Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1920-06-17
CHANCES OF Democrats 8
BELIEVED TO BE GOOD

Republicans, In the opinion Of Dr.
T. s. kirkpatrick of Fort Mill. who
Is a close observer Of national politics.
Il was Just little disappointed" :"
said DR.. kirkpatrick. that the prom
ised row in the convention over the
League of Nations did not material
lie, for IL Johnson and Borah had
bolted. as they threatened to do. and
johnson had then announced himself
an Independent candidate for the
presidency, Ii would have helped our
party wonderfully, for these men, and
the other influential politicians who
would have gone with them out of
the Republican party, have an i'm
mense following in the Northwest
and on the Pacific coast whose defec.
ton from the Republican ranks
would have assured a number Of
States in those sections to the Demo-
cratic nominee, and, think. would
have made certain his election. But
however that may be. neither John
son nor Borah is going to exert him.
self in behalf of the election of Hard
ing. Unless johnson was absolutely
ton statements he made about the
so-called old guard Republicans and
Is ready to eat his words. any sup
port he can give Harding will be
half-hearted at best.
"One thing 1 think the Chicago
COnvantinn 10 fhnt no ID
licans are not awake to the fact that
times have changed i'm the last few
years. They do not seem to realize
that there has been wonderful up
heaval in this country since the
United States entered the World war
and that the old stock arguments
which they formerly could take to
the country with the hope OF indorse-
ment are now out OF date. No party
can win the presidency this year
without its candidate making the race
on a forward looking platform. do
not so regard the Republican plat
form.
so the success -or failure OF the
Democratic nominee depends much
upon the sort of platform construct
ed for him at San Francisco. One
thing that appears evident to me is
that some overtures should be made
TO organized labor along the lines al
ready indicated by the friendly atti-
tude OF Wilson and McAdoo. The
convention of the American Fedora
ton of Labor in session at Montreal
last week indorsed almost unanimous
ly a resolution denouncing the Re
publican platform as unfair to labor
the Democrats. There are between
four and five million members of the
federation in America and there is
every indication that they will vote
together this year as they never have
done before. II our platform build
will take steps to insure the organ
lied labor vote for the nominee
Senator Harding is a product of
the Northern plutocrats, whose chief
spokesman is Senator Penrose of
Pennsylvania. Penrose could not at
" as a noticeable fact that the minute
word came from him that he was en-
tirely friendly to the nomination of
Harding the delegates fell all over
themselves scranfbling to get on the
Ohio senator's band wagon. do
not expect see repetition of this
sort of thing at San Francisco. but
/ think there is the danger that
Bryan may have too much to say
about the platform and the nominee
II he Is to boss the convention, then
our chances of winning the election
in November are not nearly so good
as they otherwise would be. Bryan
Is a comproniser on everything but
prohibition. The convention cannot
AFFORD to pay much attention to what
he says. For instance, he would
write into the platform a sort of milk
and water Endorsement of the presi-
+ dents conduct of the war and the
peace treaty he brought back from
Versailles. There should be no dodg-
ing in the Democratic platform, in
my opinion: we owe il to the admin
istration and to ourselves to indorse
unreservedly the efforts OF the presi-
cent for world peace, including the
League of Nations, and IL We rise to
the occasion my opinion is that the
nominee will he elected. Ny person
al preference is for McAdoo. but IL
the convention considers 1t wise to
put forward Governor Cox think he
will prove a strong candidate" DIR.
Kirkpatrick concluded.