Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-04
SPROUL IN CHICAGO

WHATEVER may have been the
w purpose of Senator Penrose in say
ing some time ago that Senator Knox
was tho ideal presidential candidate,
the Pennsylvania delegates to the Chi
cago convention do not wholly agree
with him.
Those delegates have unanimously
indorscd the candidacy of Governor
Sproul in n resolution pledging to him
their support 'in the confident belief
that he will be nominated"
Senator Penrosc. so far as is known
did not raise his hand to prevent this
action. 1t is doubtful whether he could
have prevented it il he had desired. He
was told over the telephone what was
planned, and apparently he acquiesced.
II the senator's talk of Knox were in =
tended to block the progress of Sproul,
1t failed. The delegation stands back
u the Governor.
Whatever effect the Endorsement of
the Governor by tho state delegation
may have on tho action of the Chicago
convention. 1t will certainly have a great
effect upon political conditions in Penn
sylvania.
1t may have portcntous effects in
Chicago. No one knows what will
happen there, when the voting begins
on Thursday or Friday of next week.
The candidates who have been canvass
ing the nation have succeeded in Great
ing good deal Of hard feeling. None
of them has more than small fraction
of the support needed to nominate.
Governor Sproul. with the seventy six
votes of Pennsylvania back of him, has
a larger number Of pledged delegates
than any other candidate save Wood
and johnson. LowdPn has only sew
enty four and Harding only thirty
nine. The Governor has created nc
antagonisms. He has spent no money
to secure delegates and cannot be
charged with attempting to buy the
! nomination. He has generally made
n good record as n Governor. Most OF
the men he has appointed to Office hav,
been selected for their fitness, in tn,
confident belief that the best way tc
play politics is to give the people eff
| cient service.
Leaders in other parts of the country
seeking for compromise candidate
have lately been making inquiries about
Mr.. Sproul from every one who has
any knowledge on the subject. The,
know that he went to New England last
year to back Governor Coolidge for re
election and that he has made q goot
impression in the western states wherC
he has spoken. And they also know
that he is young man who. while
working with the PENNSYLVANIA ma
chine. has always maintained his owr
independence Of the dominant leader
His availability is admitted. iii,
strength has been increased by the in
dorsement by the state delegation il
spite of Senator Penrose's injection o.
the name of Senator Knox into til,
situation. The opponents of the Ole
Guard know that the nomination o,
Mr.. Sproul would deal deadly blow
to the reactionary influences in tn,
party in the very state where they hay,
been most potent and would deliver tn,
party at once from the burden under
which it has been struggling since 1912
Mr.. SprOul is now in position
where he may have power enough [,
nominate the candidate, if the nomina
tion does not come to him. IL he could
and should throw his strength to Mr.
Hoover and thereby make him sue,
cessful, he would become at once tn,
dominant leader of Pennsylvania an(
one of the great national leaders.