The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-18
BY WILLIAM HARD.

BY WILLIAM HARD.
Frank O. Lowden, ex-governor
Of Illinois, is potential candi-
date for the Presidency in GER
tain circumstances. 1t is certain
that he would welcome those cir
cumgtances.
He would be sorry, of course,
personally, to see President Cool
idge become Unavailable" Polit-
ically, however, the rising Of the
star Of Lowden depends peculiarly
upon the setting Of the star Of
Mr.. Coolidge, and politically Mr..
Lowden has not ceased to dream
Of the Presidency.
Urged For Governor.
He has been earnestly urged to
run again for governor Of Illinois.
He refuses to do so. Yet he con-
fers much and long with politicians.
His intention is readily surmised,
and in fact is sometimes openly
revealed. Mr.. Lowden win be q
candidate Tor the Presidency II the
conditions suitable for such can
didacy appear.
What are those conditions?
Mr.. Coolidge is at this moment
the favorite candidate Of the Re-
publican regulars" Mr.. Lowdsn's
only chance is as follows:
Let the Democrats and the Re-
publican rebels In the next Con-
gress succeed In passing some PRO
gressive" laws which Mr.. Coolidge
vetoes. Let those laws turn out
49, r IT, ~ 2ePek
accordingly become unpopular. Let
the regulars" thereupon need 2
candidate who is not Mr.. Coolidge,
and who il not committed to un-
popularity but who still is reliably
regular"
Successful As Governor.
IN those circumstances the cam
didacy Of Lowden might, gain
friends rapidly.
It is nationally taken as an adj
nitted fact that Lowder, as gov.
ernor OF Illinois, was an extremely
successful administrator. 1t Is also
believed that he is in harmony with
coming tendencies-and with COM
mon sense-in his iterated and re-
iterated doctrine regarding the need
of revival Of local self-government
in America.
He has gained wide approval by
the sermon which he is always
digging up out of his sermon barrel
to the general effect that law and
order should be preserved first by
the town or township and then by
the county and then by the State.
and that the Federal Government
should never excuse the State or
the county or the town or township
from a full endeavor to maintain
its security--and its own general
welfare-by its own efforts.
Nationally Lowden is regarded as
q solid, sensible person. That he
spent much money in the promotion
of his candidacy in 1920 is indeed
still remembered. That he spent any
of it illegitimately, however, is de-
creasingly asserted. Time is stanch-
ing the flow of blood from that
wound.
Lowden today is far from being
thought unavailable as a possible
pinch-hitter for Coolidge In case
Coolidge gets hit on the head and
knocked out by any legislative fast
balls thrown by Robert Marion La
Toilette, chief of the Republican
rebels in the Senate, or by FINS ].
Garrett and Cordell Hull, chiefs of
the Democrats in the House.
Veterans In Performance.
It is to be remembered that La
Toilette and Garrett and Hull are
veteran performers in just exactly
that sort Of feat. They perpetrated
gress which met in 1911.
81 10
Congress. They passed laws which
President Taft vetoed. Those laws
completed his unpopularity and his
political Inconsistencies. He was
re-nominated, but he went through
the campaign without waking up
except on those occasions when he
accurately predicted his own ap-
preaching defeat at the polls.
Mr.. La Toilette and Mr.. Garrett
and Mr.. Hull, with the help of gen.
tlemen who together are a majority
in the Senate and a majority in the
House, are not only hoping but plan
ming and contriving to do the same
thing to Mr.. Coolidge next winter.
Bills to Be Introduced.
They will introduce tariff bills.
and they will introduce income tax
bills, and they will introduce rail-
road bills, and they will introduce
farmer bills, all of which will be
designed to be not more ~"progres.
sive" than the people are believed to
be but emphatically more "proeres.
sive" than Mr.. Coolidge is believed
to be.
If Mr.. Coolidge starts a back fire
on these bills by introducing some
reasonable" progressive" bills If
his own, and IL his party is awake
and alive enough to support him
in doing so, he may totally frus.
trate Mr.. La Toilette and Mr..
Garrett and Mr.. Hull.
The Republican leadership in
BOTH the Senate and the House.
however, has been badly hit bv
deaths. by designations, by defeats
and by secessions to the ''Pro.
gressive Group"
The fight between the Republican
REGULARS" on the one hand and
the Democrats and tho Repubn.
can rebels on the other hand in
tho next Congress seems likely to.
day to be a very even fight, with
the Democrats and the Republican