Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-05
Politics at Large
ny N. o. llEssENGRH

The row between Senator Reed Of
Missouri and william G. McAdoo lie
the chief political topic Of the hour
in democratic circles. The squAbble
Is over their respective activities IN
tho practice Of law and the size Of the
fees they have received from their
clients.
Tho language they use toward each
other is-well, there will be need for
an increase in the output OF asbestos
II 1t keeps up. In the meantime. the
other candidates, declared and poten-
tial. are following the proceedings
with deep interest and encouraging
the combatants to keep at 1t. They
probably hope that these two will
succeed In killing each other of and
leaving a freer field for themselves to
engage In q battle royal for the
nomination.
+ X 4
1t will be recalled that Senator
Reed criticised Mr.. McAdoo. on. the
score Of accepting retainers imme-
diately after leaving of1ce. and the
Missouri senator more than limited
that this employment was more on
account Of influence with the admins
tration he was expected to WELD than
for any other reason.
Whereupon Mr.. McAdoo last Mon
day came back at his adversary in Q
the most classic political denounce-
ments OF the campaign thus far. It
was widely carried by che Associated
Press. and the McAdoo managers In
,s,,I doubtless saw % r that It
pamphlet form in that state.
MI. McAdoo In hts statement houted
tho Idea that Senator Reed has any
well founded hope OF getting the
nomination, but is only seeking dele
gates FOR trading purposes in the
democratic national convention, and
asked him TO stand up and say Ito
whom he intends to trade the dele
gates whom he seeks to take 20 the
will?"
the politicians suspect that Nh
| McAdoo hints &C proposed delivery
OF the delegates 20 tho vets. and they
nod in Gov. AL Smiths direction.
i F,k
But that is not all OF the McAdoo-
Reed mix-up. A special dispatch from
Spring Held, No, tells OF the anti|Reed
democrats o. that section having pre-
pared d str.es CO questions addressed to
Senator Feed. He is asked upon what
theory he retains his office Of United
States senator and devote large part
OF your time to your law practice?"
The questionnare asks, lis 1t true that
your reta!ners amount to Ave times as
much az your salary as SENATOR" There
Are other questions along this general
I I'D Daf nd no
mdch?" Senator Reed is also asked the
plump question OF whether he would ac-
cept the nomination for President should
the convention declare for the league
Senator is for the repeal of the eight
zenith amendment.
Political circles hold that the effect of
this controversy between Senator Reed
prospects OF Mr.. McAdoo-already con-
sidered pretty badly misunderstanding
the nomination, and render extremely
doubtful the senator getting 1t. So the
politicians return to the fold Of other
potential candidates in search Of q NOM
inee.
How rapidly the field of potential
candidates is growing. especially since
the disclosures Of Mr.. McAdoo's reten-
ton by the OIL interests A potential
candidate in this instance Is taken to
be any man who has been "fsvorably
mentioned" by his friends or who 10
considered to be in the presidential lime
light by reason Of his abilities
Here is 3 list Of them up to date:
Senator Oscar Underwood Of Alsbama,
Senator John T. Robinson Of Arkansas,
William q. ~McAdoo Of California,
Homer 8. Cummings Of Connecticut,
Samuel L. Raston Of Indiana. Senator
A o. Stanley Of Kentucky, Senator
James A Reed Of Missouri. Gov.
Charles W. Bryan Of Nebraska. Senator
Silzer of New Jersey. Gov. Alfred E..
Smith of New York, Josephus Daniels
Of North Carolina. former Gov. James NJ.
Cox Of Ohio: former Associate Justice
John H. Clarke Ct Ohio. Representative
Carter Glass Of Virginia, John W. Davis
Of West Virginia, Senator Woodbridge
N. Ferris OF Michigan and last, but not
least, William Jennings Bryan Of
* X x X
The trouble with this field Of
"potentials" Is that captious- minded
democrats upon scanning 1t are dis
posed to find handicaps as to most
of them. 1t may be a geographical
objection which If insisted upon
would rule out several of them; or
1t may be that they are suspected
OF being too moist: or 1t may be on
account OF advanced years, or af1ili-
alton with finance and big business,
or on religious grounds. 9
So. after getting through with the
field. they are not able to spot the
prospective winner yet.
x X
This month the primaries and con-
ventions for the selection of delegates
to the national convention will be-
gin, SO It may be said that the pre-
convention campaign will soon begin
tinue right along until thirty days
before June 10 for the republicans
and June "a for the democrats.
~ x Z
In New York city there is a poIiti-s
cal organization known as the COM
mittee of weight, supposed to
function in the interests'of radicalism
and hird-party movements. They
issued a bulletin last Monday sug-
costing as potential candidates for
a third party the names of Senator
La Toilette Of Wisconsin,, Senator
Borah of Idaho and Victor Murdoch
OF Kansas, recently resigned from the
Federal Trade Commission.
Disclosing the coming convention
Of the conference for progressive
political action. in Cleveland. July 4,
the bulletin says that neither of the
old parties can be expected to nomi-
nate a candidate acceptable to this
association and to the labor
progressive movement and continues
as follows: 1.-THE platform already
adopted by the farmer-labor-progre
sive movement is practically identi-
cal with the platform of the confer
ence for progressive political action"
and the latter must indorse the for
mar In the Cleveland convention.