Evening star., 1921-02-18
Editorial Digest
Democracy's False Start.


The threat" to Chairman White of
the democratic national committee to
call a meeting of that body for the
implied purpose of ousting him from
office is not the kind of "reorganiza-
ton the democrats want. IL most of
the party organs can be accepted as
authority. The majority Of democratic
editors call for ''principles instead of
pei sonalities" and denounce the ut
tempt to create "factionalsm." Sup
port for Cox and his friends" is
about balanced by protests against
Mr.. White among those who COM
ment upon the question Of new
chairman. For the most part. the re-
marks of the republican press might
be described as silent cheers
The Louisville Courier Journal
tdemosratic) stresses the need of
"performance" and describes th>,
democratic folly" In terms echoed by
many other papers OF similar poIiti-
cal faith: The wrangle over the
question of reorganization of the
democratic national committee and
the democratic party betrays the
usual shortsightedness of the usual
hack Politician
Similarly the indianapolis News Gn-
dependent) expresses the belief that
the democrats will do themselves
and the country a disservice if they
fall out among themselves and begin
contest for the control of party
machinery" and the New Orleans
Times-Picayune Independent demo-
cratic) doubts that four years of fac
tion.l wrangling will pave the way
to constructive patriotic action and
righteous victory nor is it Con
vinced' that the democratic rank
and file want to begin the political
battle of 1924 in the spring of 1921"
The Newark News (ndependenD
remarks that while this Jockeying
for position between the McAdoo and
Cox forces is Indication enough that
the party still is pretty live corpse
it would be a little more to the po.nt
for the democrats in Congress to
show that democrats stand for the
principles worthy of support on their
merits.
1t is upon the conduct of their
representatives. rather than the pre-
mature" choice of leaders. many
writer's feel that success depends.
ahead" says the Norfolk Virginian
Pilot (democratic), can be converted
into an exceedingly fruitful season"
and the Richmond Times Dispatch
(democratic) quotes Representative
Floods remarks to the effect that
the winning issues in the next cam
paign VIII be made by the democrats
in the Senate and the House in the
next four years
The Baltimore Sun independent
democratic) declares that not until
the sentiment of the voters crystal
Lies can leaders be definitely chosen.
The New Haven Journal Courier in-
dependent sees this contest as mere
ly "a fight between men OF ambition
and not "a fight between opposing
principles" Without suggesting that
either faction be "squelched" the
Chattanooga News (democratic) de-
clares that reorganization should
rot be attempted" in the Interest" of
any person or persons. but rather Tor
the people, as whole. Indeed. the
the Birmingham News (democratic)
is "rehabilitating the machinery OF
the party" without consideration of
any one man or group OF men.
Party chiefs should unite on time
honored democratic principles the
cratic) concludes. allowing future
leadership to take care Of itself"
The St. Louis Star (independenO
says: The democratic party needs
chairman chosen for a reason; not
chairman against whom nothing can
be said.
But Chairman White has his sup
porters. too. Among them is the
Cleveland Plain Dealer (independent
democratic), which declares that there
was nothingfin his conduct OF the
campaign that calls for his resig-
nation now," and those who attempt
to oust him will merely invite AN
tagonisms" when harmony is needed.
The Memphis News Scimitar Qnde-
pendent) feels that these persons can
be called "agitators favoring contin-
uous discord in the democratic
party" for, as the Columbia Is. c.
60 Il td"mocraticl remarks. Why
shouldn't Gov. Coxs friends stay in
the saddle? They are the only ones
entitled to remain there Their rs-
moval indeed, the Knoxville Journal
and Tribune (republican) agrees.
would be like furnishing man for
failure to change the laws of gravi-
tation or direct the flow and ebb Of ,
- i.