The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-05-05
WHO WILL BE NAMED?

With the national conventions of
the two great parties not two months
off, nobody has any definite idea as
to who will be the nominee for pres
ident in either party. -. .''
In the democratic party, there
have been, and still are, candidates,
but no candidate, with the possible
exception of President Wilson him.
self, has yet commanded serious
consideration. First, it has been Mr..
McAdoo, and then it has been Mr..
Palmer, and now the ghost of Champ
Clark walks. Bryan. still talks too,
but there is no drift on the surface
for any of them.
Mr.. Wilson continues to demand
that the League of Nations shall be
submitted to the people in a "sol-
emn referendum" (the solemnity
of which will appear to him after the
people have spoken) and Senator
Lodge seems anxious to have the
League as an issue. Whether or not
it shall be, or whether the democrats
shall side-step the issue, is not now
apparent. To the uninitiated in poll
tics it is difficult to see how the is
sue in some form can be avoided. If
the League is to be the issue, Mr..
Wilson is undoubtedly the logical
man to lead the democrats in the
coming battle of ballots. The signs
of the times indicate that nobody
knows this better than the president,
and that he is ready, if not eager, to
make the campaign for the third
time.
In the republican ranks, things are
about as unsettled. General Wood
has more delegates pledged to him
than any other candidate. But not
one-half of the delegates already
named are pledged, and General
Wood has less than one-half Of
those pledged. Senator Johnson, of
California, has been making a great
race, considering the handicaps un-
der which he labors. He swept the
state of Michigan, and then invaded
the East running only about one
thousand votes behind General Wood
in the preferential primary, al
though he had no highly financed or
ganization, such as is attributed to
the General. His showing in other
states is such as to cause alarm in
some quarters. On the other hand,
Senator Harding who has up to this
time commanded the support of the
Old Guard in the republican party,
or at least has been the recipient of
their smiles of approval, has made
"a poor showing in the race. He was
, barely able to carry his own state
(Ohio) over General Wood, his
campaign manager being peaten for
delegate at large by one Of the cam
didates supporting the General. He
is out of the race. None Of the other
candidates so far named are formid-
able.
But, just now a boom for Senator
Knox is being launched by the Old
Guard, Of which Senator Penrose of
Pennsylvania is an acknowledged
leader. Senator Penrose who has
maintained long and very dense
silence, came out in an interview
Saturday in which he stated that his
colleague in the Senate (Senator
Knox is "the best-cqa;pppsd. As:
around international aatssmap q:
meet the requirements osSfhe: Pres
ent situation who 3s;sssaSagabbie--: in
public life" Coincideht with this
Hon. Bascomb Slemp, of Virginia,
a leading republican Of his. state,
and other stand-patters in the repub-
lican ranks indicate that they are for
Senator Knox He will be able not
only to command support in the East,
it is stated, but Senator Johnson, if
he shall fail to receive the nomina-
tion himself, will look kindly upon
Senator Knox, whose position on the
League of Nations covenant, while
not so generally talked about as that
of Senator johnson, has been equal
ly as positive as the iatter's IN oppo-