Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-19
Lawrence Points to Under
wood, Glass and Robinson
as Presidential Timber
Handicapped by Location

(This Is one of the series of articles by
! David Lawrence on presidential possibilities
and impossbilities giving an appraisal Of
! the political assets and liabilities of the
men most talked about today for the Re
publican and Democratic nominations. Mr..
Lawrence has just finished a tour of the
western part of the United States with
President Harding and is now In Europe to
make a detailed survey of reconstruction
! problems there
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
| Copyright, 1921
| Three men of the south-United
| States Senators Underwood of Ala
bama, Carter Glass Of Virginia and
! Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas-de-
serve to be mentioned in any discus
sion Of presidential candidates. on
| the Democratic ticket, not because
any one of them appears to have
| chance in 1924, but as favorite sons
they will command certain delega-
tons that must be reckoned with be-
| fore a final selection is made.
There are two reasons why the
| three senator's, able men though
| they be. would hardly be "chosen.
| One. Of course, is the political habit
| of the Democratic leaders in seeking
| A candidate not from the Democratic
! section, but the uncertain and doubt
| full territory. Similarly the Repub-
| licans merely pick up a man from
| PENNSYLVANIA as it is as salidly Re
publican as Virginia is solidly Demo
cratic.
| The other reason is not so con-
! trolling, but it will have an impor-
| tant infuence-all three men are
liberal conservatives. 1t will not be
enough to be progressive" in 1924,
for if the Democrats care anything
about the west they must actually
name a radical" The Ford move
ment is symptomatic of the radical
wave. This would be an ideal coca
sion for William jennings Bryan.
Were he able today to make the
kind OF campaigns he made in 1895
and 1900 he would fire the magma
ton of the agricultural west. 70
litically speaking, he reached the
climax of his career too soon.
For they are thinking, talking
and preaching Organism out west to-
dav. There is an even more radical
complexion to the electorate OF the
west than Bryan ever attempted 10
hiring about in his palmiest days
Even President Harding has caught
the western waves and has began 10
GET more and more in tune with
Them as he sojourns in the west.
Underwood Able Leader
Senator Oscar Underwood is one
of the ablest men the Democratic
marty ever produced. He is a
wet" He has the confidence OF
| business men. He is especially
adroit as leader in politics ana
knows how to handle the house and
senate. Had he emanated from
New York state there would be to-
dav little question about the propa-
bility of his selection. The poll
| ticians have not forgotten the
strength Mr.. Underwood developed
in the Baltimore convention of 1917
Senator Carter Glass, of Virginia,
has contributed to public service
one of the outstanding pieces OIL
legislation of this generation-the
present federal reserve act. AS sec
rotary of the treasury he made
splendid record. He has always
been identified with the "progres-
sive' school Of democracy. The
| barriers to his nomination for the
presidency are not alone his south
ern residence, but his lack of espe-
| cial appeal to the radical elements
| Of the west. OF course, if the
Democratic party strives for an
eastern and southern combination
of electoral votes, the progressive
| or radicalism of Mr.. Underwood or
Mr. Glass would not be the factor.
| Then both would probably be elimi-
mated because the northern organl-
cation leaders have usually been
able to convince their southern
| brethren that the only chance to
get the northern vote in the doubt
| full states lies in the selection Of a
| northerner as the presidential
nominee. Practical politics rather
than logo makes such a course GUS
| tomary and it is unfortunate that
men like Senators Underwood and
| Glass suffer that handicap But it
exists and no political analyst can
! ignore it.
Robinson Master Strategist
! AS for Senator Robinson, of Ark
ansas, he will have a chance to get
in the limelight in the coming SEES
! sion Of congress. AS a leader of
the Democrats in the senate in sue
cession to Senator Underwood, Mr..
Robinson will be the master strate-
gist. 1t was after Mr.. Underwood
served his party as the leader of
| the house in 1912 when he develop
/ ed his greatest srengrn IN the
! Democratic national convention at
Baltimore. Arkansas is sufficiently
western to appeal to some of the
agriculturalists of the wheat and
| corn belt, but there, too, if the Sec
tional argument doesn't eliminate
! Senator Robinson from the race,
! his opportunity will turn entirely
! on what kind of a radical he is.
! Will he be able to strike the Ford
note, the Bryan or La Toilette kew
! to the west?
In the hands of Mr.. Robinson lie
10 large extent the fate OF his
party even though he may not win
tlrst place on the ticket himself. If
ne does not make his party more
radical than the Harding leadership
! OF the Republicans indicates that
the incumbent party will be, he
canTot hope for the western vote.
The latter will either remain Re-
publlcan-concentrating on state
elections-or throw. the weight of
its influence to a third party move
ment.
The west Is in the \ mood for
change. 1t is cropping for a Bryan
! or La Toilette. That's the secret
of the Ford strength. Any real
| radical can absorb that strength
| overnight.