Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-11-06

HE LOOKS LIKE CLEVELAND
BY Frederic j, Haskin


WASHINGTON, Nov. 6:-Can a
man land a presidential nomination
through his resemblance to an ex-
president? This Is a question that
is interesting political observers and
causing concern to certain candi-
dates and their friends. 1t may prove
of ~engrossing importance before the
1924 campaign is over.
From the Middle West there halls
a statesman who, when presidential
possibilities were being discussed less
! than a year ago, was rarely men
toned. He had been elected COVER
nor and senator of his state, and
since it is n thai Is always in the
doubtful column any of its citizens
who are free, white and t~hirty-five
have a right to consider themselves
! prospective candidates for the pres
idency. Consequently this gentleman
may have looked upon himself as a
real candidate then, although when
his name was spoken of in that con-
n>ction it was generally as that of
one whom lightning might strike if
| it. INDUCED in one of its proverbial
freaks.
| But it's different now. Whenever
and wherever probable nominees for
| president are discussed, his name
1e~ds all the rest, and so far as the
political experts have discovered he
has not said a word or done a thing
to advance him one step toward the
| goal so many of the ambitious are
seeking. This mans name is Samuel
M. Ralston. Indiana Is his state. He
Is a Democrat, and he looks like
| Grover Cleveland. This last fact,
and 1t is a fact, is being widely her
aided by his admirers, with note
worthy results.
There is psychology in this. DEM
| ocrats who desire to carry elections,
and like all other p%artisans that Is
| their chief concern, can never forget
that Cleveland led them to victory
In 1884 when the wiseacres decreed
| that democracy hadn't a chance
against the Republican hosts under
the leadership of James u. Blame
and then repeated his triumph IN
| 1892 when he ousted a Republican
| president, the late General Benjamin
| Harrison. If Ralston looks ike
| Cleveland might it not also be as
sumed hat as a candidate he would
| run like C~elevland? The affirmative
conclusion is not inevitable, but the
! suggestion intrigues hopeful Demo-
Gratis.
AS a matter of fact, it might be
| pointed out hat Senator Ralston
looks like two ex-presidents. He
weighs something in the nelghpor-
hood of $50 pounds and wears d
| m~oustache, and that puts him In the
picture gallery along with william
Howard Taft as well as Grover
Cleveland. However, 1t is not even
| remotely probable that a man Will
run for the Democratic presidential
| nomination on his resemblance 10
| Taft, a Republican, who was elected
| once, but who was also declsiVely
| beaten in a later campaign.
II Is no disparagement Of the In
| diana senator's ability to point u
that he has said and done nothing
in recent months to advance his can
| didacy. That has been the natural
sequence of the policy he has as
sumed as a candidates. a part OF
| the game he is playing. His noml-
Ination, if it is brought about, Will
come essentially as a compromise
and the logical compromise canal
date is never n whose attitude a
| been too extreme on the pubic
questions that will be the issues OF
the campaign,
Ralston and his friends have a
| right to assume that 1t Is generally
| recognized that his democracy is
sound, that he is not an extremist
| from any point of view, and that his
nomination would be viewed as one
of the safe and sane variety. They
NAV also take it for granted that his
record as governor of Indiara is
widely and f%avorably known.
In the circumstances it is the part
of wisdom for them to saw Wood
and say nothing" This insures that
Ralston will be neither provoking
criticism nor making enemies, ana
that when the get together slogan
is sounded in next years Democratic
national convention the Indiana
standard may be made a real rally
ing point.
1t is probably the situation within
his party. plus the geographical loca-
ton, rather than his resemblance to
Cleveland, that gives Ralston his
present potential strength as a pres
idential aspirant. To win the nomi-
nation in a Democratic convention a
man must command the votes OF
t~wo-thirds of the delegates. Thus a
determined, cohesive minority of the
delegates can prevent the nomination
of any candidate whom they oppose
and force a compromise. In the
1912 convention Champ Clark. of
Missouri, received more than a ma
jority of the votes on a number of
ballots, but the opposition rallied by
William j. Bryan was able to en-
compass his defeat.
Most of the candidates for 1924
have developed opposition that may
prove equally formidable. James M.
Cox, of Ohio, made such a disastrous
race of it in 1920 that he is being
talked out of the race before it is
fairly started. Governor AL Smith,
of New York, is credited with such
liberal views on the prohibition ques-
ton that the drys can ever be recon-
ciled to his nomination, while in adj
dition he has the religious issue to
meet and is also handicapped by be-
ing a Tamm0ny man.
y = =
Senator Oscar w. Underwood, of
Alabama, who is making one of the
most aggressive campaigns, will like
wise be opposed by the drys. He
has declared for the strict enforce
ment of the prohibitory laws and
regulations, but his conversion from
the views he held when he opposed
the eighteenth amendment is regard
ed as too recent by the prohibition