Life — August 21, 1924 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

WASHINGTON August 18.—I understand that Wall Street has been waiting with some impatience for for me to forecast the result of the November elections. Naturally, I am gratified to think that my word should be held of sufficient weight to influence election betting—my prediction of a Cox victory in 1920 advanced the odds on Harding from 3-1 to 6-l—yet never- theless I must refuse to be hurried. It is no light task to analyze the chances of even two opposing candidates, and this when everybody is getting up parties and conventions and things, it is doubly hard. The question of ori and ante- cedents fortunately gives little trouble, since candidates for office are invariably born free and equal, with all the advan- tages of a humble birthplace (for use in the Sunday papers), a boyhood on a farm, and final success achieved by grit, perseverance and hard work. Doubtless a candidate who stressed his handicap of well-to-do parentage and his struggles to overcome a good education would win a certain amount of popular sympathy, for in this enlightened democracy we are inclined to be sentimental about equal opportunities and fair play ; but even so, he could not overcome the natural advantages of his opponents. year, Happily, too, fundamental political beliefs have become standardized, so that here, also, the candidates get off to an even start. With- out their telling us, we know that they are enemies to reaction, leaders of progressive thought, friends of the farm- ers, and implacable foes of Wall Strect and the predatory interests. Having found that thus far the candidates measure up to standard, we can now turn our attention to an analysis of the political situation, with its bearing on the approaching Democratic Victory Likely Predicts Sounder, Unless Coolidge Wins cS] election. The survey may not be entirely plain to the reader—I can't make head or tail of it myseli—but then, the sit ally perplexing. In the Middle West as a whole the injection of a third party into the campaign is conceded to have brightened materially both the Republican and the Detiocratic chances, although in Iowa Mr. La Fol- lette will probably draw somewhat on the Davis vote. This is likely to be offset in Minnesota and Nebraska, however, where Gov. Bryan will attract certain disaffected Republicans. In New Mexico, it is said, the situation ation this year is unusu- is exactly reversed; and, of course, all calculations will be upset if Hiram Johnson should bolt That is the situation as viewed from the political angle. But, in weighing the chances of one candidate over another, I try always to keep in mind the profound truth (1 suppose it was Lincoln who said it): “It is not the politician on his banker in his selects and elects rostrum, nor the counting-house, who the chief executive of this great nation: it is the free choice of a free people!” (1 remember now that the saying is from one of my own speeches at the time of the Panama Tolls controversy.) Seen as the people see them, there is still less to choose among the candidates. Indeed, I can not remember any presidential electio when the aspirants have been more even in the qualifications that are likely to recommend them to the large. They are all fond of dogs, believe in taking a good brisk walk before breakfast, like detective stori and prefer sleeping with one pillow instead of two. If Mr. Coolidge, as I gleaned from an interesting entitled “Coolidge, the Statesn seems to gain a slight advantage by liking his eggs medium-boiled (three and a half minutes), Gov. Bryan will undoubtedly poll a heavy vote in certain quarters through his staunch adherence to button shoes. La Follette, too, is certain to gain friends through the account published by Miss Elsie G entitled, “La Follette the voters at survey recently Glureh Leader,” THE STANDARD BEARERS comicbooks.com