Life — August 19, 1920 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUGUST 19, 1920 Groxce B, Ricuarpsox, Vice-President Le Roy Mittre, Treasurer Groxce p'Urassy, Secretary HIO should not be too puffed up at furnishing both candi- dates for the presidency. Not the people but the politicians go to Ohio for candidates, and what the poli- ticlans always want is a candidate who is not too good and not too masterful. When the candidates of renown, who stand for something in particular, have killed one another off in convention, then comes the opportunity of the Ohio man who stands simply and humbly for the main chance and has disturbed no one with intrusive opinions, Colonel Harvey’s explanation of the se- lection of Harding was that he was the only man whose name, had come up at Chicago whom no one seemed interested to beat. Ohio, it seems, represents a use- ful average, and can furnish an available substitute for statesmanship that can start in a race with prospects of success when positive leadership has stubbed its toe. She is a mother of Presidents indeed, but not yet of a great one. Mr. Harding's speech of acceptance— “Mr. Harvinc’s Great Speecu,” George Harvey calls it—has made it quite clear what sort of an Ohio candidate he is. And now for Governor Cox! Will he be something different? At this writing his speech of acceptance has not been made. The Republican papers suspect him of a disposition to cut loose from the Wilson policies and play neutral on the League of Nations. He has appointed a campaign manager, Mr. White, who is disinclined, apparently, to put the League in the front of the Democratic program. But the Re- London Offices, Rolls Hous “While there is Life there’s Hope” Published by LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY Charles Dana Gibson, President 17 West Thirty-first Street, New York Bream3 Bldgs., London, E. publican papers insist that he must do so. Such journals as the Sun and the Phila- elphia Public Ledger feel that if it is possible to get Cox tied up close enou; to Wilson, he is done for, so they spend their energies to tie him up as close as possible. Senator Walsh of Massa- chusetts, who abandoned the group of Democratic senators in the Treaty fight and went with Lodge, has been to tell Mr. Cox that, in his opinion, the Treaty mount issue in the f y.” Mr. Walsh “needs a man who will give his close attention to strictly American prob- lems for a while. There are too many big domestic issues which must be dealt with to-waste time with the Treaty. The truth is that the people are much more concerned about profiteering than they are about the League of Nations.” It takes some assurance for a man who abandoned his pre-election promises and voted against the League for purely Irish to call for close attention to strictly American problems, but Mr. Walsh has the assurance necessary. Somehow he did not seem to get much comfort from Governor Cox. should not be the para reasons, HE Philadelphia Public Ledger has supported the League, and found fault with Mr. Harding because he threw it down in his speech of acceptance, and printed conspicuously and with approval Mr. Taft's examination of Mr. Harding’s attitude, and his conclusion that Mr. VOL. 76, No. 1972 Epwarp S, Maw Tuomas L. Massox, Managing £ c F, De Sates Casey, Art Harding was really for the League, lid not know But the Ledger wants Harding to win, and the Le; through by Republi it seems to feel that Mr. Wilson is a fatal person, it insists that Mr. Cox shall abide u the shadow of his wing. On this subject it said in its editorial columns on July 3ist: “Governor Cox and his personal staff will not be able to slink from under the burdens of the Wilson They must defend their records or be condemned for them. Only in that way can the American people pronounce thei final judgment on Wilsonism. Otherwise Wilsonism escapes scotfree. “There is no method by which a party can inflict on this nation the ills of an experimental, pseudo-idealistic, irritating- ly impractical, openly sectional, poison- ously Socialistic and get a with it without any ‘come-back! ¢ to be put ans, and a der Administrations. government The Democratic party must accept the consequences of its ‘seven lean years’ and await the verdict of a thoroughly exasperated people.” Truly, whom the gods propose to de- stroy they first insanify. One of the main props and instruments of the gov- ernment so execrated and denounced by the Ledger was a gentleman who is now the adviser in Europe of the Ledger's bureau of foreign correspondence. No one was deeper mixed up with Mr. Wil- son's “poisonously Socialistic” govern- ment than Mr. Edward House; no Wilson adviser was more trusted and regarded than he; no one was closer to Mr. Wi nor entrusted by him with such a diversit of powers and duties. If Mr. Wilson's government was so rotten, so abominable, as the Ledger says, how comes it thet Mr. comicbooks. conn