NOTES AND COMMENTS

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 4011, 10 June 1920, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS

The American Presidency. Rioht now Americans are working up into a state of preliminary excitement over the nominations for Woodrow Wilson's successor in the i-xesi-dency of the United States. From oui democratic point of view, the American system of choosing a chic citizen is a most cumbersome and elaboiate process. Instead of putting the names of, say. a dozen representative groat Americans directly before tne whole of the electors, the latter have permitted political bosses to rig the market so that to-day this/ nation which boasts of its "liberty, fraternity and equality," is really tied hand and foot to tho party machines. It is said in to-day's cabled news that the bosses, seem to have lost their grip. But the parties are all alike—the Democrats (who put Dr. Wilson in the Presidency) are as badly machine-control-led as tho Republicans, and the Socialists have such a tender regard for the fitness of things that they are again nominating Eugene Debs, who was imprisoned for sedition and who is the sworn foe of that sturdy and genuine labour leader, Sam Gompers. It is a remarkable thing, by the way, that in a country which has such n preponderance hi the working classes, there has never yet been a Laborito elected to tho Presidency.

Who Will Win? To-day's cable news makes some interesting and comprehensive additions to the men already named as j being in the running for tho Presidency. The Democrats seem to havethe advantage with practical unanimity—Mr McAdoo, who is most favoured by Dr. Wilson. No wonder, for the President is the McAdoo's liapa-iii-law. The latter, however, will not see it, even if. the convention gives him the nomination; 'for the Democrats are not strong enough nowaday to elect a President. Thero is one outstanding Great American— and he is really great in the best sense of the term —who should be able almost to beat the two party machines, and that is Herbert Hoover. It is almost a habit to send a State Governor to White House. Roosevelt and Wilson were cases in point. But the machines do not always stick to habit nor precedent. Hoover may be another exception, for he has not been in any political office in> the States. It is said one day that he is supported by the Republicans alid next day by the Democrats. He has a powerful personality that may prove superior to political pull. He* is certainly Saul-like, head and shoulders above the other personages mentioned. Even Johnson, of California, the best-advertised of the professional politicians (such as Knox, Poindexter, Butler, Harding, and "even ex-Gover-nod Hughes), is not comparable with the greatness of Herbert Hoover, who is still looked upon as the saviour of the starving peoples of Belgium and other parts of Europe. General Leonard Wood is a strong man. He was released from his military duties many months ago in order to prepare for the Presidential campaign, but he is not likely to make good. We should all I be keenly interested in the results of tho coming party conventions, because the influence of the Anglo-Saxon unity, is affected by their nominations.