The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-05-06

formation of third party would draw l.
almost as many Democrats as Republi- !,
cans and when these elements had been
subtracted from both parties the result
tant strength of the Republican party in
leach of the important states would still
be sufficient to carry the electoral votes
/, for the Republican ticket.
But in the Democratic camp, the fore
cast of third party is accompanied by L
a sense of jubilation and expectancy.
The Democrats are basing their hopes on ,
what happened in 1912. They think a
third party means an easy victory. OF
course, they are assuming that Hiram |
Johnson, if defeated at Chicago, will raise |
Il the cry of fraud" and the familiar
slogan of 1912 and bolt the convention
and start third party. They imagine
dominating personality like Roosevelt
will head third party and that Johnson
, will be the nominee. The Republican
leaders will make every effort to keep
: Johnson in line and while they think a
third party is unavoidable they will try
) to prevent Johnson from leading it.
Fl SO far as the Republican leaders are
concerned, they are satisfied with the
Il conservatism OF Major General Wood and
d Governor Lowden. Either one would do.
: The victory of Johnson in California
). doesn't disturb them for they regard
f the votes for Hoover as reflection of the
conservative sentiment of California. 1t
: il strongly suspected here, moreover,
G that in San Francisco where Johnson's
i vote was so large, anti-treaty Democrats
V voted in the Republican primaries by
a the thousands. This view, is confirmed
by telegram just received by the writer
f,,,. ttt.,Nr Ix- oil nrf,ia
: which reads as follows:
''The Democrats were split about 80 80
{ between Hoover and Johnson. Both sides
f claimed them, but Johnson through SUI
!. perb organization got away with the ma
: jority of the Democratic vote. Most of
4 the Hoover vote came from the women
n and that class of people who have not
= in the past paid so much direct attention
!. to politics. Behind johnson were Milton
y X. Young, formerly chairman of the
. Democratic committee of Los Angeles.
y Joseph II. Call, Joseph Scott tan Irish
. leader hitherto in the Democratic party,
= J. o. Snyder, the last Democratic candi-
70 date for lieutenant governor, all of the
Hearst Democrats, and Senator Phelan's
= Democratic lieutenants in and around
, 4 San Francisco the latter because of an
I agreement on the part of johnson to sup
i port Phelan's re election for the senate
i There is no strong Republican candidate
running for the senate and Phelan has
made good for California"
So there is relatively little Republican
radicalism in California, according to Tx
l Judgment of leaders here and they are
l proceeding on the theory that Repub
l lican conservative must be nominated.
The booming of Senator Knox of Penn
svlvania by his astute colleague, Senator
i Penrose, isn't a passing fancy of that
veteran politician. 1t is a shot across thu
/ bow of the johnson ship. Mr.. Knox i!
an irreconcilable opponent of the treaty
He stands exactly on the same grount
as Senator Johnson. He has denounced
/ the treaty az too harsh and cruel upor
l Germany. If the Republican convention
should be confronted by the johnson
i following with demand for stand oil
the treaty such as Johnson has taken
l Philander c. Knox, former secretary o
/ state, would be offered as the duplication
of tile Johnson viewpoint. Lowden ant
l Knox or Wood and Knox wouldn't be
strange combination for President ant
l Vice President For while Mr.. kno:
l reflects the viewpoint of the Johnson fol
lowers on the peace treaty nobody woult
for moment call him radical. He is
/ tried and true conservative with a recor'
in Republicanism that il unquestioned
The third party is coming. The gam
now is to keep it from drawing too man.
Republicans and at the same time t.
encourage it as a place for the protcs
vote, the disgruntled Democrats, the rad
1 cals and other elements whose aequisi
ton by the Republican party might b
y embarrassing. The Democrats are tax
ing renewed hope. The johnson vot
= spells a split to them in the ranks 0
their foes. Five weeks hence the conven
z ton will tell ths tale-and there prob