Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-23
Politics at Large
By G.. Gould Lincoln.

particularly busy on Washington
birthday. Out in jefferson City, Mo.
the Democrats rallied to the standard
OF Senator Jim" Reed. Senator cara
way of Arkansas, who has come out
fat-foot for Reed for President IN
1928. was to have delivered the princi-
pal address. An attack of acute IN
digestion a day or two ago, however
prevented Senator CaraWay from leaN
ing Washington. So he. sent MS mes
sage by wire to the Democratic gather,
ing. urging Senator Reed as the logical
man, the real hope of the factloh-tofh
Democratic party next year.
The Endorsement of Senator Reed ny
the Senator from Arkansas is slgnin-
cant of the desire of many Democrats
to keep away from the Smith-McAdoo
duel which broke up the party III iva
and threatens to do as much III 1873.
Senator Caravan is dry and he wa
a strong supporter of woodrow VI
son. Senator Reed, on the other nahd'
is reCkoned a wet and was an lnipof-
tant member of the band or frecoli,
cilables" in the Senate which defeated
Wilson'S dearest hope. the League of
Nations with the United States as a
member. Senator Caraway realizes
that the Reed candidacy Will nave OPP
position from dry Democrats ana from
Democrats who believed that the sun
rose and set with Woodrow wilson.
But he believes, too, that many dry
Democrats and many former wilson
Democrats will rally to Reed when the
time comes. Senator Caraway sees
Reed second Andrew Jackson a man
of tremendous personality, unafra1G
with great ability. He believes that
prohibition has justified itself and that
il Senator Reed became President he
would do far more to enforce the dry
law than a less strong man VINO might
be more friendly to the NOlstead act
The attitude of Europe toward the
United States in recent years, Senator
Caraway said, had about convinced
many of the former supporters OF the
League of Nations that it was just
as we'll that the United States did not
mix itself up with European affairs.
x X y
While the Democrats of Missouri
were throwing their own hats in the
air and Senator Reeds hat into the
ring for the presidential nomination
their brethren across the border in
Kansas were also considering what
they should do for a Democratic presi-
them are very friendly to Senator
Reed. But there is a considerable
faction which at present IS bent upon
sending a delegation to the next
Democratic national convention in
structed for a native son, Represent
ative w. A. Ayres of the eighth con-
gressional district. Not that they
expect the nomination of Mr.. Ayres,
but because they feel he is a safe man
to tie to in the preliminary ballot
ing. The delegation will be in q posi-
ton to jump to the candidate it de-
sires after the battle lines have been
developed. Kansas is dry. 1t has had
prohibition since Hector was q pup
and has not forgotten Carrie Nation
and her Ratchet. But even so, there
are lot of boosters for Senator Reed
in the Sunflower State. And if it
becomes apparent that Reed is going
strong the Kansas delegation, even
though it may be instructed for Ayres,
may swing to the Missouri Senator
with a great deau o. satisfaction to
itself.
Indeed. it is reported here that
sentiment in several OF the States
bordering on or near Missouri will
send delegations to the 1928 conven-
ton favorable to Reed. Arkansas
may do so, provided Senator Robin
son, Democratic leader of the Senate,
is not a candidate. Oklahoma is an
other. The opinion of many poll
ticians from Missouri itself Is that If
Senator Reed is the nominee. he can
carry that State against any Repub-
lican who may be named by the
G. 0. p.
Washington's birthday was consid-
rod hn
, attack on the third term" with
President Coolidge the particular tar
get. Senator Robert NJ. La Toilette,
| jr., Progressively Republican, who, like
his father before him, has no love for
| Mr.. Coolidge, introduced a resolution
yesterday expressing it as the sense
| of the Senate that two terms are
enough for any President 1t is
similar to a resolution offered in the
House recently by Representative
Beck, also of Wisconsin. Senator La
Toilette, it Is expected, will debate
the resolution in the Senate. He may
bring on general discussion of the
matter, and doubtless that is his In
tent. 1t was originally proposed by
opponents of third term for Cool
idge that this resolution should be
offered in the Senate by a Democrat,
Senator Caraway of Arkansas. But
the Democrats SHE'D away from the
Issue at this time. They are not
sorry to see 1t stirred up by the
Progressive-R Republicans, however.
A few hours before Senator La Fol-
lette offered his resolution in the SEN
ate, Representative Fairchiid of New
York tackled the third-term question
from a different angle. He offered a
resolution proposing q constitutional
amendment by which no person should
be eligible for more than two terms
as President, but with the stipulation
that term" shall not be term in
the meaning of the amendment unless
the occupant of the White House shall
have served as President for two years
or more. AS President Coolidge served
only about 10 months of the Hard
ing term, under the Fairchild proposal
he would be considered entirely eligi-
BILE for denomination and reelection
in 1928. For one thing. at least, Mr.
Fairchild is to be commended He
proposes to take the whole matter out
OF tradition" and to make presiden-
tial succession subject to law. At pres
ent few people are able to answer COR
rectly the conundrum, when is term
not a term?" AS Mr.. Fairchild points
out, if a President died a few days be-
fore his term expired and the Vice
President succeeded him for that brief
period, it would be absurd to hold that
he had served a term" and yet with
out some hard and fast line, as that
proposed by Mr.. Fairchild, there is no
way to settle definitely the question.
X X X X
Speaker Nicholas Longworth is as
sured another two years as presiding
officer of the House. The caucus of
the Republicans of the SEVENTEEN Con
gress passed off smoothly, despite ear
lier mutterings of revolt on the part