Evening star., 1924-03-04
All Other States.
Member OF the Associated Press.
A Year Hence.

dent will be inaugurated. In the
course Of these next twelve months
the great quadrennial political battle
will have been fought and the results
recorded, and the man chosen by the
people to preside over their affairs for
. four years will have been sworn to ad-
minister the laws faithfully.
At present there is much confusion,
with the air tense with currents Of
high feeling. A scandal affecting the
integrity Of certain officials and peo-
pie in private life, bearing upon the
handling OF one Of. the natural re-.
sources Of the country reserved for
purposes of the national defense. has
shocked the people. Its reactions have
carried far and affected the political
prospects of several whose names
, have appeared in the preliminary
reckoning.
In June, following a series Of state
primaries, the two major parties will
assemble in convention and name their
respective candidates. The candidate
OF the republican party is already in
dicated with reasonable clearness, the
incumbent Of the Office to which he
succeeded by virtue OF his vice presi-
dental post when death removed the
Chief Executive last summer. While
there is opposition in one quarter, Mr..
Coolidge's nomination is expected as a
matter of course.
In the democratic party there Is so
wide a field of possibilities and actual
candidates that the outcome is a mat
ter Of extreme doubt. The two-thirds
rule will make the going hard for any
candidate for the nomination. Certain
handicapping factors will operate
upon almost all Of these potentialities.
The democracy will seek to present it's
strongest man, capable of appealing
to the largest possible number of the
people without challenging any preju.
dices.
BY the time the conventions have
done their work the repercussions of
this present sensation regarding the
oil scandal will have subsided to a
large extent. The actual facts Of the
case will have become established, re-
placing rumors and half-proved charges
and unfounded accusations. It will
doubtless be plainly evident to the
people, at least to the great majority
OF them, that the government is sound,
matter Of party, but Of individual de-
fault
Issues of moment will doubtless have
been declared and framed by the two
conventions in the platforms Of the
parties. A third party may have
evolved, not seeking or hoping for d.
rect success, but figuring upon hold
ing the balance Of power, possibly the
capture of enough electoral votes to
throw the election in the House Of
Representatives, where, as the delega.
tiofls now stand, there is no clear
partisan majority in the vote by
states.
It has been urged during recent
years that the presidential campaigns
should be shortened, to lessen the in.
reference Of the canvass with the
regular business Of the country. But
In the present conditions it is well to
have so long a time as the nine
months between now and election for
the people to settle down from their
somewhat excited state of mind to the
point Of deliberate choice. They are
entitled to this opportunity to consider
the real questions at issue, apart from
tho natural and wholesome revulsion
OF feeling caused by the painful dis.
closures Of malfeasance in office and
Of distressing moral failures on the
part Of individuals.
The people can be trusted. it has
been said, to decide right. They have
nine months to decide into whose
hands they will a year from today
place the great power that attaches to
the Office Of President Of the United
States.