Evening star., 1924-07-10
Victory of John W. Davis
Held Representative of Ideals
| of Puritan Rural America.
ISSUE WAS WET OR DRY
After Thirteen Days of Wild Dem
onstration Choice Is Made With
Little of the Dramatic.
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.

1ctory was that of a temperate con-
servative, who evidently believes in
the America of the west and south
the puritan rural America-rather
than the America of the eastern sea-
board. urban industrial, beautiful
and vastly more concerned in maxi
Ing life comfortable than in making
it just
Mr.. Davis. of course. represents no
extreme. His nomination came from
the west and south, and it came be-
cause ne was supposed to be dry.
While the west and south were nomi
mating Davis gossip ran around the
press gallery that the conservative
east had planted its votes in the I'm
derwood garden because Underwood
had a reputation as a wet and had
stood most vigorously against the
klan- The gossip declared that the
conservative east much preferred
Davis, but felt that if the east voted
Tor Davis at first the west and south
mnst unite upon Robinson or Mere
dith or some liberal from the hinter-.
land, who might make trouble for
that section of the country known as
Wall street.
Possibly this gossip had some
foundation. Certainly New York was
willing to make the nomination of
Davis possible on the last ballot with
admirable grace, but if that portion
or the country known as Wall street
thinks it has named bond boy, it is
Que for sad awakening.
Conservative as Coolidge.
Mr Davis. of course, is as cunserv--
alive as President Coolidge. But no
man is altogether a conservative
liberal The liberal areas in MIR.
Davis occur in different spots from
the liberal areas in Mr.. Coolidge
the Democratic presidential candi-
date probably would be strong for
the constitutional guarantees of free
speech and asSemblage. He would be
too intelligent ever to put his name
TO magazine article declaring that
radicalism, but the Davis conserva-
tsn1 viii appear in due course ana
probably irritate the liberals as
much as that of President Coolidge.
Davis always has been a proponent
OF the league of nations, occupying a
position not far from the Republican
position taken by Taft and Root. He
has defended labor leaders who were
unjustly repressed by the Industrial
corporations of his own state and in
supporting many of the liberal
measures advocated by President
Wilson.
The child labor advocates think
course. is against him. He will divide
no vote with La Toilette He will split
the conservative vote with Mr. Cool
idge, and to support Mr. Davis Will
liam ]. Bryan will always have to
keep it in his heart that Davis is a
consistent dry. So, whatever New
York and the eastern seaboard states
did, either covertly in the beginning
or gracefully in the end, the civili-
Zatlon which was represented by
Gov. Smith went down in the conver1-
tion and the civilization of the west
and south, in the main, triumphed-
Issue Wet or Dry.
The contest in the convention was
never economic: was never remotely
between conservatism and liberal
ism. 1t was between dry. rather
hard, and at it's worst, somber civ
ilization. interested in social justice,
and wet, easy-going, Hberty-lovins
civilization, Interested in a gay pros
per1ty. To get representative of
their social philosophy, the liberals
OF the west and south had to Sacri-
nee their economic views and take a
conservative. That was the compro-
mise which came out of the thirteen
Gays ballotlng. And to get an eco
take dry Protestant, who thinks in
terms of rural civilization
IL took thirteen long days of boil
ing in big bowl of pea soup with
the Red. White and Blue lid over it
that we came to know, as Madison
Square Garden, to stew out the devil
ish passions that the Kan and the
Clan-na-Gael brought to this conven-
ton While they were simmering,
often the soup-pot boiled over. Those
nrst days were the days of noisy
clamor. The froth in the hearts of
each faction bubbled up in hours and
hours of vacuous noise and foolish
recrin1ination- If either side had won
-McAdoo or Smith-the Democratic
party could not have survived its de-
feat for it would have been. with
either McAdoo or Smith as it's leader.
a factional, sectional party with no
justification of its national existence.
Lacked Dramatic Response.
The fact that thirteen days in the
pea soup, simm ering and stewing in
their own grease there at the bottom
OF the great, and oval bowl, took the
fact that the nomination of Davis.
coming quickly, during three ballots.
lacked a dramatic response on the
part IT the delegates who made the
no1lon; ,,anni,,n[ n nier,s; Liners was no pande-
ment at the climax of the drama. 1t
was as though the audience were in
their seats, putting on their wraps,
knowing very well that the fellow was
might well be elaborated. One
might say that it was Somewhat liks
the. close Of a problem play, in whicf,
the heroine had been leading a rather
gay and open life of guilty toy, and
given her a name and let her live
happily and respectfully while the
curtain went down. The play ended
happily. of course, but in an anti
climax which begged the questions
raised SO vociferously in the big
second act which was put on that in
tense Sunday morning ten DAYS ago.
This net gain to, the country in the
nomination OF Mr.. Davis will be this:
He can and doubtless will push the
corruption. He can tell the country
what really was proved against MI.
Fall, Mr.: Newberry, Mr.. DENLY, Mr.
Dsusherty. ,,sst aa1 and and can can explain what
During the past six months it has
been fashionable in conservative cir
cles to belittle these investigations,
and to pretend that no creditable
worthless just named But the m0re
his adversaries brand Mr.. Davis, as
Morgan's attorney, the more dignity
and eredence will they be giving his
istration. Mr.. Coolidge is probably
set to win. But If he wins after the
Democrats under a conservative lead
er haro made the country sea- the
how from a political creed that
ignores the public right and prefers
private gain thereto, we shall have a
different attitude toward the public
business in the new administration.
The country will be awakened to the
danger of corruption in high piaces
and with the country awak1ned. the
danger OF continued public corruption
IS greatly minimized
Fight VIII Be the Same.
So now we have the leaders OF TIM |
two major parties-if they really sr1 /
the two major parties--frankly' and |
consistently conservative, which |