Evening star., 1923-03-18
PRESIDENT TO RUN
AND WIN IN 1924,
SAYS DAUGHERTY
Attorney General Optimistic
Over Chances of His Chief,
He Declares at Miami.
SEES BUT ONE OPPONENT
IN REPUBLICAN PARTY
Believes Perpetual" Candidate Has
Little Hope of Winning
Nomination.
By the Associated Press.

bH lhc ASSoclateu Press.
MIAMI BEACH Fla. March IL
Prediction that President Harding
will be a candidate for denomination
that he will be selected as the re-
publican standard bearer, and that he
will be reelected, was made here
today by Attorney General Daugherty
pre-convention campaign manager
for Mr.. Harding in 1920, and since
then his chief political adviser.
president Harding will be a candi-
date for renomination," said the At
torney General. There will be no
other candidate against him except
one. and that one is always a candi-
date. He will be reuominated and
reelected. The country and the party
will demand it
Statement Bears Weight.
Mr.. Daugherty. who is at Miami
Beach recuperating from his recent
Illness, made his statement TO the
newspaper correspondents with Presi-
dent Harding's Florida vacation party.
for whom he sent. The statement is
regarded as by far the most authori-
tative informal announcement as to
President Harding's intentions with
respect to 1924 yet made, because OF
the close relationship between the
chief executive and Mr.. Daugherty
with respect TO political matters.
The President and Mr.. Daugherty
had several conferences before the
vacation party left Washington early
this month, and they have seen each
other two or three times during the
formers three-day visit here. Sim
liar statements have been made in
the last few months by several re-
publicans regarded as close to the
President Secretary Hoover some
months ago made such a statement
in an address in California and only
last month Senator Watson of Indi-
ana in a speech in the Senate pre-
dicted that Mr.. Harding would be a
candidate and would be renominated.
Believes Worst Is Over.
Asked If there was any contingency
under which Mr.. Harding would not
seek another term in the White
House, Mr.. Daugherty said he be-
,lieved only an impairment of the
Presidents health would stand in the
way. OF course, much may happen
in the next fourteen months. but
friends of the President within the
last few days have ventured the pre-
,diction that he will return to Wash
ington with his health better than
at any time since he entered the
White House and certainly in better
physical condition than at any time
in the past year
Touching indirectly on this phase
OF the question. Mr.. Daugherty as
serted that the President had passed
through the hardest part Of his ad-
ministration the period during
which the more far-reaching policies
must be formulated and the after
math of the world war straightened
out. The time for the most extensive
appreciation of the Harding admin
istration, Mr.. Daugherty believes.
now is beginning.
Several Issues I'D.
The Attorney General said plainly
that he had no desire to manage
Mr.. Harding's campaign next year,
declaring he never was or never
would be a campaign manager. This
statement, however, was not taken
as meaning that Mr.. Daugherty will
not take prominent part in the cam
paign if Mr.. Harding is the central
republican figure, but as Indicating
that he would be content to remain
somewhat in the background as an
adviser.
Although agreeing with the state
ment made here yesterday by Will
Liam Jennings Bryan that it was vet
bit too early to talk politics. Mr..
. Daugherty said some of the issues
on which the campaign would he
fought out already had appeared.
Among these he mentioned taxation.
law enforcement. freedom of action
for the United States in information
al affairs and the administration of
the Department of Justice.
The Attorney General did not elabo-
rate on his statement that there
would be only one candidate in the
quadrennial republican convention
against Mr.. Harding.
Mr.. Daugherty appeared today 10
be gaining steadily In strength. as
the result of his stay here. He will
remain here another week, then go
to st. Augustine to spend several
daVS with the pracidapt}oI ,>or