Evening star., 1924-05-28
Politics at Large
BY N. o. MESSENGER

| uark morse Is coming into mis- own
these days in Democratic presidential
politics. 1.-THE woods are full of
them" The politicians in looking
over the pasture where potential can
didates are in the open do not see one
| that is likely to make the running, in
their opinion, and feel that perforce
they must ultimately cast about for
dark horse.
X X X X
William G. McAdoo continues to
gather in delegates-and so does Gov.
Alfred E. Smith of New York-but
| the politicians do not see either of
these avowed candidates getting the
requisite two-thirds. They are only
likely to have sufficient votes to make
1t possible for either one to kill off
| the other by Withholding one-third of
the convention.
| 4 X X X
Now threatens more trouble for the
Democratic and Republican national
committees, against the time when
their treasurers will start passing the
hat" for campaign contributions. Con-
| gress is after them with a proposed
| law to require full publicity of all
| gifts to the committees, which is cal
culated to dry up many sources Of
| contributions available in the past
and curtail the free flow of cash in
| others.
The most far-reaching attempt to
curb corrupt practices in political
| campaigns thus far attempted is con-
postal salary bill in the Senate last
| Monday, which was adopted unani-
| mously. 1t requires the campaign
| committees of all parties to make a
ing the progress of the campaign of
| the names of all contributors and the
| amount Of their offering. In the past
a public accounting was rendered in
| the close of the campaign, but it is
| pointed out that by that time the
| damage was done.
! Another drastic feature Of the pro-
posed new law is that the wording of
| It will prevent evasion of the, law
limiting contributions in the time
honored practice of splitting up con-
tributions under several names. In
this law severe penalties will attach
| If they "get caught at it."
| The public is likely to give it's full
| approval If Congress passes the law
! to make it applicable to the coming
| campaign for the general elections.
| Testimony was adduced in the oil
| hearings to show that the practice
has prevailed among certain corpora
! tions of contributing heavily to cam
| paign funds, with the specific expec-
! tatiOn of receiving favors at the
hands of officials. More than that, in
/ order to make sure of standing In"
| with the officials the same corpora
| tions would sometimes give equally
| to both leading parties.
4 r1l. ,.r,+tn,,+a axpapses ne national
| campaigns have increased greatly In
recent years and the impending cam
| paign will require the expenditure of
vast sums legitimately. After all is
said and done, why should a citizen be
| afraid to be identified as aiding his
| party to success If he believes its
policies are best and safest for the
| country and its candidates most
| worthy?
! He is playing for his own interests
| in supporting his party, as he thinks,
| and he ought to be willing to pay as
! he plays, and be not afraid to have it
| known.
Democratic women are intent upon
making a determined effort in the
| Democratic national convention for
| vigorous plank on legislation affect
ing women and children. The Ma
| tional League of Woman Voters has
some planks which 1t hopes the Demo-
cratic party will adopt. Mrs. Emily
| Newell Blair, vice chairman of the
| Democratic national committee COM
| mends them, but thinks that the
| Democratic party should adopt still
| stronger planks.
| While l am not able to speak for
| the platform committee" says Mrs.
| Blair, nor predict what planks will
be adopted at the national convention,
yet 1 believe I can speak upon what
| the Democratic women want am
| sure they are urgent for stronger
| international policy than that adopted
by the League of Woman Voters.
| X X X X
! "The leagues plank" declares Mrs.
Blair, does not even declare for the
| Harding-Hughes proposal for inter-
| national relations, but advocates a
| vague policy for participation in in
| ternational conferences. The women
| in the Democratic party would be dis
| appointed If their party did not adopt
| a plank promising more definite for
| eign relations than suggested in the
leagues plank.
THE leagues statement that the
| Democratic platform of 1920 contain
| ed all but one of the woman voters
| planks, while the Republican plat
| form of the same year had but five Of
| the eleven shows the respective atti-
| tude of the two parties toward legis-
| lation affecting women and children
| and good government in general"
New York political gossip has it
that William G. McAdoo, If he finds
he cannot make the grade for the
nomination, may attempt to swing his
forces to Senator Carter Glass Of
Virginia, and that this possibility is
| a menace to Gov. Alfred E. Smiths
prospects. On the other hand, 1t is
said there is very grave doubt Of
the ability of Mr.. McAdoo to turn his
| entire following over to any candi-
| date hailing from the south, owing
to the perennial opposition of north
ern democrats to accepting a south
| ern candidate.
| Senator Glass, in a speech In Phfla-
| delphia- last Monday, said some very
nice things about Mr.. McAdoo, pre-
| dieting his nomination. The Virginia
| senator was very skeptical about his
own nomination, even in event of the
| failure of Mr.. McAdoo to secure the
nomination.
| The New York World, one Of the
leading Democratic dailies of the
country, which has been insisting all
| along that Mr.. McAdoo should not
and cannot be nominated, came out
yesterday In editorial support of
either Senator Glass or Senator Rob-
inson of Arkansas, the Democratic
Senate leader, as available pres-
| Dental timber.
| X X X
| The Republicans are still "un in