The Washington times., 1920-07-07

not understand did with the great
est ease.
We are standing still in govern
ment, or rather sliding back. But
in other directions we are going
ahead constantly. Some time again
men will decide, as they did in
1776. that they want to govern
themselves, and don't want to be
taxed without representation by
American profiteers any more than
by English kings.
When that day comes the pres
ent political structure will be
burned away and torn down by a
heat of public opinion more power
full than that current melting the
bars of an iron fire escape.
HARDING and COOLIDGE.
COX and ROOSEVELT. The
tickets are named; by and by you
will take your choice.
AFTER the men are i..med you
exercise a choice. But you have
no choice in the beginning as to
whom you choose in November.
Others attend to that for you.
Two men are picked out, and
you must take one Of them for
President That is the American
system Of Popular government"
Just what change or improve
ment would you, suggest? You
can hardly call it absolutely demo-
cratic government when a small
group Of politicians and financial
managers select two men to suit
themselves, and say to the people,
"You take one of these. You
can't have anybody else"
1t is not easy to have a hundred
million people pick out their own
man or find exactly who it is that
a majority want. Presidential
primaries ought to help. But when
a Southern State, as happened
this time, instructs in favor of
Hiram Johnson, by vote of 5 to
! and not a single delegate from
that State casts a vote for Hiram
johnson you know that problems
of popular government are not
simple.
In old days they used to let a
pig select the mayor of a small
English town.
The candidates sat in a row,
each holding in his hands a pan
filled with beans.
A pig was brought in and each
man ratified his beans seductively.
The man from whose bean pan the
pig ate first was declared mayor.
Providence was believed to di-
rect the pig and everybody was
satisfied. We seem to have i'm
proved on that. Yet we have had
candidates named by influences
and individuals less honest and
sincere than the simple British
pis.
This little pig went to market,
this little pig stayed at home
You know the rest Of the plain
tive story, how one little pig got
roast beef and the other little pig
got none.
1t used to be thought by some
that the thing to do was to stay
home, away from the convention,
pretending not to know about 1t
until suddenly told that you were
nominated. Others thought 1t wiser
to go to the convention yourself
and fight for the nomination. The
two latest conventions show that
no rule holds good.
At the Republican convention,
zone little pig" Harding, went to
market, attended the convention
and got the Republican roast beef.
At the Democratic convention,
another little pig" Cox, stayed
home, and he gets the Democratic
nomination roast beef. William
J. Bryan says he won't get the
election beeause "Wall Street will
throw over the Democratic and
support the Republican ticket"
? A good many things, however,
can happen between now and next
November. You might even see
Bryan supporting Cox with the
passionate support that he gave
TO Parker.
This (Tuesday) night the Wall
Street odds favor Harding.