Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-17
FORD FOES PLAN
FIGHT IN PRIMARIES
As BOOM SPREADS
BY ROBERT T. SMALL
(Leased Wire Service to rne Journsl.)
(CopyriQht, 1929


(CopyriQht, 1929
WASHINGTON, July 14.-Infor-
nation received here this week
leaves no further doubt that the
name of Henry Ford will be pre-
scented as Democratic aspirant
for the nomination at all of the
presidential preference primarie
held next spring.
Following the methods employed
in the Michigan senatorial prima-
ries when he ran against Senator
Newberry, Mr.. Ford's name may
also be presented on the Republican
ticket at some of the presidential
primaries, but it is evident that
most of his ardent hackers feel that
his best chance for one of the old
party nominations lies in the DEM
ocratic fold.
Acting, therefore, on the old po-
litical maxim that you can't beat
somebody with nobody, Democratic
leaders everywhere are urging the
obvious contestants for the presi-
Dental nomination to take the field
against Ford. They frankly fear the
delay in checking what is undenia-
bly, a drift toward the Detroit man
ufacturer in Democratic territory.
They want counter irritants at
work. If it be true, they say, that
Ford sentiment is sweeping the
west like a prairie fire, every rule
of political safety calls for the ira
ditional setting of a back fire.
Consequently in New York this
week there was a meeting of the
hackers of Williams Gibbs McAdoo
and the foundations of nation wide
organization were laid.
Underwood Is GroOmed
Here in Washington the hackers
of Senator Oscar w. Underwood, of
Alabama, are perfecting the prelim-
inaries Of their organization and
are awaiting only the pschychologi-
cal moment when the senator will
give the word to go
In New York also the Tammany
hackers of Governor Al Smith will
not agree he has no chance for the
the ravaging old cry of rum, Ro-
hurled at the governor by some of
the reform organizations who resent
his approval of the repeal of the
state dry law.
Among the otllsr Democratic pres
dential possibilities it is very evil
dent that former Governor Cox, of
Ohio, is unwilling at this time that
an organization should take the tield
in his behalf. Governor Cox feels
that his recort! is clear and if the
party desires him again as a stand
ard bearer, this is one of the times
when brave man can wait TO be
drafted rather than to volunteer.
So far there has been no evil
dence of an organization being
formed in behalf of Senator Ralston,
of Indiana, although he is admit
tedly in the first rank of the posi-
bilities.
There are two schools of thought
in the Democratic ranks. One of
these holds that political delegates
DO not grow on trees, waiting to be
plucked by any aspirant that comes
along. Delegates must be cultivated,
say the members of this school and
the cultivation cannot take place
without organization and certain le-
Ultimate campaign funds. The cost
OF gathering crop of delegates has
grown prodigiously since the state
vide primaries were established in
so many parts of the country.
Divided on Primary Plan
The necessity for early and wide
organization in behalf of an as
pirant for the presidential nomina-
ton is further stressed by those
who say that the preference prima-
ries will become a farce if not par.
tlcipated in by virtually all the va
rlouS aSpirantS. They still recog-
nize the courtesy of one candidate
not going into the state of a ia
Vorite SON. to contest his home del
egation with him, but otherwise
they believe there should be the
widest possible participation in the
primaries.
The second and older school of
thought believes that the prefer
ence primaries can never send a
man to a Democratic convention
with the tWo-thirds vote necessary
for the nomination. Therefore it is
held that the nomination ALWAYS
Will be thrown on the floor Of the
convention and thus far history has
shown that the man with the great
est number of preference delegates
does not get the nomination. The
reason for this is that he has had
too much of a fight on his hands
gathering in the delegates and has
created innumerable animosities.
These all tell against him when the
time for compromise and agreement
is reached in the convention.
mis- is what history shows, but
Henry Ford says 'All history is
bunk.' and there YOU are