Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1920 — THE JOKE CANDIDATE [ARTICLE]

THE JOKE CANDIDATE

On his return from Edropfe Mr. , Root will make an announcement, so Myron T. Herrick says, that “will go far toward clarifying the entire international situation.” This is a considerable task for any man, sin-gle-handed, to perform, even for the i extraordinary Mr. Root. It is a task, however, which most appropriately falls to the lot of the reputed author of the Chicago platform’s Delphic utterance on the league of nations. The oracular masterpiece met the requirements of a critical situation. It satisfied the antipodal demands of the vitriolic but honest enemies of the league, the equally hostile but less candid adversaries under the Lodge banner and gave hope to the Mends of the covenant. But ita ‘

magic was not permanent. Moreover, it plilhged Candidate Harding up to the ears in confusion and verbosity—from which predicament he needs to be rescued quickly. Mr. Root and his reprieve can not come too soon for the harried philosopher of the front porch. But if "clarifying the international situation" means extricating Candidate Harding from his bewildering entanglements —and that we believe, is what Mr. Herrick really meanswhy should we have to wait for Mr. Root’s return from Europe? As a matter of simple honesty, has not Mr. Root’s presence in Europe, where he assisted in the work of organizing an international court, made rea* sonably clear the intentions of Mr. Harding and his party toward the league?' Would any one so malign Mr. Root as to believe that he would go to Europe to assist in assembling an important piece of the league’s machinery while at the same time opposing our entrance into the league? Does any one believe that Mr. Root could counsel with the representatives of the allied nations that are trying to make operative the treaty of Versailies and return straight from such discussions to support Mr. Harding’s proposal of a separate peace with Germany? Mr. Harding seemingly needs help. His campaign drags. It is without color or quality. The man is talking a dead language. But the thing Mr. Harding’s candidacy needs must be supplied by himself. The truth is the thing that will set Mr. Harding’s candidacy free. — St. Louis Post-Dispatch.