, 1922-04-27
The Democratic Vendetta

mHE REPUTATION Of Joseph Tumulty by Wood
Il row Wilson, to be followed almost immediately
by renewal of the feud between Mr.. Wilson and Sen
ator Reed of Missouri. simply drags out into public
view a vendetta which has been going on for long
months. The inner sanctuary OF Demoeratic ieaoer,
shin. no doubt hoped that a temporary truce would
be patched up among the warning factions until after
the congressional elections; but the recent clashes
have destroyed all hope of an armistice. The Tumuity
and Reed episodes have so embittered the factions
struggling for control of the old Democratic ship that
upon every hand predictions are rife that a lot more
blood must be spilled and severe revenge visited upon
many more gentlemen whose names adorn the black
list carried IN the inside pocket Of Mr.. Wilson, before
peace viii even be considered.
One of the most staiwart Democratic newspapers
Of the country and one that has consistently supported
Wilson and wilsonian policies from the beginning is
the Baltimore Sun. Then when we find its Wash
ington correspondent who has long been a newspaper
spokesman for Mr.. Wilson, writing his newspaper,
that: 'Tt would not be the least surprising If the
former president should find occasion in the near
future to punish other Democrats who stood IN the
natb Of the late administration to weaken or defeat
Wilson policies" it would lend color to the challenges
that are flying thick and fast between the hostile
Democratic camps.
This correspondent lets it be known that the former
president is thoroughly enraged against all Democrats
who lined up against his League of Nations and also
those who supported a separate peace with Germany.
ITO Mr.. Wilson'S mind,'' says the correspondent,
Support of a separate peace with the central powers
was only one degree less unfaithful to party policy
than outright opposition to the treaty of Versailles"
The group of Democrats voting for this separate
peace. and who have thereby incurred the extreme
displeasure of the former president and his ilk, who
are actively identified with the Woodrow Wilson
foundation under the leadership of Hamilton Holt,
are Senators Ashust- Of AriGcns; Gerry, of Rhode
Island; Kendrick, of Wyoming; Myers, of Montana;
Pomerene, of Ohio; Owen, Of Oklahoma; Underwood,
of Alabama, and Walsh, of Massachusetts.
If other evidence of domestic infelicity in the higher
Democratic councils is required, it lies around loose
everywhere.
There is not even slight doubt that the Wilson fac
tionists are on the outs with Senator Underwood, be-
cause of his support of the separate peace treaty as
well as mis- participation in the armament conference
and his fight in the senate to have the several treaties
of the conference ratified. For confirmation just
glance at theaction of Senator Carter Glass, of vir-
ginia. No senator is closer to the former president
than Senator Glass, and it was during the course of
debate upon the Horsepower treaty that Senator Glass
made a very savage attack upon Senator Underwood
because of his work on behalf of the treaty. Senator
Glass publicly reminded Mr.. Underwood that he
(Glass) was responsible for Underwod's selection as
a Democratic leader in the senate and that Under
wood had poorly repaid Glass and the coterie Of
Wilson senators and, in fact, had been a traitor to the
Wilson crowd and Wilson forces by his participation
in the armament conference and his support of the
treaties growing out of the conference. Senator
Glass was assisted in his attack upon Underwood by
Senator Caraway, of Arkansas.
It is a matter of common information that there
have been three or four Democratic caucuses for the
purpose of ousting Underwood from the Democratic
leadership and naming either Carter Glass or Pat
Harrison. 1t is only the fear of the effect of such
action upon the rank and file of the party on the
eve of a congressional campaign that prevented the
Accomplishment of the Wilson designs. The action,
however, is certain to take place Immediately after
the elections.
Senator Glass also finds fault with other Demo-
cratic leaders. In a recent debate in the senate he
accused Senator Eeflin, of Alabama, of '1oose, mac
curate and reprehensible utterances." He made the
charge on the floor of the senate that Helm had in
nine printed lines of the Congressional Record told
six distinct untruths. This public excoriation of
Helm by one of his own Democratic colleagues
rankles and has done quite a bit to contribute to the
bitterness that exists in the Democratic factions in
the senate and in the higher party councils.