The Washington herald., 1920-11-07
COUNTRY TIRED
OF DEMOCRATS,
WRITER INSISTS.
G. O. P. Landslide Removes
AllDoubt, Says Rob
ert I. Barry.
WISCONSIN CASE CITED!
Democratic Candidate With
LaFoflette Opposed, Loses
While Lenroot Wins.
WISCONSIN CASE CITED
IBy ROBERT T. BARRY.


stocktaking by political leaders
following the general elections Of
Tuesday has proceeded to the point
where conclusions more inclusive
and more positive than those Of the
morning after have removed any
and all doubt as to the primary
causes of the unprecedented Repub-
lican landslide.
America elected Republican candi-
dates from President to constable
because America had determined to
Danish from power-legislative, eN-
ecutive and judicial-the Democratic
party. Wisconsin revealed the true
story in its most forceful light.
Robert B. Mccoy, Democratic guber-
Material nominee, had the support OF
the anti-LaFollette forces. Senator
Irvine L. Lenroot. Republican Sem
atorial candidate, was backed by the
same elements. The difference was
not so obvious before election, as
now. Mccoy had a Democratic
nomination: Lenroot a Republican;
vet both stood in precisely the same
favorable light with the bipartisan
group that wanted to reject LaFol-
lette. Lenroot won: Mccoy lost.
Voted for Republicans.
The people simply voted for Re-
publican candidates.
The Democratic label was disas-
trous to Mccoy. There is every rea-
son to believe that had Lenroot lost
the primary fight to LaFollette
man, James Thompson. and been
forced to run as an independent, he
could not have won. There is equal
cause to believe that with party
labels reversed, Mccoy and John J.
Elaine. with their own persoDali-
ties and own party principles and
factions. could have finished differ
nently in the contest. 1t was con-
test not of men but parties.
The Wisconsin result tells abou,
all there is to tell of the Tuesday
election. 1t was the same in nearly
every other State. Gov. Al Smith
was a notable exception. He per-
formed a political miracle, but even
his popularity with almost 100000
Republican voters could not over
come the sentiment that voted the
straight Republican ticket in the
Empire state. e.
Get at Rockbottom Facts
To men who strip the verbal brush
from the story of the election, ALI OF
the pretense by high priests of this
class vote or that appears in no 9TH
er light than feeble attempt to alibi
and to maintain a hold upon specia,
groups. The Socialists party lead
ers. Samuel Gompers. the Anti-Sa-
Icon League. the railroad brother
hoods, who strive to have il appear
that their particular activities were
controlling factors in Tuesdays re-
suits do not impress nor mislead the
men whose business 1t is to get at
The rockbottom fact of politics in the
United States. Nor is any greater
faith placed in the effort of the ir-
reconcilable opponents of the cove
Eant of the league of nations to have
the Harding victory resemble an i'm
pressive condemnation of the prin-
ciple of the league. Except for the
comparatively few defections by
persons who developed arbitrary
views on the league, IL is the firm
conviction of party leaders, that in
the popular will to have a change
of administration, Harding, as the
G. o. p. nominee. would have won as
an ardent champion of the league, as
reservationist, a modificationist, a
rejectionist or what-not.
Proceeding from their all but uni
versal agreement as to the causes OF
the avalanche of votes for Harding,
political observers next turn to dis
cussion of what the effect will be.
They come to several conclusions of
vital Importance to the future OF
American politics.
Calls Party Class Group.
The Democratic party showed it.
self to be little else than a class
group. a sectional organization, sus-
tanned by prejudice developed so
years ago and kept alive by politi-
clans to promote their own ends. As
party 1t was reduced to a thin shell
of an organization presuming to be
national and aspiring to administer
the Federal government. Its ad-
herents voted for a party label, and
proved themselves out of step with
the North, the East. the West The
breaks in Tennessee and Oklahoma
the Harding votes in Atlanta and
New Orleans-.the metropolitan cit
les Of the South-the Republican
congressman chosen from Texas, all
are taken here to indicate a politi.
cal awakening in Dixie, the conse-
quenees of which may mark a new
epoch in American politics within a
few years. 1t is safe to say that
Democrats in the North will direct
the reorganization of the party and
that the Solid South will come to
figure less and less in that at
tempted rebirth.
The efforts of various elements 10
create class groups and to thrive
uson such support is regarded as
having been checked so decisively
as to cause their sponsors to pause
and ponder. The statement was re-
pested until it became monotonous
in the Far West and the East that
the Socialists and the Farmer-Labor
ticket would poll a vote that would
shock the foundations of the two
old parties Those who made the
statement forget the Coolidge VIC
tory in Massachusetts, Just a year
ago OF else they doubted that the
rest of the nation was Just as de-
termined. to assert itself for con-
servatism- Gompers was unable 10
deliver the labor vote to the Dei7o-
cratic candidate. and the radicals
were unable to persuade the work
ers of America to follow Christen-
sen Such gains as Debs made in
cities like Philadelphia. New York
and Chicago were due in the main
to the effort of seudo-intelleetuals
to protest against the dominant par
-ties