Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-16

well played.
Watson is admittedly one of the
commanding figures on the Republi-
can side of the senate today. Prob
ably he comes nearer the real lead
ership than does Henry Cabot Lodge
who is the titular leader. He will
not be of lesser stature in 1924 than
he is now, and if he Is not after the
presidential prize then, he will bear
watching in 1928,
Gn the Democratic Side
On the Democratic side of Indiana
politics Samuel M. Ralston wins first
consideration because he Is the man
who defeated Albert jeremiah Beve-
ridge in the senatorial election last
November. Any Democrat who gets
himself elected governor or United
States senator in Indiana becomes at
once a presidential possibility, and
Ralston has turned both tricks. He
has had his term BIS governor and on
March 4 he win enter the senate.
Accordingly he 10 justified in any
White House ideas he may entertain.
There is nothing ~pyrotechnical
about Mr.. Ralston, but he is a solid,
substantial individual in more ways
than one and his record is one that
will bear any kind of scrutiny. Along
with Governor Smith of New York
he is one of the few Democrats of
presidential size in the United States
who have given recent demonstra-
tons of ability to carry elections, and
that is something the Democratic
party will consider seriously when
selecting a standard bearer next
year.
Thomas RAey Marshall Is distinct
Iy a presidential possibility, eomplet~
ing the Indiana quartet, although at
this time 1t appears altogether I'M
likely that he will be a candidate.
Almost anything can happen in the
next Democratic national convention
and several different sets of circum-
stances might eventuate in any one
of which 1t might be the thing to do
to nominate Mr.. Marshall for the
presidency.
AS governor of Indiana and as vice
president, Mr.. Marshall has earned
the wholesome respect and the gem
uine regard of his party and of the
country generally. Like Senator
elect Ralston, he lays no claim to
brilliancy, but he is of the rugged,
dependable timber, somewhat rare,
which, whether taken from the Re-
publican or Democratic woods, can
be turned into safe, sound and eff
cieHt public officials, He qualities
easily as the kind Of man OF whom
1t a be said, in connection with the
presidency, as 1t was once said of an
other, that the country might go
farther and do worse, and probably
will.
Thomas Riley Marshall has been
nearer the White House than any
man who has not actually been Pres
ident. People in general do not
realize just how ear that a When
Woodrow Wilson was stricken with
| his almost fatal illness, he was un-
auestionably incapacltated to dis
charge the duties of his high Office
and unweitten history has it that
Vice President Marshall would have
succeeded him but for the i~nslstenee
| of two persons that the true condi-
ton of the President be kept secret
and only death be permitted to re-
move him from his high office.
But-to get back to that quartet
of Indiana presidential possibilities
why not let the HoesieF voters decide
who both the Republican and Demo-
| cratic nominees Of 1924 shall be2
That might prove the simplest solu-
I ton of what promises to be a Vexa-
tious problem. We might also move
| the White House and the capitol out
to Indianapolis. There are people
in indiana who say that that is not
a half-bad idea.