Americus times-recorder., 1920-06-27
OWEN BOOSTED
BYPARTY'SNEED
OFPROCRESSIVE
Situation Brings his Can
didacy to Front, Says
Gardner
By gibson GARDNER


The need for a progressive Demo-
cratic candidate to run against Har-
ding has given a reality to the for
merly rather shadowy candidacy of
Robert L. Owen, of Oklahoma.
AS it happens, Owen is one of the
few who can qualify under this
head Owen has, for ten years, been
the head of the popular government
league, an organization which pushes
the initiative, referendum and recall
and similar measures. He has spent
small fortune financing this move
ment
He made the historic fight against
Taft for progressive constitution
for Arizona when that State was ad-
mitted into the Union.
He fathered the federal reserve
act, passed in the first year of Pres
ident Wilson's administration, and
has made continuous fight ever
since to keep the reserve board free
from Wall street control. He is the
author of book on the federal re-
serve act.
Whenever there has been a group
of progressives in the senate Owen
has voted with this group regardless
of party lines. He has always been
for woman's suffrage, prohibition,
popular election of senators, the
eight-hour day, collective bargaining,
minimum wage, workmen's compen-
sation and the conservation of public
resources.
He has urged gateway amend
ment" to the United States Consti-
tuition and has declared for imme-
diate amnesty for political prisoners.
Probably no other candidate whose
name is before the Democratic dele
gates can show so consistently pro-
gressive a record.
Owen will have Bryan's support.
In this respect he has an advantage
over Governor James M: Cox, of
Ohio, who is rival progressive can
didate, but, opposed by Bryan be-
cause he is "wet."
The Owen candidacy has opened
headquarters at the st. Francis and
Owen is on the ground. Incidental
ly he is the only candidate in charge
of his own campaign.
What might be called an insurgent
progressive fight is already on.
Strange as it may sound this is
directed chiefly against McAdoo. The
Bryant -CoX-Owen people are all
agreed on one thing and that is that
McAdoo is still the leading candidate.
His statement, they say, has not tax
en- him out of the running and was
not intended to do so.
AS an avowed candidate, they say,
McAdoo would make no headway !;
but as the reluctant but patriotic
citizen who expects to be ''conscript-
ed'' into the service of his party and
country he is looming rival.
AS an avowed candidate, McAdoo
could not expect the administration
support. The "son-in-law" and the
crown prince" stuff would soon put
avowed and unwilling soldier of the
common good he might get by.
So say the insurgents.
And there is reason in what they
say, too
Much of the strength of tae ad-
ministration is being held together
around Mitchell Palmer's candidacy.
That is the purpose of the Palmer
candidacy. With his record, Palmer
would be eligible for manager of
Harding's campaign but not for the
presidential Office.
1t is expected that when the con-
vention has got itself into hard
knot and the bosses are looking for
knife to cut the knot, the Palmer
following will be swung to McAdoo
"a following with the outside Nc
Adoo support sufficient to put him
over.
Such they say is the strategy of the
Democratic leaders.
Just what attitude Bryan will take
toward the McAdoo candidacy has
not yet been developed.
Bryan served with McAdoo in the
cabinet and, so long as McAdoo is
not an avowed candidate Bryan
would hesitate TO attack him. He
may, indeed, be for him; but this is
not probable.
The insurgent progressive program
then is in brief: first, see that Nc
Adoo is in fact not a candidate, and
then boost for some progressive of
the Owen type.
T,,~I~a Laaro PoA~seI