Evening star., 1924-02-27
PARTY HEADS SPLIT
|NDAUGHERTYC CASE
Some Hold Elimination of
Attorney General Would
Injure 6. o. P.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Attorney General Daugherty will
have his day in court and he will also
etire from the cabinet, but he will do
so when he is satisfied that his resig-
nation will not be interpreted as a
confirmation of the various accusations
made against him by members of the
Senate
At the moment, President Coolidge is
loath to force Il decision. Two lines
of thought, each seemingly logical and
each based upon what appears to their
sponsors TO be the best interests of the
republican party, have been impressed
upon the President.
One is that Mr.. Coolidge will help
himself and the republican party by
thus making clean sweep with re-
Spect TO all persons in his Cabinet
who have been mentioned in connec-
tion with the oil controversy.
Party On Trial.
The other is that the republican
party IS on trial and not Mr.. Coolidge
and that whatever he does to weaken
the prestige OF the party by allow
ing Mr.. Daugherty to resign under
fire will react against the republican
party and therefore against him if
he is the candidate in the coming
election.
Those who are urging the first
h.lievc they are advancing his po-
lltical fortunes. His Massachusetts
TRENDS are eager for him to win
and are anxious to see him enter the
CAMPAIGN unencumbered. 1t is not
that they love Mr.. Daugherty less. but
they love Mr.. Coolidge more
The practical politicians like Chair
man John L. Adams, chairman of the
republican national committee, who
stand up and fight and not let me mere
accusations stand. are beginning to
believe it is time to turn the tide by
mass attack on their political foes.
While very little has been said
split over the Daugherty question
may make certain organization re-
publicans sw."G their influence in the
opposite direction and back some one
against President Coolidge for the
nomination. The Daugherty issue
at any rate. will not be easily dis
posed of and will cause friction in
side the party.
Will Not End Fight.
What TO do then? Mr.. Coolidge
knows that he cannot without en-
countering criticism let Mr.. Daugh-
erty resign without a hearing and he
has been told also that the attack
on the republican cabinet will not
end with retirement of Attorney Cen
cral Daugherty for the democrats
are already talking of bombarding
other cabinet secretaries. Senator
Hetlin of Alabama. democrat. has
publicly announced that the inten-
tfon now is to go right down the
other cabinet members.
Under the circumstances the pro-
Daugherty logicians are saying the
controversy is by no means ended
with a resignation and that Mr..
Coolidge will have to face the demo-
Gratis sooner or later in a blunt re-
fusal TO heed their demands and he
might as we'll do it now.
IF Harry Daugherty were convinced
Coolidge and that Il republican vic
tory at the polls would be improbable
if he remained in the cabinet, he
would get out overnight and carry
his case to the country in public
speeches looking to the American peo-
pic 70 vindicate him.
Conferences between the President
and the Attorney General have been
frequent in the last twentyfour
hours. The President has discussed
the entire matter with the utmost
frankness. His inclination is to SuS-
pend judgment and let the Attorney
General make his case before the
country. But before the republican
national. convention meets the chances
retired
(Copvright 1921