The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-09
DEMOCRATS BUOYED BY NEW HOPES AS CANVASS WEARS END
Have Entered With EnthuSi- asm Upon Task of Turning Entire Situation
 Upside Down
By HUGH W. ROBERTS washington Bureau The Age Herald
 son Davidson Rniidihl

B. HUH W.
 Washington Bureau The Ass-Herald
 500 Davidson Buiidihs
 Washington. October S.--tspc-
 ciaI. .1--The dersocratic management
 has entered eagerly and optimistic
 ally upon n programme of "turn-
 ing thc world upside down. before
 November 2.
 With singular unnnimity. Wash
 ington political experts agree;
 CD That to win. democrats must
 complete the programme.
 t2D rhnt it is entirely possible
 for them to do that very thing.
 From the incipiency of the fight up to October l. the republicans held distinct advantage. This was the re- suit of the operation of the magnificent machine of men and money which moved without friction and with all most incredible celerity. Governor Cox was in the attitude of fighting with bared-fist Senator Harding armed with brass knucks.
 On October 1, however, the democrat ic leader was reinforced Democrats. who before that time, had slept or sulked, became aroused. The President got into the fight. and the office e-hold ing class understood that tho activity of the chief executive was the signal for them to display some spirit The democratic eoffers, which previously had resembled the cupboard of the lady with the dog, began to present re spectacle appearance. And now, there is real hope where before there was more or less despair.
 CAUSE OF CHANGE
 The change which already has come over the situation is not due entirely to the fact that democrats have be- stirred themselves and appreciable money has become available. There is little question but that the country is aware that the democrats have bet ter candidate and a better cause than the republicans. Senator Hardings positive refusal to take a position re- specting, any issue, his muititudinous attitudos regarding the League of Ma lions. his pitiable inability to parry the thrusts of hecklers as demonstrated in his Baltimore speech, have caused all but reactionary republicans cf the Penrose Lodge school to shake their heads in dismay His following re- spectingfthe League of Nations, is shot to pieces The average republican does not know whether Lodge. who vii take anything in order to win, Taft who wants league, or Johnson who wants no league, Is correct In the midst of the chaos. Harding will say nothing save tho stuff tht riddles are made of. and a great mass of repubii- cans are confused as to whether Hard ing is treating them with contempt or whether he is in fact a puppet h the hands of abier politicians.
 This weakness on the part of Hard ire has caused republicans to recall with melancholy results the aggressive 1eaderhip of Roosevelt and to conclude that Cox more nearly approximates their dead chieftain than the man who would succeed bin. Certain leading progressives as heretofore reported in this correspondence, have concluded that Harding is anti Ro oosevelt and en- tireIv reactionary. and have assumed nosftions of more or less authority in aemoeratic councils! And the Irish. who in the beginning. beguiied by the Hearst newspapers into believing that president Wilson was nothing more than an agent of Great Britain, rallied around the Harding banner. are return ing to the democratic fold. COX. In hts direct way, has promised to present the Irish cause to the League or Na- tions. and Harding, in his indirect man. ner. has in effect washed his hands or the entire situation.