Evening star., 1924-10-12
DAVIS LAYS CLAIM
TO OHIO VICTORY
Democratic Leader in Middle
States ReneWs Attacks
on Administration.
BY the Associated Press.

OF the republican party, its leaders
and the administration of govern
mental affairs at Washington. The
third address was made here tonight
after appearances earlier in the day
at Urbana. Ohio. and Richmond. Ind.
Mr.. Davis called attention in both
the Indianapolis and Richmond
speeches to what he described as
-four years of rapid promise and
reckless msgovernment." and de-
clared "a continuation Of the present
situation" would mean not Coolidge
or chaos" but Coolidge and then
chaos
At Urbana he confidently declared
Ohio would be found in the Demo-
cratic lists on November 4, and said
there was every reason for Demo-
cratic confidence on that point.
Business conditions were reviewed
1t some length by the candidate in
Indianapolis. He said the Republt-
can administration took Office three
and one-half years ago. "heedless and
helpless and rudderless,' and had
failed to stabilize business conditions
or restore a feeling of security. In
this connection Mr.. Davis compared
the last three years Of the Wilson
administration with the first three
wears of tho Harding Coolidge ad-
miniStration.
Emphasizes Bank Failures.
Take bank failures" he said, "in
the years 1918, 1919 and 1920, there
was a total of 1s9 bank failures; in
the years 1921. 1922 and 1928. a total
of 1,22l, and during the first six
months of 1924. total of 42S banks
failed, with liabilities more than
double those Of the last three years
under Wilson.
I'm commercial failures the rec
ord is equally striking. During the
last three years under Wilson there
were in the entire country 2o.3l4
failures: during the first three years
under Harding and Coolidge there
were 6204S. with liabilities three
times the liabilities of those who
failed in the Wilson administration,
and in the first six months of 1924
there have been 1875 commercial
failures with liabilities more than
half OF the total for the entire years
Of 1918, 1919 and 1920.
: In order to divert attention from
these unpleasant facts and to throw
smoke screen over the pitiable rec
ord of the last three and one-half
years, Republican spokesmen. head
ed by President Coolidge, are now
going into Mysteries over the menace
to the Constitution presented by the
third party. They are trying to per-
suade themselves and persuade the
country that the proposal put for
ward by Senator La Toilette that
Congress shall have the power TO
override a decision of the Supreme
Court is the real issue upon which
the American people must pass in
this campaign. Some people. lnciud-
ing myself, have been openly against
that uggestion-ancient as II is
long before constitutional patriots
like President Coolidge and Gen.
Dawes began to be excited about II.
Sees "smoke Screen"
Y opposed it in 1912, when it was
put forward by Theodore Roosevelt.
do not remember that either Gen.
Dawes or President Coolidge had
anything to say about it at that time.
But they know, you know and the
country knows that the outcry they
are making now is a smoke screen
pure and simple"
Mr.. Davis pointed out the differ
enceS as he saw them between the
Democratic and Republican parties.
II know there are those" he said.
who seek to have the country be-
lieve that there is no difference be-
tween the Democratic and Republican
parties or their nominees 1 should
like to point out the difference of
two hundred million dollars in the
profits that Sinclair and Doheny
hoped for from their oil leases, which
they would never have gotten under
Democratic rule; a difference of near
ly thirty millions Of dollars in the
condition Of the American farmer
and the value of his holdings; a diff
ference Of seven hundred and fifty
million dollars in the proposed ship
subsidy; a difference Of not less than
two billions of dollars in excessive
prices to the consumer imposed by a
Republican tariff, and a difference
between wholesale and widespread
corruption and administrative hon
esty."
Business Conditions.
At another point the candidate took
UP again his discussion of business
conditions.
Turn where we will" Mr.. Davis
said, ito mining, railroads, labor,
banking, the conserving of our nat
ural resources, or to any other branch
of producing and distributing activity
and during the last three and one
half years where de do we see in the
field of business legislation and re-
form aught else than q base and un-
wholesome desert broken at great in
tervals by a few cases that Demo-
cratic votes were able to create?
can we be surprised that such a
record has given strength to all the
forces of unrest and discomfort?
What could do more than four more
years of rapid promise and reckless
misgovernment to prepare the way in
this country for a. spirit of rebellion
against the Constitution and the pro-
tecting laws of social order and busi-
ness safety? The slogan which the
Republican press has recently been
attempting to make popular should
be stated not as an alternative, but
as a sequence. 1t should not be
Coolidge or Chaos, but Coolidge
then chaos"
Jokes 1T Dawes.
Mr.. Davis suggested to his Rich
mond audience that the third party"
might take the salamander for its
symbol. That, he said. was the only
animal he knew Of which fitted Cen.
Dawes description Of the party
headed by Senators La Toilette and
Wheeler.
"Gen. Dawes says this party is so
hot it is red hot" the candidate
said. "And the only animal that can
live in red heat is the salamander
itself"
Between the elephant, the donkey
and the salamander Mr.. Davis said,
the voters would select the animal to
give them "the best journey for the
next four years."
Mr.. Davis emphasized his objec-
tions to the theory of government he
said Senator La Toilette represented,
but declared he had no sympathy
with the objections to the wisconsin
Senator which had been raised in the
shape OF a brand new bogey man by
Gen. Dawes. He said he detected In
tho speeches Of the Republican vice
presidential candidate q purpose to