Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-09
HOPES
CE|NITERED IN FIRST
SPEECH BY DAVIS
BY ROBERT r. SMALL
Especial Leased Wire to Tie Journal
right 1924

BY ROBERT II. SMALL
Especial Leased Wire to Tie Journal-Copy-
right. 1924.)
NEW YORK, Aug. 1.-THE Dem
ocrats are stalking their all on John
w. Davis speech of acceptance to
De delivered at Clarksburg next
Monday. The action of William B.
Wilson, former secretary of labor, in
writing to Samuel Gompers, asking
him to make no presidential indorse-
Davis, is a reflection Of the attitude
of all the party leaders. They are
in effect asking the country to wait
until Mr.. Davis speaks.
No candidate perhaps ever had so
much at stake on a single group or
utterances as Mr.. Davis has on next
Monday. There is plenty of evidence
that the country at large holds Mr..
Davis in high regard as a man. The
people are waiting to take his meas
ure as a statesman and possible
chief executive.
Much of the burden which comes
to Mr.. Davis at this time is due to
the fact that, as the campaign de-
yelops. it is becoming more and more
evident that it is to be battle of
personalities rather than of parties.
Party ties, it is generally admitted,
were never so loose as today. The
Republicans are making a special
plea to the people to elect Calvin
Coolidge because he is Calvin Cool
idge. and not because he happens
to be the nominee of any particular
party. They realize that senators
and representative of the party were
at odds with Mr.. Coolidge on nearly
ures he urged during the past win
ter, and that d straight out party
appeal would not have the same
weight with the people as an appeal
for Mr.. Coolidge personally.
The Republicans are saying that
Calvin Coolidge is his own platform;
his own pledge for the future.
The Democrats of the country are
hoping to say the same thing for
Mr.. Davis.
Parties SubOrdinated
The Progressive" campaign CEN
ters almost wholly about the per-
sonality of Senator La Toilette.
Without him there would be no La
Toilette party in the field. The SEN
ator led the movement from the
start and it was apparent to political
observers in Washington four or
five months ago that nothing could
keep him out of the race this year.
The parties are being subordinated
this year as never before. The Dem
ocrats are willing that some of their
antics at Madison Square Garden
shall be entirely forgotten, and that
the race shall be decided upon the
abilities Of their chief candidate.
Nevertheless the Democrats will
make more of a party appeal than
either of their two rivals.
1t will be a part of Democratic
strategy to show that if they are
given majority in congress they
will function as a party and bring
legislative order out of the legisla-
tive chaos of the past two years.
The Democrats claim that the re-
suits of the Republican primaries in
various states already show that the
Republicans will have the same split
forces in the two branches Of con-
gress that have made them virtually
impotent during the past session.
Men who voted consistently against
Mr.. Coolidge last winter have furled
the Coolidge banner about them
selves for primary purposes, but
there is no reason to believe that
upon their return to WASHINGTON
they will be in any greater SYM
pathy with him.
The Republicans are willing that
much of their party record Of the
past two years shall be forgotten.
This was evidenced in the platform
adopted at Cleveland. The record in
congress was all but ignored.
G. o. p. Looks Forward
The Republican slogan now is to
look forward, not backward They
are willing that all the pointing
with pride" shall be done in the di-
rection of Mr.. Coolidge. OF course
they will view the Democrats with
alarm from time to time. That is
natural.
The new combination of progress
sives surrounding Senators La Fol
lette and Wheeler, having no party
record, are content to denounce both
of the old parties and to promise
everything for the future.
The Democrats are not going TO
let the Republicans get away with
their soft-pedaI policy if they can
help it. Mr.. Davis already has an
nounced that Chairman Butler, of
the Republican national committee,
IS very much mistaken if he believes
Teapot Dome and the cabinet
changes at Washington are dead is
secs.
The assam0tJn that Mr. Davis
might be too high minded 10 touch
upon the scandals" seems 20 have
been mistaken one on ne part of
the Republicans.
The Democratic candidate is going
10 drag evecy grinning skeleton out
of the Republican closet that he can
lay his hands on. His friends are
u sing him % take Al aggressive
attitude in his direction, and rom
present indications there will be a
great rafting of dry bones from the
very start of the campaign.
The scandals will make fine fuel
for the minor speakers of the cam
paign. and there will be as many
of these as the slim purse of the
Democrats will permit.
NOTED DOCTOR