Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-01
DAUCHERTY Incident
HARRIE:S PRESIDENT
FROM TWO ANGLES
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Geased Wire Service to The Journsl.)
(Copyright, 1924

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S,-Attor-
ney General Daugherty will have
his day in court and he will also re-
tire from the cabinet, but he will do
so when he is satisfied that his resig-
nation will not be interpreted as
confirmation Of the various accusa-
tons made against him by members
of the senate.
At the moment, President Cool
idge is loath to force a 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
permitting Mr.. Daugherty to resign,
thus making a clean sweep with re-
spect to all persons in his cabinet
who have been mentioned in connec-
ton with the oil controversy.
The other is that the Republican
party is on trial and not Mr.. Coolidge
and that whatever he does to weak
en- the prestige of the party by al
lowing Mr.. Daugherty to resign un-
der fire will react against the Ike
publican party and therefore against
him if he is a candidate in the COM
ing election.
NNo,,IJ Pofopx13 I innS
Those who are urging the first
course are close to Mr.. Coolidge and
believe they are advancing his po-
liticaI fortunes. His Massachusetts
friends are eager for him to win and
are anxious to see him enter the
campaign unencumkered. 1t is not
that they love Mr.. Daugherty less
but they love Mr.. Coolidge more.
The practical politicians like
Chairman John T. Adams, of the Re
publican national committee, who
are urging that the republican party
stand up and fight and not let mere
accusations stand are beginning to
believe it is time to turn the tide by
a mass attack on their political
foes.
While very little has been said
about it there is a chance that the
split over the Daugherty question
may make certain organization Re
publicans swing their influence in
the opposite direction and back
some one against President Coolidge
for the nomination. The Dau2herty
issue at any rate will not be easily
disposed of and will cause friction
inside the party.
What to do then? Mr.. Coolidge
knows that he can not without en-
,counteriug criticism let Mr. Daugh-
erty resign without hearing ana
he has been told also that the attack
on the Republican cabinet will not
end with the retirement of Attorney
General Daugherty for the Demo
Gratis are already talking of bonn
harding other cabinet secretaries.
Senator Heflin, of Alabama, Demo
crat, has publicly announced that
the intention now is to go right
down the line and force the elimlna-
ton of other cabinet members.
Under the circumstances the pro-
Daugherty logicians are saying the
controversy is by no means ended
with a resignation and that MI
Coolidge will have to face the Dem
ocrats sooner or later in a blunt
refusal to heed their demands and
he might as we'll do it now.
If Harry Daugherty were con-
WINGED that he alone is embarrassing
Mr.. Coolidge and that Republican
victory at the polls would be I'M
probable if he remained in the cab
met, he would get out overnight and
carry his case to the country IN
public speeches looking to the Amer
lean people to vindicate him.
Conferences between the president
and attorney general have been fire.
quent in the last "a hours. The
president has discussed the entire
matter with the utmost frankness.
His inclination is TO suspend juds-
ment. and let the attorney general
make his case before the country.
But before the Republican national
convention meets the chances are
the attorney general will have re-
tired,