The Washington herald., 1920-11-11
new CHAIRMAN
TO BE CHOSEN ]
DEMOCRATS
White Expected to Retire
First Of Year. and Woolley
May Succeed.
ORGANIZER IS NEEDED
Party Of Future Likely to Be
Devoid Of Wisconsin and
League Issue.

Real progress was made yester-
day in the movement to reorganize
the Democratic party in the hope
of making 1t a decisive factor in
the next Congressional election, 1t
was announced after a series Of
informal conferences by a number
of prominent party leaders.
First of all, it was authoritativeIy
stated that George White, present
National Chairman. intends to retire
about the first of the year in order
to devote himself to his extensive
oil interests.
Those in the conference discussed
the question of Whites successor.
Robert w. woolley, whose term as
Interstate. Commerce Commissioner
ends January /, was talked of and
it is said the craftsmanship win in
all probability be offered to him.
woolley handled all the publicity
in the Wilson campaign of 1916.
Wants to BE Relieved.
Ordinarily. White would hold the
chairmanship for four years anc
there appears to be no disposition
on the part of any of the leaders to
disturb him IL he cares to hold on
for that length of time. But he
has told his friends that he would
like to be relieved as soon as the
committees affairs are settled up
and all the accounts of the late cam
paign adjusted.
Those who took parti in the con-
ferences yesterday declared that the
first need Of the party is an expe-
his time to the task of building up
a strong party organization in ev-
cry State and in smoothing out the
factional differences which tend to
destroy party solidarity. They be-
lieve woolley would be Just the
man for this job.
Another important announcement
from the informal gathering is that
the leaders have determined to look
lfor new issues truly Democratic
and vigorously progressive. One of
the conferees said on this point:
There is no use talking about
the league of nations as a party
issue in the 1922 campaign. II the
party hopes to win 1t will have to
get an issue which is closer to the
people. The leagues question un-
doubtedly will be settled by the
Republicans in Congress long be-
fore the 1922 election Is held. and
even II 1t were not. the party must
| discard such policies and devote
itself to domestic questions, which
are closer to the people.
Progressivism Essential.
"If the party is to recover its
| lost prestige It will have to become
once more the party of progress
sivism and the party of true DEM
| ocracy. We will never get any
where by running wild on interna-
tional and visionary policies"
This last statement sounds as II
| some of the Organizers" have in
mind a complete reputation of all
the Wilson policies to which the
party organization was obliged to
adhere in the late campaign. All Of
| the conferees were silent on this
| point.
Thomas B. Love, national COM
mitteeman from Texas: Edmund II
Moore, of Ohio, who managed the
fight for Gov. Cox: T. B. Dockweiler
I national committeeman from Cali
! fornia; George Brennan, successor
of Roger Sullivan in Illinois, and Jo-
! seph w. Folk, former governor of
Missouri. were present yesteray.
1t was decided to hold another
meeting here within a few days at
which time 1t is believed further
plans for the reorganization may be
decided upon. Gov. Cox will be here
December IL to address the Gridirou
Club dinner.