The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-06-24
AS A POLITICAL ASSET.

| Since the time when Grover Cleve-
land was loved for the enemies he
had made, ambitious public men have
| specialized in collecting advantageous
| enemies. 1t is a good deal of a fine
art. You first try to find out what
you think the public dislikes, and
| then try to arrange matters so that
it will appear to dislike you intense
ly. The assumed hospitality may be
| obviously theatrical, it may be good
only for purposes of getting a nom
ination or for the early stages of
the campaign; but if it can be
put over" it will do. Politicians
are supposed to spend most of their
time cultivating useful friendships.
But the shrewder minds among them
have seen the possibilities of Secur-
ing "A much more valuable asset in
the form of enmities. They some
times even plan for national con
vention in the spirit of the advice
which Talleyrand IS said to have given
to Theirs: "You wish to rise; make
enemies" If you cant make them
invent them.
The clearest illustration of this
theory just at present is given by
the friends of Mr.. McAdoo. He comes
to seek Il nomination for the Presi-
dency in the shadow of Wall Street,
and causes it triumphantly to be an
nounced that Wall Street is against
him. He also glories in the asserted
fact that the railroads are opposed to
him, and that Big Business is plott-
ing to bring about his defeat. There
is difference, the unwary reader
may not know, between mere business
and Big Business. This was explain
ed by Mr.. William Allen White in
reporting the proceedings of the
Cleveland convention. 1t appears
that the Republican Party, which had
always been ready to sell itself out
to business interests, this time de-
livered itself bound and gagged into
the hands of Big Business. Instead
of subjecting itself, as heretofore,
to scattered manufacturers and cap
tains of industry, it turned itself
over this year soul and body into
the keeping of Judge Gary and Mr..
Morgan, and two or three others who
now personify what used to be call
ed abstractly the Money Power.
This, of course, is the Big Business
of which Mr.. McAdoo so eagerly
covets the opposition. He thinks he
can capitalize it to his own great
political profit. One word openly
spoken against him by great lead
er of business in New York would
be, he seems to think, worth 10000
votes in Oklahoma or Texas. Hence
the curious spectacle which the pro-
motors of his candidacy present at
this time. They go about fairly
shouting with glee over the fact
that their man has succeeded in ar
raging against himself some of the
largest financial influences in the
country. If they can only be con-
vctedfof conspiring against him, his
success is assured. SO runs the argu-
ment of the McAdoo boomers. That
it is based upon a wholly unwarrant-
ed assumption Of facts is not sup
posed to interfere at all with it's
political effectiveness for the pur-
poses of the National Convention.
The whole thing is painfully labor
ed. There lis no evidence that Big
Business or small business cares
very much one way or the other
about Mr.. MtAdoo personally. The
policies which he advocates and the
sort of political forces which he
would let loose if he were the Presi-
Dental nominee of his party are of
much more concern. There is such
thing as a sudden and feigned
antagonism to Wall Street, entirely
consistent with perfect willingness
to obtain help from it. Wall Street
itself understands this perfectly. If
Big Business were to help on Mr..
McAdoo's nomination by even appear
ing to combine against him, it would
do so in full expectation that he
would be quite ready to come to it
afterward asking what it would like
him to do. His record is not such
as to terrify Big Business for a
moment, if it were the interruptions
and constituencies thing which his
political hackers are asserting it to
be. The likelihood is that the only
fear of Big Business would be that
it was not big enough to meet the
McAdoo idea of doing business
it.
Around all these claims and coun.
ter claims, for or against prospec-
tive candidates, there is an air of
unreality. No one really believes in
the Pigments which are put about by
politicians to serve their temporary
ends. 1t is all very we'll to gloat for
argumentative purposes over a can
didate's unequalled assets in the mat
ter Of enemies. But he will need
few friends, too, before he can be
either nominated or elected. And
friendsh'. that counts, even in poll
tics, is built upon confidence, and
confidence rests on character. After
all, it is of better augury for can
didate to show that he is man
widely trusted instead of merely be-
ing one who is feared and hated
New York Times.