The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-06-28
PARTY NOMINEE
IS NOT GUESS
Described in Terms of Horse
Racing McAdoo and Cox are
Running Neck and Neck
DARK HORSE PROBABLE
Many FavOrite Sons Are To Be
Eliminated On First Ballot
ing OF Democrats Today
(By S. NJ. RIckEY.)

! 10y =. M niNNEf.J
AS the convention opens the con
test for the democratic presidential
nomination seems to be so close be-
tween McAdoo and Cox, that if one
were to describe it in terms of horse
race he would say they are coming
down the stretch neck and neck.
A lot Of things may happen before
they reach the wire that will advan.
I tage one or the other and enable him
to nose out a winner. Again they may
both be over driven and go to a break,
come from behind and win the prize.
The McAdoo people claim from
three hundred to three hundred anc
fifty votes on the first ballot. The
Cox people are confident of about
two hundred and twenty five votes on
the first ballot.
Both groups claim that these first
ballot figures do not represent any
where near the real delegate strength
of their respective candidates.
On the first ballot there will be sew
eral hundred votes cast for favorite
sons, such as Owen, Meredith, Ed
wards, Gerard. Smith OF New York
Even Hoover, who was endorsed at
the Michigan primary before he an
|nopnced himself n republican, is un :
der the law, entitled to the Michigan
votes on the first ballot, ad although
the Palmer boom seems to have been
deflated to the point of almost COM
plete collapse, the Attorney General
will get very considerable vote early
in the balloting because of pledges
and friendships among the national
committeeman.
1t seems to be fairly reasonable that
Palmer will begin to slip right out
after the first ballot, the bulk of his
strength being divided between Cox
and McAdoo.
In what proportion it will be di-
vided is one of the imponderables of
the situation. My own opinion is
that the leaders of the several states
from which Palmer will get his vote,
and not Palmer himself, will decide
the question.
l am also inclined to the view. that
Cox will profit more than McAdoo
from the final Palmer blow up, be-
cause the leaders in the so-called
Palmer states are among the keenest
politicians in the party, and the ma
jority of them consider Cox stronger
candidate from the standpoint of
vote getting than McAdoo..
1t is a fair assumption that Cox
will get enough advantage from the
division of Palmer delegates to ball
ance the difference between his vote
and McAdoo's on the first ballot, and
put the two leading candidates even.
Beyond this is more guessing, and
the reader can guess just as well as
any of us alleged experts.
The most interesting thing about
the revival of the McAdoo boom and
it's steady growth during the past few
days, is that it seems to be entirely
lacking in organized leadership.
There are no McAdoo headquarters,
no McAdoo pictures. no McAdoo but
tons or literature of any description.
But the McAdoo talk and the Nc
Adoo feeling are all prevailing.
You can't move five feet in any of
the hotel lobbies without butting into
some one who tells you that McAdoo
is going to be nominated. When you
try to find the real one cause of all
the McAdoo talk you can't do it.
There is no such thing.
One of the most active and enthu-
siastic McAdoo boosters is National
Committeeman Amidon of Kansas.
An attempt was made last night to
have a meeting of leading McAdoo
men from various parts of the coun-
try, with the idea of electing Amidon
chairman, but only handful respond
ed to the call, and Amidon was not
among those present. I am told that
il has not been decided whether or not
McAdoo's name viii be formally pre-
sented to the convention. McAdoo has
asked that it not be, and his request
may be respected. OF course this will
not affect those delegates who are de-
termined to vote for him. 1t is point
ed out that the McAdoo request did
not go that far.
The Cox managers, while they do
not underestimate the danger in the
drive which McAdoos friends are
making, are by no means discouraged,
and ther is no reason that they should
be-
They realize that the Bryan oppo-
sition is not to be deposed and that
the bringing of Cox's divorce into the
situation is factor but they are max
ing a game and intelligent fight. II
Cox doesn't get the nomination. the
man who does. whether McAdoo or a
dark horse, will know that he has been
in battle with the Ohio governor.