Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-26
COOLIDGE LEADERS
D|SCARD|NC FRIENDS
E. Of LATE PRESIDENT
BY ROBERT T. SMALL
Copyright, 1924, by the Consolidated Press
Acknowledgements Le0sed Wire
1nitrnal \

Association-Special Leosed Wire
TO The Atlanta Journal.l
NEW YORK. Feb. 2S.-At this end
OF a hectic week, the political por-
tents of the hour are a determined
effort by the Republicans to clear
the road for Calvin Coolidge and a
breaking open OF the Democratic
race.
The drive for President Coolidge is
not without it's handi, 1ps and pit
falls, for in their struggle to
strengthen Mr.. Coolidge, his friends
and some of the party managers are
trampling in the dust some of the
closest associates of the late Presi-
dent Harding. This makes for
very sensitive situation and one
which the Democrats will not handle
IN any too considerate fashion.
The reply to William G. McAdoo's
mandate from his supporters to stay
In the race for the Democratic NOM
ination was announced from James
Cox former governor Of Ohio, that
he would permit the use of his name
IN the Ohio state primaries for presi-
dental preference.
Thus Mr.. McAdoos ascendancy IN
the Democratic race is challenged by
the man who beat him out at San
Francisco in 1920. The result is
tightening OF the Democratic lines.
Cox Refuses to Fight
! Governor Cox has announced time
land time again, however, that he
w9uld make no fight for the NOM
yinatior. 1t has been intinated by
his friends, nevertheless. that if
the democracy should issue a clarion
call for him he would respond. The
I1-e-f col 1o Mi ~
ts emphasized, and rightly SO, that
Governor Cox merely has consent
ed" to the use of his name. Ee
made no such demands. If the re
Spouse to the Cox declaration in
Ohio is all that his friends expect il
to be, there may be an influence on
the primaries in other states and the
former governor may come to New
York with as much preliminary sup
port as he had in San Francisco
FOUR years ago.
It is impossible for the political
forecasters at this time to tell wh0t
effect the Cox announcement will
have upon the candidacy Of Senator
Underwood. Probably the Under.
wood people welcome it, for it is an
other stop in the anti-McAdoo cam
paign and an effort to scotch the
McAdoo slide is the all important
thing to the others in the Demo
cratic possibility list.
There is one phase Of the Demo
cratic. situat on. which can not be
overlooked. Taking advantage of the
silence of Governor Cox and of his
decision to make no fight for the
nomination, the McAdoo people have
made advances to a number Of tne
most influential Of Mr.. Coxs former
adherents and in some instances
have obtained pledges of Mr.. Nc
: Adoo's support from these men.
Judge David Rockwell, Of Ohio, who
i Is general manager Of the McAdoo
boom, was himself a Cox enthIsl-
asst in 1920.
Might Hurt McAdOO
If the movement for Governor Cox
should grow formidable. it is, II
course, possible that those of his
friends who had agreed to support
McAdoo could obtain releases from
their promises on the ground that
these promises were given under the
assumption that Mr.. Cox would not
be in the race. The effect, there
fore, of the Cox consent to stand
for delegates from Ohio may mean
much more than local.
The result of the McAdoo conven.
ton in Chicago was just what was
expected. The telegram from Sene-
tor Walsh of Montana, saying he
still was for McAdoo was all that,
was needed by the supporters Of the
former secretary Of the treasury to
start their enthusiasm full speed
ahead. - IF he's good enough for
Walsh he's good enough for u.s."
they sang. and all ended well. SO
all who counted McAdoo out of the
race have to revsie their progno5-
| ticationS.
There has been still another de.
velopment in the Democratic situa-
ton which Is filled with significance.
"Al" Smith has held dry" confer
ence at Albany and has made a plea
for law enforcement worthy OF
Wayne B. Wheeler. Governor Smitn
has let it be known before this that
he believes the Volstead law should
be modified, but inasmuch as that
modification seems to be oft of the
question for the time being. he now
declares the prohibition act to be ,ls
sacred rs any other law and he has
shown wills figures that the state
police have been more active thai
ever against rum runners since the
repeal of the state prohibition law
which the governor signed. Pro
hbition enforcement has not lag.
ged in the empire state, the COVER
nor declares, for any want of CO.
OPERATION from the police. The fed
| Ed authorities, he says, have not
ZEN the police any too much sup
p6{. The governor also has charged
that the counties of the state
forcement are rock-ribbed in their
|. Republicanism. One of the criti-
cisms leveled against Governor
Smith has been that he was too
wet" ever to be president. The gov
ernor has now COMPOUNDED some of
his critics on the point of law en-
forcement