The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-09
WILSON FOR
CLARKE As
PRESIDENT
Did Ohioan Quit Bench to
Be Anti-Cox Can
didate?
BIZ DAVID LAWRENCE.

washington, u. u, Sept. 9.-UlQ
Woodrow Wilson have any connec-
ton with the resignation of JUS
tice Clarke from the supreme bench
to which he originally nominated
him? Or, to put it another way,
did the influence of Woodrow Viii
son bring about the retirement of
Mr.. Clarke at the, very moment
when the return of former Cover
nor Cox Of Ohio from Europe re-
vive the latter's presidential boom.
These questions have been var
iously asked and answered by DEM
ocratic politicians who cannot be-
heve that Mr.. Clarke's primary
reason for leaving the bench is to
read books, but that his real rea-
son is to take an active part in the
advocacy Of American membership
in the League of Nations. MIR.
Clarke's own letter to President
Harding stated that he wished to
serve his neighbors and espouse
public causes. The most important
cause in the mind of Justice Clarke
is the League of Nations, and his
thoughts run so much along the
same lines as those of Woodrow
Wilson that his entry into the po-
litical arena as a champion of the
league would surely be followed by
some expression on the part of the
Democrats of Ohio in favor of
Clarke for president. The Demo-
Gratis could not object to a candi-
date from Ohio since it is not un-
likely that Mr.. Harding will be re-
nominated unless he declines to
serve again. In any event, the big
gest fact about the Democratic sit
uation is that for some reason or
another Mr.. Wilson is not overly
fond of Jim Cox as a candidate,
much as he likes what Mr.. Cox has
done in advocating the League of
Nations as = Democratic issue.
Possibly it is that Mr.. Cox was so
overwhelmingly beaten and possi-
bly, because Mr.. Wilson would pre-
fer another type Of candidate, and
possibly it was because the former
Ohio governor was nominated as a
result OF combination of Demo-
cratic leaders in the Democratic
party who are unfriendly to him
the truth is that If the former pres
ident were asked his ideas on the
subject and he were to give them
frankly he would not urge Cox for
the presto >cy. 1t was because Mr..
Wilson steadfastly refused to send
a letter Of greeting to the dinner
given in honor of Mr.. Cox just be-
fore his departure for Europe that
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Tumulty, his
former secretary, fell out.
Bakers Action.
Certain circumstances make it
appear that several of Mr.. Wilson's S
friends in a Ohio who can interpret
his mind are back of Justice
Clarke's resignation from the bench.
One piece Of circumstantial evi-
dence is brought forward in Demo
cratic circles thus: For many
months Newton D. Baker, secretary
of war in the Wilson cabinet, and
the man who to the last has retain
ed Mr.. Wilson's unboundedj conf
dence, has been asked to partici-
pate actively in Ohio politics. He
refused. Yet recently when he was
asked to accept the Craftsmanship
of the Cuyahoga county committee
Of the Democratic party he accept
ed. much to the surprise Of these
same observers, who now believe
that he was inspired by desire to
help the Wilson cause in Ohio
through the interjection of Justice
Clarke into the situation.
AS a piece of political strategy
the lining up of the Ohio delegation
for Clarke instead of Cox would
have an important bearing no doubt
on the action of national Demo.
cratic convention. Assuming thai
Mr.. Clarke is himself not a party
to the politics of the situation and
is simply interested, as he says, il
espousing the League of Nations
nevertheless his availability as 9
Democratic candidate for the presi.
dency is being widely discussed by
Wilson men as he has the stature
and intellectual capacity for the
job.
All this, of course, is predicated
on theory that Jim Cox can be beat.
en- in state he has thrice carried
He is a fighter who knows no OBJ.
stacles and he is never beaten til
the votes are actually counted-anG
some of his friends say not ther
either.
mall ElREMANM