Evening star., 1924-10-12
country IS TAKING
CAMPAIGN CALMLY
People Show No Disposition
to Get Excited-La Fol-
: Iette 'LWest Wire"
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

BY ROBERT r. SMALL.
Scarcely more than three weeks
away lies election day. and the coun-
try still refuses to get excited Every
one thought the lethargic compaign
would open up October l and there
would he a whirlwind Of mad excite
ment. Senator Bob La Toilette was
to go ealloping forth with hery nos
trils, stirring up the land to strike
down both the old parties and get a
new deal all around. II is true the
gentleman from Wisconsin has pro-
vided a large share Of whatever cx-
citement has eventuated. but when
that excitement has been spread over
the entire country the layer has been
powerful1v thin.
Washinal>n headquarters OF the
three grand parties have been para
lied this last week. Base bail knock
ed politics into a cock ed hat. Who
will pitch today@' became. Of more
Importance than the aluminium scan
dal." the "slush funds" the "robber
tariff or Brother Charley's" old
skull cap.
President Coolidge has found him
self with virtually nothing to do but
to keep on saving wood. No attack
has been made upon him directly
enough to call for a personal reply or
for more active particination by
him in the campaign. Things are
moving along precisely to his liking.
He didn't want to be active. He
thought his best role was to continue
to be the President and let others do
the campa gining.
White HouSe IL Quiet.
Mr.. Coolidge really has given less
time to politics than any man who
ever ran for a second term in the
White House. II was thought the
White House would be a great clear
ing house Of political inform. alton, Of
political eeneralship, of craft and
strategy and such like" but the EX-
ecutive Mansion has been the quinteS-
sence of quietude. The President has
been going to the ball game and
sailing down the river at week ends
on the Mayf1ower. No one would ever
ina gine that the quadrennial politi-
cal cyclones were swirling- their
stormy ways about, looking for a
shining mark to hit.
When Mr.. Coolidge remarked some
two or three weeks ago that he never
heard of a man being defeated for
President because he said too little,
he evidently said about all he wanted
to say of the coming election. The
President has kept off the firing line
and. therefore, il has been difficult to
train gun at him. If he had Jared
forth in the trenches, waving a red
nag at the enemy, things might have
been different But he has felt he
held an impregnabIe position back of
the lines.
The big political guns are booming
out over the country. Much of the
campaigning is being done in the
West Only the faint echoes are
heard back here. The firing however,
at best IS of only desultory nature.
There has been no concerted or sus-
tanned attack in any particular sector
There has been no drum fire no
breaking through the lines The
shooting has been done mostly by
the map" as they used to say in
France. It has been long-range work
There has been no coming to grips
no hand fighting. no getting
In with the bayonet
La Toilette Most Active.
When it comes to write the history
of this campaign it will be difficult
for the compiler to discover just what
was the real issue. No issue has
been sustained. Mr.. Coolidge said he
wanted common sense" in Govern
ment. Mr.. Davis wanted to know who
didn't. Mr.. Davis said he wanted
common honesty in Government Mr.
Coolidge wanted to know who didn't
And il has been difficult to keep
quarrel. going on those two subjects
There hase been no sharply drawn
differences of opinion between Mr..
Coolidge and Mt. Davis. The latter
would go farther than Mr.. Coolidge
has gone in establishing the foreign
relations of the United States. but
Mr.. Coolidge has shown disposition
TO go farther than most Republicans
in that direction. The result has been
to make of the foreign relations issue
4 more or less academic discussion
which 1t has been difficult for the
average voter to follow-even if he
wanted to-
Mr.. La Toilette Is out for every
thing the other two candidates don't
want, and he is against everything
they do want
Extent of Split Uncertain.
So if there is any issue in the cam
paign at all it is La Toilette. There
many disaffected votes he can poll. 1t
matters not to the managers of the
two old parties now whether he
pulls" more from the Democrats than
from the Republicans or vice versa
IL he can get enough electoral votes
to throw the election into Congress
1T makes no difference to the country
where they are from.
La Follette's is the shadow that
stands athwart Mr.. Coolidge's path
way to a second term. or that there
can be no doubt The country has
not been. sufficiently aroused to swing
the pendulum back from the Hard
ing sweep Of 1920. If Mr.. Harding
had lived to be the candidate again,
perhaps things would have been
different From the moment Coolidge
took up the fallen reins of govern
ment, it was admitted he would be
the life saver of the grand old party.
II Lo Toilette can not turn him out
Of clear majority. there would seem
to be no other way to accomplish his
defeat
The Republicans in the dying days
OF the campaign are to stress the
fact that election day will mean q
decision between Coolidge and Bryan.
That they believe is their trump card
to the end
Copyright. 19aA.)