The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-28
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1922.

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Copyright 1922.
TOLEDO, Ohio, Sept. 2S. - An in
sidious tale, and by insidioGs one means
politically dangerous, is going the rounds
among Republicans here and elsewhere
in Ohio to the effect that President Hard
ing is so tired of his job that in due time
he Will announce that he will not ac-
cept denomination for the presidency.
The story has this basis: Many of
those political pilgrims from the Presi-
dents home state who have been to Wash
I ington have come back here with gossip
/ that Mr.. Harding found the presidency
a super-human task and that it was
wearing him out Those who know from
past experience with American presidents
| how they feel in the first two years
will bear testimony that Mr.. Harding's at
| titude is not novel. 1t was in the first
year of Mr.. Wilson's first administration
that he exclaimed TO Il group of callers
that he never could understand how
anyone in his right senses could ever
seek the presidency.
Yet the question of denomination was
not personal with Mr.. Wilson any more
than it will be with Mr.. Harding. The
party decides the matter. Mr.. Harding
was drafted in 192O-he had made no
campaign for the nomina tion-and he
Will be drafted again if the party
chieftains think he should be- The only
effect of this story at this time is to I'M
dermine the political strength of Mr.
Harding with his own party. There has
been, of course, a distinct loss of ground
by the President. He is personally popu-
lar but not as much as he was before the
rail and coal strikes. 1t Is natural for
those with whom the wish is father to
uvswl,# H.
else for the presidential nomination and
it is inevitable that the talk of another
should be predicted on what seems to be
applausible assumption that President
Harding himself will not wish to run. 1t
Is always conceded that if Mr.. Harding
sought denomination the party would
be embarrassed if it refused.
No Real Danger to Republicans.
The reaction against the Harding adj
mlnIstratiOn is not noticeable but surface
indications are that it hasn't reached the
point of real danger to the Republicans
as Yet. For one thing, the strength of
Carmi Thompson, Republican candidate
for governor, is such that even in this
Democratic section the probability of Mr..
IhompsOn's election is discussed with as
much assurance of coming true as in the
Cleveland district This is, of course,
largely due To Mr.. ThompSons ability
and reputation as business man and
executive. 1T IS important, because If
Thompson carries the state by a sizeable
majority, he will pull many candidates
for congress through and may help him
on FeSs, the Republican candidate against
Senator POmerene
The wet and dry issues will be vastly
controlling in Toledo and environs. There
are glass factories here which would be
benefited by a return of bottled produc-
ton If light wines and beer should some
day come back. Even the advocates of
amending the state constitution admit
they viii not get very far at this time
but they hope OhiOs example will not
only help other states to initiate similar
legislation. but that the Ohio delegation
IN congress Will go TO Washington with n
mandate from the people of Ohio to make
them vote for modification of the Vol
stead act.
Normally Senator Pomerene. Demo-
crat, would get a big vote in Toledo. If
make big gains here, But the railroad
unions are not fond of Pomerene because
Of his speeches in the recent strike
crisis. The Democratic leaders figure it
out, however, that Mr. Fess, the Renubli-
can candidate has also failed to win the
endorsement of labor which ought. they
think, to equalize matters on that score.
and give Mr.. POmerene the benefit of
labors vote because he is Regarded as n
wet and labor is usually quite moist.
Ihere IS no Socialist candidate for SEN
ator TINS year, so the choice is between
EeSs and POmerene. The chances of n
r,omerene victory for senatOr are better
than DOnahyS prospect for governor
The state looks safely RepubIjcan bnt
with greatly reduced majority over 1920.