Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-21
Politics at Large
By C. Could Lincoln.

iowa today holds the attention Of
the political world. The Republican
state convention is meeting. An effort
Is to be made, 1t is said, to launch q
presidential boom for former Gov.
Frank o. Lowden Of illinois, an
Iowan by birth and education, ana at
the same time to condemn the Cool
idge administration because or It's TALL
ure to support the McNary-Haugen
farm relief bill, or its principles.
Either action by the convention would
create a. considerable sensation.
When Senator Albert B. Cumm1ns
went back to Iowa a week ago and
expressed the opinion that President
Coolidge would not be a candidate to
succeed himself in 1928. he started a
line of public conversation that prom
ises to run until the Winter or Spring
of 1928. But it is not discussion in
which the President himself may be
expected to take part. Nor will ne.
When the proper time arrives, Presi-
dent Coolidge will state his position IN
regard to the presidential nomination
quite clearly. But until that time ar.
rives, effoHts to Smoke him out Will
be about as effective as drop OF
water thrown on burning oil well.
dItCI OCAAbOA
had made his statement regarding the
probability of President Coolidge's
candidacy for the presidency two
years hence, other Republicans leap
ed into the breach, insisting that the
President would be the choice or the
Republican party and the country De-
yond all doubt.
+ y \
The truth of the matter is that hao
it not been for the discomfort In the
corn belt, such a prophecy regarulhs
Mr.. Coolidge would not have been
made at this time or perhaps at all
without the slightest desire to beittie
the corn belt, it is scarcely likely tnat
the entire country will be guided by
that section alone in the selection OF
a Republican nominee for president
in 1928. Furthermore, notW1thStano-
ing the resentment of the people OF
the corn belt. because of the failure
Of Congress to enact legislation which
many of them desired for the bene-
fit Of the farmers, President Coolidge
has still the liking and admiration OF
a great host in that section. The Pres
ident has been stronger than his party
in both East and West, ever since ne
stepped into the White House. He is
ing the years he has been President,
the people have come more and more
to look upon him as an essentially safe
and sane President. Prosperity has in
creased. Times have been better even
for the farmers.
It would be idle to say that there
are no politicians in the Republican
party-some of them party leaders
who would like to see President Cool
idge step aside. Some of them would
like to wear the presidential business
coat themselves. But the people gen.
orally are not greatly concerned over
the personal ambitions Of these gentle
men.
\ X n
Whatever feeling of resentment the
corn belt has against President CooE
idge because of his opposition to the
principles Of the McNary-Haugen farm
relief biIl--the demand of the belt"
President Coolidge and his policies
have been Observation-Disclosures to the
great populous States of the East and
the North, and, while the Republican
party is anathema in the States of
the South, Mr.. Coolidge has the re-
gard of thousands upon thousands of
the Southern Democrats. They like
his tax reduction and economy. But,
above all, they feel safe" with him
at the head of the Government.
Senator Cummins has started a dis
cussion that was bound to be started
sooner or later, particularly in view
of the fact that the third term issue
will be raised If Mr.. Coolidge seeks
10 succeed himself The Presidents
succession to the last year and a half
Of the late President Harding's term
will be interpreted in many quarters
as holding Office for term" The
third term has been a stumbling block
in the pathway of former Presidents,
notably President Grant and Presi-
dent Roosevelt, although had the lat
ter lived he probably would have been
the Republican nominee in 1924 and
in such case would have been elected.
Much water must run over the dam
before 1928 If the Democrats and
certain radicals in the Republican
party are successful in the congress
sional elections this Fall, it may have
its effect upon the possible candidacy
of the President. But more impor-
tant than any other element is good
times" in the country generally.
Should the country enter upon a
period of depression-and there Is
nothing to indicate such a period at
this writing-Mr. Coolidge and his
party both would suffer reverses.
Even If the Democrats win both Sen
ate and House this Fail, which is I'M
likely, it would by no means augur
Democratic success in the national
elections in 1928, If the country con-
tinues prosperous. In the first place,
a. Democratic Congress could change
the laws not at all, unless the Presi-
dent gave his approval, for it is un-
thinkable that the Democrats would
be so strong in Congress as to control
by a two-thirds vote necessary to
override a presidential veto. The
next Congress, If Democratic, largely
would be do-nothing Congress. with
politics as the main subject of dis
cussion.
Furthermore, the Democratic party
nationally has still its troubles. With
Gov. AL Smith Of New York and Will
liam Gibbs McAdoo not only potential
but active candidates today for the
prospects are not bright. Gov. Smith
has the wet support in the party.
McAdoo, on the other hand, is likely
to be candidate Of the party drys. Nor
is the religious issue, as represented
by their two candidates, to be over
looked. Gov. Smiths attentions to
the dignitaries of the Catholic Church
who came here from Rome for the
Eucharistic Congress are being used
against him by intolerant Protestants
throughout the country.
X X X x
The farm issue, which Senator Cum.
minis visualized as the rock upon
which the Coolidge candidacy-if
there be a Coolidge candidacy--is
likely to come to grief, is the only is
sue that has really come to the fore
in the last year. It must not be for
gotten that it was an issue also in
1924, when President Coolidge swept