The Washington times., 1924-07-12
RADICALS
IN RANKS
FEW .
Extreme Legislation Deemed
Unlikely Even Should Bob
Become President
BY WILLIAM HARD

Become President \
By WILLIAM HARD
The nice thing for the travelling
observer through this country at
this time Is the happiness with
which he is surrounded. Every
body is happy.
The Republicans are sure they
are going to elect Coolidge.
That is, most of them are. Wise
and lofty business persons in
New York tell this writer that it
is a waste of time for him or any
body else to write pieces on poll
tics during this campaign. All is
over, according to them, except
the reclamation for Coolidge on
the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November.
Betting on Coolidge
They are supposed to have deep
sources of information which come
up to them through wonderful ca.
pillary tubes of expensive inside
confidential reports on the state of
the public minds. This writer duti.
fully reports their views and con.
illusions.
They are betting on Coolidge
heavily and confidently.
Meanwhile the followers of La
Toilette are equally happy.
One Of them in Cleveland at the
progressive convention offered to
bet this writer $500 that La Toilette
would carry Illinois.
The La Toilette people have sent
out agents to explore the public
mind in virtually every State of the
Union. They have a considerable
organization. Their prospects please
them.
They demonstrate the advantages
Of Democracy. They cannot res
sibly elect La Toilette Cbarring
miracles), but under a Democracy
they can get out and toll for him,
and travel in hot railroad cars for
him, and swelter in hot and fetid
public speaking halls for him, AMI
get up long lists of electors in every
State for him, and ronfer till three
in the morning for him and lose
sleep for him and it makes them
happy.
Enjoy Being Busy.
They are busy as bees and en-
toying life. If they poll few mil
lion votes for their Bob, the memory
OF 1t and the hope of even more
millions next time will keep them
quite considerably happy through
out the next Administration.
The Democrats are happy also.
They claim that the public will sooa
forget their hesitatlons and turmoils
in New York.
They claim further that their
middle ground" between Calvin
Coolidge and Robert Marion La
Toilette will win them a central safe
majority of votes.
The neutral onlooker is also fairly
happy. He says to himself:
Suppose the so,called worst
happens, suppose that La Toilette
IL elected
well, what then?
"Why, then not one Of La Fol-
lette's so-called extreme ideas can
in any case get through Congress
for him to sign"
Nothing is more remarkable about
the La Toilette candidacy than the
weakness of it in supporting candi-
dacies for the United States Senate
and for the United States House Of
representatives.
Lack Younger Radicals.
No sufficiently supportingly sup.
ply of younger radicals as candi-
dates for the Senate and for the
House has appeared to back the
La Toilette candidacy in any such
way as to give 1t any possibility
of controlling the legislative branch
Of the Government, even If by some
grotesque chance 1t should arrive
in the White House.
In State after State the La Fol
lette candidates running for the
Senate or for the House, either on
third party ticket or on the Re-
publican or Democratic tickets, are
so neglible as to be almost laugh
able.
The scarcity of prominent, power.
full younger men in the La Toilette
movement raises a query in many
minds as to whether that movement
Is q prophecy or only a reminis.
cence.
1t certainly has much strength
this year in many States. To this
writer's knowledge, many practical
Republican and Democratic politi-
clans In such positions as county
chairman or precinct captain are
in many States making covert alli-
ances with the La Toilette move
ment.
Think It Is Band Wagon.
They think that in their States
It is the band wagon, and they want
to be on it.
This tendency exists throughout
the Northwest and extends in
spotted way eastward, even into
Ohio.
It deals, however, usually only
with the candidacy of La Toilette
himself and extremely seldom, rela-
lively, with any La Follette-like can.
didacies for the Senate or the House.
The Senate and the House are
simply not going to have La Toilette
majorities in them.
Therefore no extreme La Toilette
legislation will be passed at any
time within the next few years.
The situation, if La Toilette were
elected, would be exactly like that in