Evening star., 1925-03-09
The Democratic Conference.

Proposals that the Democrats meet
| in national conference to bind up
party wounds and present a solid
front to the enemy are being pressed.
Such suggestions have been in the air
since the disaster that overlook the
party in the last campaign. BY early
Summer a year will have passed since
the party was rent in twain at the
Democratic national convention in
New York-a sufficient cooling-oH pc
riod, in the opinion of many of the
leaders. to permit party conference,
with some reason to hope for harmony
and to avoid recriminations.
Much publicity is given today to the
request of Franklin D. Roosevelt, AL
Smith leader in the New York con-
vention and vice presidential nominee
on the ticket with Gov. Cox of Ohio
in 1920, that a conference be called
and the letter Of acquiescence from
Senator Walsh of Montana, perma-
convention. These party leaders lay
stress upon the advisability of avoid
ing a discussion of candidates. They
fear a continuation Of the old row II
the supporters of Gov. Smith and
William Gibbs McAdoo, for example,
seek to make use of this conference to
advance the cause Of one or both of
these men. Why would it not be wise,
from the standpoint Of Democratic
harmony, to call upon Smith and Nc
Adoo to declare themselves out of the
race for the presidential nomination?
No step could be taken, perhaps,
which would more tend to allay the
bitter feelings aroused in New York.
Today there still turks the feeling
in many quarters that the personal
ambitions Of these men may yet again
bring disaster to the party.
One of two results may be expected
from a national conference Of Demo
Gratis. Either the conference will, as
it's proponents believe, bring about a
better understanding and more unity
among the Democrats or it will serve
to continue the old division. 1t will
end in harmony or it will not. This
is the chance which the party leaders
must take in calling the conference.
1t appears a wise move, for without
it the party is drifting, and drifting,
perhaps, into another series Of rows.
Personal ambition is a dangerous
thing to a party. 1t is difficult to con-
troll. The man who is willing to for
get his ambitions for the good of the
party is not extinct, but he is rare.
When the Democratic national con-
vention opened last June, it was evil
dent that neither Mr.. McAdoo nor
Gov. Smith could be nominated. But
two weeks of bitter warfare were
needed to bring them to realization
of this fact. BY that time the damage
had been done. A declaration that
they have abandoned the ambition to
become the party standard bearer now
would do more to clear the atmos-
phere than all the conferences that
could be held. Today the rumor
spreads that the old factions are striv.
ing nightly for control of the Demo.
cratic national committee.
1t may be urged that a party leader
should not be called upon to declare
himself out of a race for the presi
Dental nomination at this early stage
that it is unfair to ask a man to say
he will not take something that has
not been offered to him. But there
was no question Of the nominations
being Offered to either of the lead
ing contestants at the last convention
They fought for it. Furthermore, John
w. Davis, the candidate finally select
ed, has tactfully declared himself out
Of the running in his recent converse
tions.
Apart from candidates., the Demo.
cratic party has quite enough on its
hands when it comes to settling upon
it's policies and principles, for which
it proposes to fight henceforth. The
call goes forth to get back to those
Jeffersonian principles which gave
birth to the party. But much water
! has run under the bridge since the