Evening star., 1924-07-15
EVENTS PUT DAVIS
|NATTACK POSTURE
Must Take Offensive Due to
Delay in G. O. P. Notifica-
ton Ceremony.
a.
USUAL ORDER CHANGED
Coolidge Will Have Chance to
/, Know Rivals Argument and
Frame Reply.
USUAL ORDER CHANGED
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

. The presidential campaign will not
ond week in August
President Coolidge's speech of ac-
ceptance, which originally was to
have preceded that of the Democratic
nominee, as per custom, has been
postponed, and the reversal Of the
order may have some bearing on the
way the campaign will be unfolded
Usually the Republicans hold their
convention first and notify their can
dldate before the Democrats do. This
means that the Republicans blaze the
way and take the offensive, SO to
speak. This year it will be different.
John w. Davis will deliver his speech
or acceptance at Clarksburg, w Va,
within fortnight and will lay down
the fundamentals of the campaign-
should be.
The two keynote speeches, the one
delivered by former Senator Burton
OF Ohio at Cleveland, and the other by
senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi
at the Democratic convention, reflect
to certain extent the argument that
VIII be used on the stump. but neither
speech gave a constructive program
Chance for Coolidge.
Mr.. Coolidge has not had an oppor-
tunity since the adjournment of Con-
gress to make a comprehensive state
ment of what his policies will be If
he is given the support of the country
and a sympathetic Congress. He will
have chance to digest whatever
thoughts are expressed by the Demo-
cratic nominee and, in . sense, make
rejoinder.
The Democrats are anxious to take
the offensive. John w. Davis is con-
ferring just now with all the party
leaders, but his basic ideas of what
the Democratic program should be
have been formed during the past year
from close observation of the politi-
cal scene. While he never was an ac-
tive candidate, he kept in constant
touch With what was going on.
will be which party will be the more
effective in carrying out campaign
promises. The Republican party has
been in control Of Congress ever since
the election of 1918. The executive
branch of the Government has been
in Republican hands four years Dur
ing that time the Republican party
has been split into an eastern and
western wing and in the last session
of Congress an insurgent Republican
portant pieces of legislation were
passed by a coalition of insurgent
Republicans and Democrats with the
Presidents supporters in the minor
ity in both houses The Mellon tax
plan, proposed by the administration,
was defeated and so was the will OF
the Executive on the soldier bonus.
No farm relief program was adopted.
Food for Democrats.
All this is food for the Democrats,
who will insist that the Democratic
party is better constituted to be ef-
feCtive because of its cohesion than
is the Republican party and that
while Calvin Coolidge himself is
the country, effectiveness depends on
teamwork and a united party.
To all this the Republicans are
preparing their answer. They declare
that President Coolidge took office in
the midst of the administration OF an
other, that he has not yet had a vote
of confidence from the people ena-
bling him to make his own appoint
ments to office and that Congress will
be more obedient to his wishes after
a general election than it has been.
Probably. no new thoughts or for
mulas will be divulged in either
sites of the situation, especially in the
West have been plain to legislators
for some time. Everybody, for in
stance, was agreed that agricultural
relief was needed this year and is
still necessary. but no program that
with respect to foreign policy which
will help to build up American ex-
port trade. The principles of the
hour are not going to be a matter of
plying them and carrying them out
will challenge the wits of both can
didates, as they appeal to the people.
(Copyright, 1924)