The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-12
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HAsEIN. Director.
Washington. d. q
IMPORTANCE OF THIS YEARS
ELECTIONS.

Washington, D. c., Oct. 9--Ofr-year
campaigns and elections are interest
ing chiefly for Their being on the next
struggle for the Presidency This IS
especially gtrue of the fight now on
which will terminate November Z. 1t
will determine the political com.
which party will control the official
machinery of various states, and all
that is important, but the big thing
it will do will be to spotlight the men
who Will contest for the great prize
in 1924. In way it will be the quail
ification or elimination round of the
presidential tournament.
At the same time the general re-
suit of the 1922 elections will be
accepted as indicative of the political
trend throughout the country fore
shadowing what will probably happen
two years hence.
If the Republicans retain control of
Congress and are measurab bly, success
I full in the state contests, they wiz
| look forward to 1924 with redoubled
as an endorsement of the Harding
administration and' of the party's
Legislative program.
On the other hand, if the Demo-
Gratis should carry either the House or
the Senate, and if they should win in
one or two of the, pivotal states, they
would have grounds for the belief that
their party is about to stage a come
back. They would go into the next
| fight with far more aggressive spirit
and thsir forces that are now some
what disintegrated could be mar
shalled> far more easily into for
midable fighting machine.
| Peculiarly enough. while all Repub-
licans are of one mind as to the desir-
ability of their retaining control of
/ Congress there are differences of
| opinion among Democrats as to
whether it would be u good thIhA for
| them to elect an actual majority in
either branch of the national law
| making body. A few Democratic
| leaders insist that all they want is to
score substantial gains in the con-
gressional elections, leaving the Re
publicans in control of Congress by
the narrowest possible margin This,
they say. would not only make the
Republicans solely responsible for
whatever happens in a legislative way
during the next IS months, but would
also make it impossible for the Re-
publicans to explain any failure to
carry out their program by blaming
the people for electing a Democratic
1 house or senate These Democrats
also point out that if their party gets
control of Congress it will be incum-
bent upon it to make an affirmative
record on which to go before the
people in 1924 That is to say, the
Democrats would be expected to pass
bills embodying their views on the
more important issues, and it is quite
possible that they might get into a
wrang1e among themselves over such
questions as the tariff, the bonus,
ship subsidy. industrial relations, and
the like. that would prove disastrous.
! Harding Might Use Veto Power.
1 Moreover, even if they could get
| together on a constructive program
! of legislation anything they might
! Il Il ie1
lveto+ of President Harding, and in dis
Improving Democratic mea Nres the
| Republican President might find it
easy to make considerable political
capital for himself and his party. Z
/ Such may be said to the views of
| the more cautious Democratic leaders.
Others who are more militant insist
| that it would be a good thing for
| their party to win every possible seat
in the House and Senate. This ele-
ment is willing to take chances on
! being able to make a record that will
appeal to the people and believes that
| it will be altogether to the advantage
| of their party to be in u position to
make it impossible for the RepubH-
gram.
All this has to do with the finesse of
the great game of politics. BY far
the more interestig phase of the
| possible results of the present cam
paign is the development of star play
ers of the game. Most Democrats
who figure in national affairs and
practically all the expert political OBJ
servers agree that the Democratic
standard bearer for 1924 will emerge
from the elections next month. Some
4 where, in one Of the important fights
for governorship or for seat in the
Senate, a man will loom up, they say.
who personifies the leadership OF
which the party is so badly in need at
present.
There are big men in the Demo
cratic party, but none of then1-is such
an outstanding figure that he must be
accepted as the party leader. Not
even former President Wilson is to be
accorded that distinction. Cox
tMcAdoo, Palmer Marshall and Under
wood are conspicuous by reason OF
their prominence 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 any one of them
have an opportunity this year to dem
onstrate that he is a vote-getter
Democrats Who May Loom Up
4 However, there are some Democrats
who have splendid chance te
show their form. Senator Pom.
creme in Ohio may be said
to have an exceptional opportun-
ity. He is a candidate for a third
election. to the senate. in a state thai
is pivotal at all times and that is OF
unusual importance now because il
is the home of President Harding
Should he win, it would be a diff
cult matter to convince him and his
friends that he is not the logical can
didate for the Democrats to put ur
for the presidency in 1924.
Former Governor Ralston of In
, diana is another to be reckoned with
He is running for the senate against
J the redoubtable Albert jeremiah BeT'
; eridge. Any Democrat who can get
himself elected to the senate from
the Hoosier state, and particularly one
who can defeat Beveridge, necessarily
: blooms up as of presidential size. Oh
course Mr.. Ralston has not accom-
plished either of those things as yet