The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-06-19

|
| of Coolidge and Dawes to head the
Republican ticket was commendable.
The concensus of opinion was to the
effect that these torch-bearers were
of so widely different character that
their candidacy would appeal to many
classes of voters. Some held that
Dawes is Republican with liberal
views, and with a personality far
more appealing to the popular fancy
than Mr.. Coolidge. Some shlewj
politicians were of the opinion that
Candidate Dawes would offset to a
large extent the retalitory action of
the so-called soldiers VOTE" if any,
as the outcome of the Presidents
veto of the Bonus bill.
There is another angle to the Sc
lection of Dawes as the proposed
Vice President. There has been sGme
talk that Dawes was not the favorite
"fair-minded boy among the list of
eligibles for the nomination, but he is
acceptable principally because he
does not bear the Senate stamp. 1t
was everywhere apparent al the
convention that the Coolidge forces
were maneuvering for a running
mate who had no connection with
the Senatorial body. Senators freely
admit that General Dawes will prove
a stern taskmaster insofar as the
rules of the Senate permit presid-
| ing officer to show executive ability
| in event, of course, that he is
elected to the office:
Perhaps the most noteworthy de-
velopment of the convention held in
Cleveland was the outcropping Of
hostility among the old-time party
leaders toward William M. Butler, of
Massachusetts, designated by Presi-
dent Coolidge as his spokesman, and
subsequently elected chairman of
the National Republican committee.
The resentment was voiced in the
caucuses of various state delegations
at the convention and on the return
of leaders. A digest of the various
opinions indicates that the party
leaders regard Butler as an arbitrary
individual who has been singularly
successful in business but not thor
.oughly acquainted with the ways of
politics. Many have gone so far as
to lay the charge of ineptitude at his
door, but the principal complaint is
apparently based in his alleged tacti-
cal errors in the management of the
convention. On the other hand, Mr..
Buffers. supporters contend that a
disciplinarian of this type is neces-
sary in these hetic days when party
leadership is a mere empty phrase.
1t is argued that the heretofore de-
signated party leaders have not made
good their promises of party control,
especially in Congress, and the time
has come when stern measures must
be adopted to bring about a victory
at the election.
Whether or not it will be possible
to bring about harmony in their
own ranks as a result of the attitude
taken by many state leaders, is a
highly important question. There is
certain theory that a disagreement
may reach that regrettable stage
wherein the contest resolves itself in
to struggle for an individual rather
than party triumph. By that is
meant the development of fight be-
tween the legislative and executive
branches of the government. If this
sentiment actually assumes definite
proportions, it will undoubtedly play
havoc with the national ticket as
members of Congress would likely go
back home to protect their own in
terests frsta nd make the Presidential
contest a secondary matter in their
political maneuvers. In the heat of
a campaign, this dubious situation
may be quickly altered.
The feeling of pessimism which
was apparent in the Republican
ranks may be attributed, it is said,
to the above conditions. The infiu-
ence of LaFollette was felt at the
convention when Wisconsin filed a
report against the platform
by the convention. The pos
sibility of the Wisconsin Senator
heading a third ticket as a progress
sive Republican does not contribute
to the gaiety of the political spec
tacle.
After all, the fundamentals of |
partisan politics seldom if ever, vary,
DeTocqueville, one of the foremost
on political science, in
his analysis of political conditions in
America, written in the early part of
the nineteenth century said: 'Polit-
ical parties in the United States are
led to rally round an individual in
order to acquire a more tangible
shape in the eyes of the crowd, and
the name of the candidate for the
Presidency is put forward as the
symbol and personification of their
theories. For these reasons parties
are strongly interested in gaining
the election, not so much with view
to the triumph of their principles
under the auspices of the President
elect, as to show, by the majority
which returned him, the strength of
the supporters of those principles"
Subsequent events have borne
out in many instances the prophesy
of this noted Frenchman, written in
the days when the Government of
America was young and practically
untried.
Minnesota Car Tx Still