The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-06-18
Story Of the National Convention at Chicago,
the Struggle to Build Platform and
the Selection of Ticket.
GOVERNOR COOLIDGE GIVEN SECOND PLACE
Wood Lowden and Johnson Leaders in the Early Balotns
Eliminated at the Behest Of Senatorial Coterie
and Dark Horse Wins the Race

BY EDWARD W.-PIcKARD.
For President-wARREN q. HARD
ING Of Ohio.
For Vice President-cALvIN COOL
IDGE Of Massachusetts.
There is the ticket with which the
Republicans hope and intend to regain
possession Of the national government
next fall.
For president, man from the home
state Of many presidents, statesman
Of long experience and solid reputa-
ton, who has been a member of the
United States senate since 1914, a
member of the "old guard" who stands
well with the Republicans who are in
control of the senate.
For vice president, the governor of
the Bay state, who was virtually un-
known to the nation at large until the
strike of Boston policemen and his Wig
orous course in its suppression gave
him vast amount Of publicity and
made him the favorite son of Massa-
chusetts in the balloting for first place
on the ticket.
These gentlemen now stand before
the electors of the country on a plat
form that is SO broad that 1t embraces
nearly every topic and issue of the
day, though there are those who assert
that in some places the planks are
perilously thin. Its builders, how
ever, maintain that there Is no danger
Of the candidates falling through the
some judicious straddling and side-step-
ping, this will prove true.
Struggle Over the Platform.
Seldom, If ever, has the choice of
a presidential candidate been SO close
ly connected with the building of the
platform-or it might be more exact
to say the rejection of candidate.
For If Hiram johnson and his sup
porters could have compelled the adop-
tion of just the plank they demanded
on the League of Nations issue, the
California senator, and he alone, could
with consistency have consented to xo
before the people standing on the plat
form. As it was, his threat to bolt the
party caused long deadlock in the de-
liberations of the committee on reso-
lutions and at last forced the adop-
ton Of a plank based on the cabled
suggestion Of Elihu Root. That wise
man had gone to Europe, but kept in
close touch with the doings in Chi
cago and at the crucial moment his
plan was presented to johnson, Borah,
Mccormick and the other '1rreconcil-
ables" and accepted by them.
The resolution as finally incorpo-
rated in the platform, and swallowed
by the convention, almost without a
quiver, completely avoids any pledge to
ratify the treaty Of peace and the
league covenant with or without reser-
vations, strongly indorses the action
of the Republican senators in that re-
gard and promises that the party will
work for some kind of international
arrangement for the peaceful ADJUST
ment of disputes between nations with
out the sacrifice Of American SOW
ereignty. Thus, as will be seen, the
way is left open for an administration
elected on this platform to do almost
anything 1t sees fit in this regard, ex-
cept to ratify a treaty and league COW
enant such as President Wilson
brought home from Paris.
Wilson's Policies Scored.
For the rest, the platform, In brief,
scores President Wilson and the Dem
ocratic administration for their unpre-
paredness for war and for the equally
unprepared condition of the nation for
the reception of peace. Denouncing
the autocratic assumption Of author
ity by the president, the platform
pledges the restoration of constitution
al government. The Republican con-
gress is praised for its efforts to cope
with the problems caused by the presi-
dents course.
The farmers gained their requested
support for extension of farm loans
and the right to engage in cooperative
marketing and buying.
The industrial plank was the sub
ject of much discussion. Some of the
committee members, presumably speak
Ing for big business, favored a plank
for the prevention of strikes by law.
1ONtTuOI Ahch anu OthCiS NohtSh tiS
Kansas industrial court plan indorsed.
And President Gompers Travelled all
the way to Chicago to tell the COM
mittee what kind of plank the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor demanded.
None of these requests were satisfied.
but the plank adopted recognizes the
Justice of collective bargaining and
continues:
1.-THE strike, or the lockout. as a
means of settling Industrial disputes,
infiicts such loss and suffering on the
community as to justify government
Initiative to reduce its frequency and
limit its consequences.
I'VE deny the right to strike against
the government but the rights and in