The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-10
Frederick Haskin's | etter
Impoyto,,ce Of This Pears Elections
Oct. s-on- cratic standard bearer for 1924 i

month"; Somewhere, in one of tho
important fights for a governorshln
or for 4 seat in the senate, a man
will loom up, they say, who person..
fics the leadership of which the
party is so sadly in need at present
There are big men in the Demo-
cratic >party, but none Of them IL
such an outstanding figure that be
must be accepted as the partv
leader. Not even former President
Wilson is to be accorded that dis.
tinction. Cox. McAdoo, Palmer
Marshall and Underwood are cbh.
spicuous by reason of their promi-
nence in past presidential fights
and William jennings Bryan is
still very much alive and in EVIL
dence, but it cannot be said that
the Democratic donkey stops. looks
and listens when any one of these
raises, his voice in an effort to make
the welkin ring. Nor will anv one
of them have an opportunity this
year to demonstrate that he Is a
vOte-getteI.
Democrats Who May Loom IN.
However. there are some Demo
Gratis who have splendid chances to
show their form. Senator Pomer-
enc in Ohio may be said to have an
exceptional opportunity. He is a
candidate for third election to the
senate in state that is piecta! at
all times and that is of unusual i'm
portance now because it is the
home of President Harding. Should
he win, it would be difficult mat
ter to convince MIN and his friends
that he is not the logical candidate
for the Democrats to put up for the
presidency in 1924.
EOrmer Governor Ralston of In
diana, is another to be reckoned
with. He is running for the SEN
ate against the redoubtable Albert
Jeremiah Beverage. ANY Demo-
crat who can get himself elected to
the senate from the Hoosier state,
and particularly one who can de-
feat Beveridge. necessarily looms UP
as of presidential size. OF course
Mr.. Ralston has not accomplished
either of these things as yet, but he
has his chance.
Former Governor Smith of New
York, is in very much the same po-
sition. All he has to do is to wrest
the senatorial toga from the Re-
publican shoulders Of Senator Cal
der to be in the running for the
presidency.
Then there is Jim" Reed of Mis-
souri,, the stormy petrol of Democ-
racy, who won himself senatorial
denomination in the face of ell the
opposition that the Wilson element
in his state could rally against him
If he is reelected he will be one Of
the big factors in his party for
many years to come. He may not
be able to carry off the presidential
prize himself, but he will have
something to say as to who does
get it.
There is perhaps less likelihood
of the development OF Republican
| candidates for the presidency as a
result of this years campaign. As
matters stand now it is. generally
assumed that President Harding
will be a candidate to succeed him
self and that he will be renomin-
ated. 1t would be extremely unus-
ual if that did not happen.
However, traditions and prece-
dents have had way of getting up
/ set in recent years and not even the
wisest of the wise would undertake
to say that the unexpected would
not happen. Mr.. Harding may de-
eide that one term is all he wants,
or politics may take such a turn
that it will become apparent that
his nomination is not to be con-
coded.
In either of such contingencies
the likeliest candidates for the hon.
or would be those Republicans who
make the strongest showing this
wear. Beveridge, in Indiana, who
surprised many people by defeat
| ing Harry S. New for the sena-
torial nomination, may we'll be one
of these. Pinchot. who upset ing
Republican organizations apple
cart in Pennsylvania, may be an
/ other.
Still another possibility is Sena-
tor La Toilette who won a notable
victory in the Wisconsin primary
and who is not likely to stand on
tradition or precedent if he con-
cludes that 1924 is good year tor
him to make another bid for presl-
Dental honors. Senator Hiram
Johnson, of California, likewise y
one of those who are running th!s
year in what might prove to be .
preliminary canter for the next pis
race. i