The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-08-27
DEMOCRATS
HAVE EYE ON
MAIN CHANCE
''Watchful Waiting is Policy
of Deposed Party Leaders
Dissatisfaction with Con-
gress Counted on
AWAIT new LEADER
ny MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. 27.-l
The Democrat leaders who have an
alyzed the situation throughout the
country with respect to their party
fortunes say that President Harding
is popular personally and tends on the
whole to increase in personal strength
from month to month
They say. further that the public
impression of Harding, as head of the
administration, is good; that the pub
lie believes he has strong cabinet
and that it is doing good job of
government housekeeping.
Occupies Two Positions
But, they say, President Harding,
as official head of the Republican
party. including the Republican ma
jority in the house and senate, is an
other matter. They say there is dis
content with congress, and it is on
this discomfort that the Democratic
leaders expect to build their plans
for the congressional election next
year
During next month the Democratic
national committee will come togeth-
er to select officials and otherwise lay
out a program for the coming year
tional chairman, George White, of
Ohio, will tender his resignation
The committee may or may not
want to accept it. Mr. Whites atti-
tude is believed to be one of willing
ness to resign from the position, if
the committee wants to substitute
some one else Probably it would be
accurate to say that Mr.. Whites at
iS Of to oriN
the position.
Has Excellent Opportunity
He is believed to have a strong
chance of getting the Democratic nom
ination for governor of Ohio next
year, and the Democratic nomina ton
for governor of Ohio next year is a
valuable political opportunity.
The feeling is practically universal
among Ohio politicians of both parties
that sentiment in Ohio has swung far
away from what it was at the cleo
ton last November They say that
if an election were held in Ohio to-
day, the Democrats would have the
better chance to win it. This opin-
ion is not based on anything Presi-
dent Harding has done or failed to
do, nor on national issues.
1t is based rather on disappoint-
ment with the record of the present
Republican Ohio state administration.
Under these circumstances, Chairman
White is believed to prefer this at
tractive opportunity to remaining as
national chairman.
Roper May Succeed White.
In the event of Chairman Whites re-
firing, the man who is most strongly
NJ rJ h l.
iel S. Roper, who was the commits
sioner of internal revenue during a
large part Of the Wilson administers
ton. and previous TO that was an OF
ficial of the post office department
The suggestion of Mr.. Ropers name
brings a cleavage which exists in the
party between the followers of ex.
Governor Cox, on the one hand. and
the adherents of Mr.. McAdoo on the
other hand. Ordinarily, Mr.. Roper
would be considered to belong to the
McAdoo faction. The fact is, how
ever, that if Mr.. Roper is chosen, ii
will be because of his adaptation tc
this particular job of bringing the
Democratic party organization into the
best shape.
Old Cleavage Vanishes.
In point of fact, the cleavage be
tween the Cox followers and the Nc
Adoo followers has lost much of this
sharp feeling that it had six month;
ago. The prevailing sentiment among
the upper ranks Of the Democratic
workers is that it is best not to have
either Mr.. Cox or Mr.. McAdoo, OF
anybody else in mind as the benefic
iary of the party organization.
They are more disposed to basf
their preparations for the future or
the possibility of some Democrat a:
yet not widely known making, durins
the next three years, public record
sufficiently attractive TO render hin
available as a presidential possibility
Democratic leaders who have re
flected long on this subject point ou
that as short period as two year!
before Grover Cleveland received the
Democratic nomination for president