Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-15
REPUBLICANS ARE ACTIVE
MANY CANDIDATES TRoT
UP TO STARTING POST
"ooSsyeit, Taft md Hughes Out of
WY Provides Open Field for
Other Leaders,.
BY J. FREDERICK EssARY-

Irn eiinfa with practical politics. A
filled hotel corridors, committee rooms
nnd campaign headquarters while the
wep1 lean National Committeeman
Republican National 1cS onvent tne n and
is nu appo poi J Of groups to study
ures.
BY far the most interesting phase
the discussion of possible or avowed
Sandidates. tho strength OF those who
h haHe been mentioned" for the nomin-
IL going on for place at the start Of
OF orc ba wddiest-1pen ,o race for the honor
Leans have staged In more than
y, Since the first nomination o; Will
nam Mckinley, the Republicans nave
figures to deal with as each national
next to hopeless for dark horses or
TOT mere favor!:c sons. Mckinley
vas vas the obvious man TO succeed him
YET succeeding himself. Taft was the
ROOSEVELT candidate in 1905. In 1912
Roosevelt and Taft, and in 1915 uue zen
possibilities. '.'iei
All HIVE Snme Chance.
~ b 1Es campaign Is about to op.n In
any following at all has about as good
a,h enancs r, at the nomination as any
%sth Ju dete r f no and n9oS sSs e deal
are not looked upon even "a poss;.
heo oi,es; iesxy naGg the field wide open 10
70 Senators Harding. johnson and Poin
dexter: to Governor Coolidge and to
any Others who feel The Inclination to
1t must be admitted in frankncss
i ,nat OF the enlargins group If Repub-
aIa1 candidates, there are three who
a. the moment stand out conspicu-
ouslE. and who. by reason OF personal
a abi,I,xh money and general avail
night General WOOD iV heads ID i9 this s see
.ect list. Close behind him is Gov
se no Lo H.nd and RICH, at his heels is
mas something more or less substan
n nni 70 60 on Wood has admitted
n nepttItSFi rssna ana war chest of emf
aen has great State and an envi, bjn
reeo', 10 begin with, and Harding. rep
aesentins another great State. has an
Guard holds him. :" "h'eh the Old
Three Aspirantn In Lead.
III, me Tact might as well be recorded
a asni lor the time being these three
ispirahts are regarded by Republ,cnn
leaders as the better sroomed for The
n aoe. ana an IN many quarters the feeling
narrow down to them. although 'u my
nave 6y no means prccmpted the neld
ana their friends have not the re-
G.ner candidates from making a show
ing at Chicago in June.
xeopmen,s 'e Of i isssy etnm5ssTTns,lnE de-
republican leaders here is the fact
m, nat little or nothing was heard from
The p proiEsSionai politicians REGARDING
pert Hoover or General pershing for
5ns R sern can n,ominatioE. An odd
have suggested their. names. but ,hors
were no outright Hoover shouters and
no champions OF General PershinE in
aa Ems, may possibly be found in the
rro t una. mere ere has been and still is
POLITICS. That he has d emonsiss, ms
n noa'' dsaisd for , the ptes!deney is
goes in, Washington. that is ano one
other IMAM rigid partisans. the desir..
ae1..vy o. Mr. Hoover for the presi-
about. ~ 30 TAXED
some Favor Herbert Hoover.
Independent thinkers of both partios
may ne heard to say that IL they could
b"h me next PRESIDENT they would un-
u.It HooHer. No other man now in
pubic life is so generally looked ,Ipon
ana an IDEAL candidate and of none does
Inc Republican leaders who tbronSoS
Washington last week apparently Maid
niue attention to him, certainly very
rev, OF them pointed to him as their
hrst or last choice.
me chances are. therefore, that II
MT. hoover is seriously considered for
.ne presidency, 1t Will be by the Demo
Gratis and not by the Republicans Tbe
latter do not seem remotely incIinr,I
TO name or to discuss any man n
nead their ticket about whose Repub-
doubt They have the feeling that thcv
arc going TO win the next fight, who,
EYER they nominate. and they are not
aIsposed 70 take chances on man
whose politics Will not stand a rigid
party test.
It might be observed in this con-
n 1s,s.an moreover that il Mr.. Hoover's
bidered even by the Democrats they
mad bettor put an indelible Democratic
stamp upon him. This is govern
In this country, whether Republicans
or Democrats, have never enthused over
any presidential possibility who did
not sho" q measure OF party allegiance.
Democrats Wnnt Hoover.
1t might be added right here, though.
that there are powerful interests in
tho Dmocratic ranks preparing TO an.
propriate MIR. Hoover. provided he al
most interesting story which is heard
in that connection recently is the re-
port that Wilbur Marsh. Of Iowa, one
Of the ablest Democratic politicians in
lively organizing movement to nom;-
nate Mr.. Hoover the Democratic
ticket. He and his friends, it is said.
are waiting for the Republicans 10
center upon some undiluted partisan Of
the Harding or Louden type as their
offering to the country, then when
uneasiness begins to be manifest over
the sort of man who SENS likely TO
succeed Woodrow Wilson. they will
come forward with Mr.. Hoover. an in
dependent, but at heart good Wilson
man, as the best possible candidate the
Democrats might possibly nominate.
Some May Lose Sleep.
If this program should eventuate 1t
at least would cause Republican man
agrs to lose many a nights sleep and
might even change the whole plan Of
action at the Chicago convention. More
over, the nomination Of Mr. Hoover by
the Democrats. If he should be OPP
posed by either a pronounced reaction
airy or by straight militarist, might
h expected to place the outcome ,of
- election very much in doubt, not
outstanding the odds which are now
III favor of the Republicans.
General Pershing seems to have COM
,ietely dropped out of the minds OF
politicians as a possible candidate for
thc presidency, Neither ReDnhIicana