The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-14
BOTH PARTIES
TO LOOK BACK
IN CAMPAIGN
Republicans to Turn Again to
Alleged Democratic Extra
vagance In War Manage
ment.
BRYAN Definitely OUT
BY MARK SULLIVAN


lt1ng private house in Washington.
rceiyed from an elderly southern lady,
a compliment about ms political past.
coupled with a friendly wish about his
political future
Bryan, with the broadest and most
gracious smile in his armory of per-
sonal attractiveness, took his well
wlsher aside and said: Madam, con-
slder this: Right now down here in
the White House we have a Republi-
can president conducting a confer
ence whose busisess is to carry out
my policy of disarmament and Mr..
Wilson'S policy of international CO.
operation.
Over in the house you have Just seen
Republican congress appropriate
more money for the enforcement of
prohibition than was ever appropriated
before, and just recently you have seen
Republican senate adopt the Demo
crat program of high surtaxes on large
incomes. Madam" Bryan concluded,
when things are going so well with
democrat policies why should we
worry about the offices?"
Origin Doubtful
This expression of philosophic res
ignat1on about his personal fortunes
may nave come from Bryan's heart, or
II may merely have been its parlor
manner. A good many persons. who
argue from the known laws of human
nature, smile skeptically when anyone
speaks of Bryan as having foresworn
ambition. They say that no one can
have thrown himself as Bryan has
into public life for 80 years without
becoming what such an experience
make Of any man.
They declare that If Bryan saw the
opening for another period of personal
leadership of the Democratic party he
would be drawn into it with the swift
momentum of an unconscious act of
nature. The persons who say this in
cludes many who compose the pres
ent leadership of the Democratic par
ty. Within the field of political gos-
sip there is nothing more common
than to be drawn aside and told with
an air of cryptic meaning, Watch
Bryan
Regarded as Advisor
Nevertheless, in cold fact, the thing
is hardly possible. There is a world
of Democratic voters and of smaller
local leaders who love Bryan, but so
far as political availability is con-
cerned they regard him like an elder
ly country uncle who comes to town
in his black alpaca coat and invokes
the blessing at meals and leads the
family in prayers.
They pay him reverence for his
years and his position, they listen re-
spectfully to his quotations from the
prophets, they pay him every defer
ence of affection-but when it comes
to managing their political affairs,
they elbow him into the chimney cor
ner
Also, these same present leaders of
the Democratic party have no notion
Of sharing Bryan's philosophic calm
about the offices. On the contrary,
they are going energctically to work
to acquire the largest possible num-
ber of offices during the present year.
They think the tide has turned and
is running strongly in their direction.
Present Statistics
They give you statistics showing
that in Indiana recently 46 out of
"a towns went Democratic in local
elections, and that in several other
states, especially Connecticut, the re-
suit were similarly hopeful from their
point Of view.
For these developments, they show
no specific reasons, but assign merely
a state of general discomfort with the
Republican management of things
And when you ask the Democratic
leaders just what they rely on to car
ry the coming Senatorial and congress
ional election they admit they have
no clear specific issues.
The greatest thing we have had to
a formal declaration of Democratic
national policy is in two speeches re-
Gently made by the new Democratic
national chairman, Cordell Hull. In
those two speeches, there was little
in the nature of clear definition of
issues.
Campaign Issues
As 1t happens, ! have been at some
pains to familarize myself with the
plans of both the Democratic and Re
publican party managemnts for the
coming campaign, and it turns out that
both parties expect to point backward
The Republicans are going to rehearse
all they have already said about the
Democratic management of the war
and make a plea in the nature of con-
fession and avoidance to the effect
what time has been too short for them
to cure the economic chaos in which
they claim the Democrats left the
country.
Vivid and elaborate portrayal of al
legged Democratic eXtravangance in
the management of the war, and of
the after effects of that management, !
is to form the bulk of the Republican I
campaigning this year 1t is "old
stuff but in private conversations
the Republicans say that circum- /
stances compel them TO rely on 1t. |
The Republicans know the times are
iard and have little faith that they
will be better before the elections
come.
To Accept Situation
They are preparing to accept that
condition as an unavoidable incident
of the campaign and frankly ask the |
public for another lease of power TO |
give them time to make things better, |
Their real hope, of course, is thai if
they can manage TO squeeze through !
the present year, thereafter hard times
VIII come to an end soon enough to !
enable them to claim the credit for |
Continued on Page Fourteen)