The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-05
DEMOCRATS
FAIL TO SEE
OPPORTUNITY
Appointment of Executive
Committee Only Start, Says
Sullivan-Chance to Profit
by Republican Mistakes.
PARTY UNITY IS NEEDED
BY MARK SULLIVAN

democrats nave made start toward
reorganization. Chairman White has
appointed an executive committee,
and so far that is the only outcome
of the strenuous agitation that has
gone on for several weeks on the part
of some Democratic leaders, who have
been troubled by the inertia of the
party machinery and have demanded
that vitality be injected into it.
The appointment of an, executive
committee is a start, but it is not much
more
The rules of the party are such that
in choosing his executive committee,
Chairman White was restricted to
members of the Democratic national
committee, and under that restriction
it is not possible to do much. The
members Of the national committee
are not as rule, widely known to the
public, and do not have any real lead
ership in the sense of representing
Democratic thought.
Made Up of Workers.
The national committee is made up
almost wholly of local party workers,
who are more interested in questions
OF patronage and in the details of
local organization than in policies.
About the only man on the new ex-
ecutive committee who can be regard.
ed as having public standing is Sen
ator Carter Glass, of Virginia
This new executive committee is al
most wholly matter of interest with
in the organization. 1t can have no
appeal to the public and can do little
toward making the Democratic party
what the public expects of it, namely.
a united and aggressive opposition
party, so functioning as to bring out
the contrast with the policies and
measures adopted by the party in
power.
Differences Not Healed,
Even within the party the appoint
ment of this executive committee does
hot bring peace or reinsurance. 1t does
not solve or heal differences which di-
vide the organization into a Cox fac
ton and McAdoo lection.
One faction OF the party believes
that Cox intends to hold fast to the
position of leadership which came to
him by virtue of his candidacy. For
this belief there is good evidence. AL
though Cox himself refused to talk
politics to the newspaper men while
he was in Washington, certain things
he did become sufficiently clear to
justify the resumption that he pro-
loses to keep the leadership If he
can.
Cox to Try Again.
From this the anti-Cox group passes
readily to the suspicion that he expects
10 try to get the nomination again
three years from now. An additional
fact adding to this suspicion is Cox's
announced intention of spending sew
eral months in Europe studying for
eign problems. The anti-Cox leaders
suspect Cox Of looking forward to the
league of nations. or some variations
of it. as the leading issue.
The anti-Cox leaders look upon the
present chairman Of the party, George
White, as Cox man. To large de-
gree that is true, although White is a
man of character who would have a
conscientious sense of his trusteeship
TO the party as whole. But even
after White made the concession of
appointing an executive committee,
the ani-Cox leaders are no more salts
fed than before. They still maintain
that there should be meeting of the
entire national committee and a thor
ough. going reorganization.
May Call Meeting.
oIuST Tic IultS VI lllG parry only
White has the power to call such a
meeting, and his adoption of the eA-
redient of appointing an executive
committee is accepted as sign Of his
unwillingness to go any further. The
anttCox leaders say they will go over
Whites head and call a meeting by the
device of petition from majority Of
the committee members.
4 sob &c
speak of these men as Anti Cox
Leaders" But is a fact that they
might. with equal accuracy. be called
"Pro-McAdoo Leaders" The whole
contest has superficially the appear
ance of n row between the adherents
Of Two leaders for strategic advantages
looking to the nomination in 1924.
Realize Need.
It would not be fair TO describe IL
rs wholly that, for some of the leaders
taking part in the contest are moved
largely by realization of the necessity
for greater cohesiveneSs ard activit y
on the part Of the organization.
What the Democratic organiza1ion
really reeds is to thiHk of the public
a~d not of the candidates. II needs to
r'ov the role of an ODposition party
cffoct've1v now and StoD thinking Of
who is TO have the nomination three
wears from now. It needs less squabb-
lirg for advantage within the party
orga nization. ord more effort toward
unity in the sight of the public.
LEADERS Differ.
Unity of organization j. desirable
hut unity of thought and r"licy is
unrch moro important. D'feren"es
v-''hin tho oroarization cra bad. but
dif~rences a'norc the publicly known
lecdrrs of the marty in congress on the
questions that como un have the worse
result of giving the public confused
n'cture of what the party really stands
for.
In many Of rho roll calls that have
heer taken or important measures in
the rresent session Of the senate. the
Democratic senators. and eSneciallv
hose "eratcrS who are reee rffed as
laaaHrs. a''i9~d IN eu"h a Wow +hat the
r"h1ic viii not he able to understand
who'her the Democrats present anv
contrast to the Republicans. In the
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