The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-16
DEMOS FIGHT ON
CHOICE OF NEW
PARTY LEADER
George White VIII
Quit If All Agree
On Successor.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1921
(SDecial IN The ArpucA

Washington, Sept. 15.-ScoJt Fer
r1s, former member of congress
from Oklahoma, may be the next
chairman of the Democratic ma
tlcnal committee. George White,
the present chairman, intends to
resign if all the factions can agree
on a new chairman who shall not
have been identified with the quar-
rels of the past The name of Mr..
Ferris is being urged by his
! friends for that very reason. He
was not present at the San Fran
! cisco convention where the rift be-
tween the McAdoo and Cox forces
developed and he has not taken
part in the controversies that have
( developed since that convention.
Struggle Is Intense.
| The public may not know it but
| inside the Democratic party the
contest over the selection of a
chairman has been going on with
the same intensity as might occur
on the eve of a national conven-
| ton The struggle for control of
the party machinery SO as to in
| f1uence the convention of 1924 in
! its choice of Democratic nominee
for the presidency has been at bot
tom responsible for the impotency
of the Democrats since their over
whelming defeat last autumn.
Although every consideration of
strategy would seem to dictate that
the party forces should be harmon
lied for the good of the party in
stead of the interests of any indi-
vidual, the fact is the factions are
as far apart as ever and pulling in
all directions.
!. White Holds Whip Hand.
George White, the present chair
man, holds the whip hand--He an-l
nounced some time ago that he was
eager to retire. He has done !
creditable job as national chair /.
man as the party will discover +
when the record of his work is dis |
closed but he doesn't want to con-
tinue in the management of the !
party's interest. The job was
originally forced upon him. But I
George White can continue if he /
likes until after the reXt national /
convention in 1924. It is not Gus
tomary for the national committee |
to pick a new chairman between !
presidential elections unless one
forces probably have a majority on |
the national committee, it is un-
likely that they would compel |
White to resign Considerations
of harmony would prevent such a /.
tactIess move
So Mr.. White, while willing to !
resign, insists that he will not do !
so until all factions have agreed |
upon a man who can be trusted to
manage the party's affairs not in
the interest of Mr.. McAdoo or Mr..
Cox or any other potential candi-
date. The McAdoo people would
like to see Daniel C, Roper named. |
He is a capable executive and |
would make a splendid chairman
but his selection would be opposed
by the Cox wing of the party be- |
cause Mr.. Roper was pre-conven-
ton manager for McAdoo and |
would not have the confidence of
all factions. Others have been men
toned who have at one time or an
other taken sides on the matter OF
presidential candidates. What Mr..
White wants is some one who
hasn't been a partisan of anybody
and who is at the same time rep
resentative of the progressive ele-
ments in the Democratic party.
Scott Ferris Suggested.
There is no certainty that the
Cox forces would give their ap-
proval to the selection of Scott
Ferris for they have had their
minds set on getting somebody af-
filiated more closely with the party
machinery in the larger states. But
in behalf of Mr.. Ferris, it is being
urged that he managed the congress
sionaI campaign committee OF the
Democratic party when he was IN
congress and that he had at the
time the full support of Woodrow
Wilson.
Mr. Ferris ran for United States
senator against Senator Gore IN
the Democratic promaries and de-
feated him. Except for the Repuo-
Iican landslide last fall he would
have been elected senator from
oklahoma He was so busy IN the
senatorial fight that he did not at
tend the San Francisco convention
as a delegate. The Oklahoma dele-
pation. moreover, stood throughout
for the candidacy of Senator owen
McAdea. Cox Men Disagree.
EorTner President Wilson has
had a conference with George
White but the latter says Lhe
Craftsmanship wasn't mentioned.
Mr. Wilson has also conferred win
George Brennan, Democratic leao-
er from Illinois There is no es
dance however, that the former
nresident is interesting hlmsei IN
nartv nolitics. The movement lor
;n +ha Democratic party
springs entirely from those Nno
believe the McAdoo and cox lorces
must get together on eohpfo
mise candidate for chairman.
The truth is several IoiioWefs %
90 have said they have not
r1sdoad themselves TO the former
6hio governor for 1924 but they
si-rnlv want to see how public SEN
..--k-. IL annearS