The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-04-15
NoBig Man
in Sight for
Near-Adequates on Horizon
Cited by Sullivan While
Noting Great Change
in Nations Ideals.
Many Factions, No Unity
By MARK SULLIVAN.

Washington. April 14.-All the talk
presidential situation and all the ac-
tivity going on have to do almost
wholly with factions and With no
organized effort--with the fact that
the New Jersey leader is for one man,
the Illinois leader for another: that
the railroad workers are for McAdoo
and many of the farmers for Ford;
that the "irreconcilables" are for
Johnson and so on.
One whose work is TO record all this
sort of thing cannot help wishing it
we're ease of great. unselfish issues.
or a case Of great personalities. But
the truth is none of the men now be-
ing mentioned for either party nom
nation is of really first-rank size in
the oroad sense
The same was true in the 1920 sit
uation. The present writer was talk
ing once with one OF the two party
candidates in 1920 lit does not matter
which one) much along the lines of
what is here being said. when the
candidate remarked with an engag
ing tolerance and candor of appraise-
ment of himself and others: You
must bear in mind. brother. that in
1920 both the parties had to go to
the bush league for their candi-
dates"
This was literally true. Nineteen
twenty was a dividing line in Amer
lean political history. For "a years
haI
about immense personalities. There
had been Roosevelt, Wilson and
Bryan. For the purposes of the pres
ent article. and for the purpose of
American politics, the word great
can be used conveniently and, prob
ably. also justly, TO describe a man
whose size is greater than his party,
who has the ability to carry groups
of voters from one party to another.
Each OF these men had this power.
and no other man of their generation
had Il. But IT is also true that each
of these three men. in different WAYS
and at different phases of their
careers. adequately justified the word
great" i'm its broader sense.
Great Personalities Gone
in any event by 1920 each of these
r. Lad reecnav passed eff tho
4tage. Roosevelt had died. Wilson had
broken down in health and Bryan
had become "shopworn had been
Little too long on the shelf without
eyer achieving sale in the sense Of
an actual election to the presidency.
And by the passing OF these three
American politics ceased to be whal Il
had been for a quarter Of century
ceased to be a matter Of dominating
personalities. and became a different
thing. II any proof is needed of the
extent to which these three men had
dominated politics. the extent 10
which the people had relied on them
10 express their ideas, it can be pro-
vided by a simple statement.
In every presidential election since
1896, and including that year. one or
more of these men were candidates.
In 1886, Bryan wcs candidate IN
1900. Bryan and Roosevelt were can
didates: in 1904. Roosevelt was candl-
date: in 1908, Bryan was candidate,
in 1912. Wilson and Roosevelt were
candidates: in 1916. Wilson was can
didate. That is a rather impressive
showing for a quarter of a century,
not previously equaled. in this re
speet in American history. And even
in the years when any one OF these
men was not actually among the can
didates he was always a big figure in
the situation With their passing our
politics entered a new stage.
All that can be gathered from n
superficial view is that we have no
great figures in our present American
politics-no equivalent of Roosevelt,
or Of the Wilson Of few years ago,
or of the Bryan Of his wonderfully
dynamic prime. We do not even
have any figures that the politicians
can rely on to swing groups of voters
from one party TO the other. Can any
one think of a republican who, be-
cause of his personality. can swing
! 900 900 voters-say per cent of the
electorate--nto the republican party
from the democratic one? And can
any one think of democrat who. be-
cause of his personality. can swing
900 900 republicans into the demo
cratic ranks?
Some Near idequates.
There are none such in the current
political situation. There may be
some budding ones beneath the sur.
face. ready to flower with the sun Of
events Buchan. in his recent his
tory Of the war, says:
For the man Of destiny is the gift
OF God, and is not to be found by
painful seeking When he comes 1t "a
silently and without advertisement,
and his own people commonly know
him not
And yet az to some OF the figures
IN the current politics OF both parties
one Is able to see. II not clear great.
ness. yet so close an approach to ade-
quate bigness that you keep wish
ing, almost with pain, that they had
that little more that makes such
leagues Of difference" You keep wish.
Ing you could combine pairs Of them
into one, or certain parts of some
with parts Of others.
II only you could combine some of
the personalities IN tho field. you
might get results that would move
the world, figures that would measure
up 10 those personalities that cross
the world once in so often and affect
its destinies profoundly. If you could
take Borah's capacity for clear
thought and ringing expression Of It,
bis facility in the world OF abstract
ideas, and add 10 that Harding y
capacity for getting men To march In