The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-01-15

gressive, more picturesque and more
willing to hit for blood than Under
wood will be-
Walsh influential.
Another Democratic senator, who
has as much ability as any man in
that body and who will compare with
the ablest senators of anytime is
Thomas J. Walsh of Montana. In the
coming tariff debates Senator Sim
mons of North Carolina will show the
results of his intelligence and long
experience.
Senator Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock of
Nebraska has achieved a degree of
leadership because of his responsible
ity for the management of the League
Of Nations fight in the recent senate.
He, like Senator Underwood is almost
a little too urbane, a little too free
from passion for the kind of fighting
leadership necessary to make a grip
ping impression on the public.
Bad OFF In House.
In the house the Democrats are
frankly badly off for leaders. Two of
the very best Democrats in the house
men with qualities entirely adequate
for leadership at any time or place
were defeated in the recent election,
these two are Cordell Hull, of Ten
necssee, and Henry T. Rainey, of Illi-
nois
Champ Clark of Missouri, the most
seasoned of all the Democrats leaders
in the house, also lost his place in the
recent landslide. The official leader
of the Democrats in the house is and
will be Claude Kitchin of North Caro-
lima, kitchia has powerful and pic
turesQue personality but he is rather
io1n in, fn
be just what is needed for the eau
tious and sure-footed acquiring of pub
lie confidence that is necessary.
Need Strategy.
That covers all that is most avail
able in any present survey of tho
Democratic possibilities for leade".'
in either official or unofficj2
what is now needed is for the
to come together in kind of r
strategy which should deter
policies of the party and give
sion to them.
A man with organizing gen
with the leisure to give all his
the work should be made chair
the national committee and shor'd i
mediately get down to the hard work
of detailed organization in every pre-
cinct in the country. This man should
be in steady consultation with Under
wood. Kitchin, Glass and the other
party leaders in the house and senate
whose utterances will be taken by the
public as more or less the official, ex-
pressions of Democratic policy. To
this combination should be added the
three Democratic leaders who are in
unofficial life, McAdoo, Cox and Bryan.
Split is Seen.
Already in the few weeks OF the
present session there has been the
most illogical diverseness in the posi-
lions taken by the Democratic lead
ers inside and outside Of official life
For example, a few days after the
Democratic secretary Of treasury had
opposed the war finance corporation,
and at the moment when the Demo
cratic President was in the act Of
vetoing it, Mr.. Adoo came out in favor
of It. On the allied question Of direct
ing the federal reserve to extend
greater credits to farmers, one Demo
cratic senator, Glass of Virginia.
helped lead the opposition, while an
other Democratic Senator. Harrison.
Of Mississippi. was one OF the most
vehement leaders in favor of it. on
another occasion when a Democratic
secretary of the treasury recommend
ed certain changes in the tax laws,
ihe most violent denunciation was
that which came from the Democratic
leader of the bouse. Mr.. kitchin.
If the Democrats are to respond to
the need which the country now has
and will increasingly have for party
to give expression to that portion IF
the public which does not like the
Republican program. then these lead-
90 10 ,-&
the public 2 clear and coherent ric-
ture of an alternative programme. the
Democratic leaders owe this to their
party and to the public.
Copyright 1921 by tho New York
EHorli11o pnSt linz