
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

By DAVID LA w SS6NSG
Copyright, 1920, for The Atlanta Journal,
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, July T.
Picking a vice-president ordinarily is
about as interesting as inaugurating
one. He isfindistinct in the picture.
But the selection of Franklin d.
Roosevelt, assistant secretary of the
navy, to go along with Governor Cox
on the Democratic ticket, was an
episode in national politics of no
minor Importance.
Under the rostrum where nominal
ing speeches were being made for
half dozen vice presidential aspirants,
Charles Murphy, of Tammany hall;
George Bremen, of Illinois, who is
the successor of the late Roger Sui
Ivan; Jim Nugent, Of New Jersey;
Fred Lynch, of Minnesota; Wilbur
Marsh, of Iowa; Norman Mack, of
New York and Ed Moore, the cam
paign manager of Governor Cox,
gathered for conference and in full
sight Of Unlocking correspondents
held an informal debate on the
merits of Edward Meredith, of Iowa,
secretary of agriculture; Victor Muir
dock, of Kansas, member of the fed
eral trade commission and bull moos-
er Of 1912, and cambridge Colby, sec
rotary Of state and also a Roosevelt
progressive.
Governor Cox wisely left the choice
to the managers here. Mr.. Hearst
would have liked to see Colby named
and there was some thought that the
support of the Hearst newspapers
would be easily assured If Colby were
chosen. But while Tammany favored
Colby and gave indication of burying
the Ratchet with Hearst in the COM
Ing effort to re-elect Al Smith gov
ernor of New York, the leaders ar
gued with Murphy that Rooseyelt's
name would be worth more votes
TO the ticket and that his selection
would please the McAdoo forces
which had been led by Roosevelt.
Met Issue Figures
The western men-Meredith and
Mufdock-were, eliminated when it
was decided that on account of Cox,s
wet leahingst the campaign had bet
ter be Waged in the east Roosevelt
II was contended, would give assurL
ance to westerners that the ticket
was progressive. Furthermore. it was
suggested that he was popular with
navy men. Of course Roosevelt.s
anu alnmany record in New York
state will help get independent Dem
ocfatic votes for the ticket.
IL IS an interesting sidelfght that
many here venture the opinion that
the name Of Roosevelt would annea1
10 those voters who may not exactly
confuse Franklin D. Roosevelt with
Theodore Roosevelt, but who would
consider that all Roosevelts must
be worth while folks. AS a matter
OF fact, the vice presidential candi-
GATE whom the Democrats have
named is second cousin to the late
Colonel Roosevelt. It is a coinci-
dence that the colonel started in as
an assistant secretary of the navy
too and resigned that job to go into
the war after which he entered pol
ltlcs on large scale as governor
OF New York. The name of Frank
lin d. Roosevelt has often been sue
gested for governor Of New York and
the Independent Democrats were this
year thinking of naming him for the
United States senate to oppose Wads-
worth.
Franklin Roosevelt is popular with
the newspaper men in WASHINGTON,
who knew him throughout the war
as the man who was continuously
urging a@naval offensive. There has
been some talk that Roosevelt didn't
agree with Josephus Daniels in the
management of the navy department.
but all thoughts of discord were
swept out of consideration by the
fulsome speech made by Secretary
Daniels for Franklin Roosevelt after
the latter had been named by ac-
clamation as the vice presidential
candidate OF the party.
Roosevelt Helps Ticket
One after another the vice presf-
Dental aspirants withdrew from the
race as soon as the conference under
the stage of the auditorium was over.
All the leaders and bosses agreed
that the ticket would be helped i'm
mediately by the addition Of Roose-
welt and though some observers note
confession of weakness in the dis
cussion about a western candidate,
the decision to fight it out in the
east is bold one. The leaders ask
ed what vice presidential candidate
could carry western states that Cox
| himself couldn't carry and few SEEM
ed to think the addition of Murdoch
or Meredith would contribute as
much AS would be gained by the po-
litical advertising already given the
name Roosevelt and the known exec
utive ability and independence in pol
! itics of Franklin Roosevelt.
The vice presidential choice help
I ed to tighten the disappointment of
the McAdoo group from the east.
| though the westerners shook their
heads and shrugged their shoulders
as they faced the prospect of cam
paigning for a man who had won
his nomination through the support
of wet states. But the eastern de-
mocracy confidently smiled and said
that the election would be won or
| lost in the east anyway.
| 1t is too soon to say which view
point is more logical, but the lead
ers will probably find on consulting
| Governor Cox that he will wisely
decide to make as vigorous "a fight
| in the west and far west as he must
make in the east
Dry Measure Opposed
q