Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-19
ARE SURPRISED BUT
HOPEFUL At CHOICE
FOR PARTY LEADER
Westerners Would Have
Preferred Governo r Low
den or General Wood as
\ Nominee
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

rem ". I1dTulHS IS 1IlllS hIlO"Il ou
here, so the first reaction toward the
man chosen by the Republican ma
tional convention is one Of surprise
mingled with hope. This part OF
Washington contains not a few pro-
gressives, though the aggressive
number who are willing to be char
acterized as such is dwindling. Some
disappointment over the failure OF
the Republican convention to name
either as president or vice president
some one around whom the progress
sives could rally IS inevitable.
Four years ago the women of this
state gave the electoral vote to Will
son. This year women seem to have
made themselves vocal only with re-
spect to Herbert Hoover and now
that he is eliminated in the presi-
Dental contest the feminine section
of the electorate has no definite OBJ
jective. Senator Harding is being
represented as a good citizen, sim
pie American. born on the farm and
a self-made man. If his manager;
are skillful in their approach to
states like this, they will win votes
for Harding.
For, broadly speaking, the Repub
Iicans here would have preferred
Governor Lowden Or Leonard Wood.
Indeed, there was a substantial con-
fidence felt in the capacity of the
Illinois governor But Harding is all
new to the voters. The people are
favorably inclined, however. They
want to vote against the mistakes
of the Wilson administration, but
mostly they want an executive IN
whom they can have absolute conf
dence If the campaign managers
can fnstill such confidence with re-
spect, to the Harding personality,
the result, even at this early date, Is
j not difficult to conjecture.
McAdoo Strong with Democrats
But on the Democratic side there
IS a pronounced leaning toward Nc
Adoo and. as one Republican OF
prominence expressed 1t, the noml.
nation of McAdoo would give the
Democrats a fighting chance here
abouts He was basing his assertion
+ ON the strength hold which McAdoo
has upon the railroad brotherhoods
and organized labor and their fami-
81 lies.
Governor Cox has been very little
known out here, but since the news
papers have been telling how he car
ried Ohio three times during the
same period that Harding served,
the people are beginning to wonder
if the Democrats, too, are going to
nominate man from Ohio.
Curiously enough, however, there
is a vital interest in whether or not
Cox and McAdoo are dry on the
liquor question. McAdoo has the in
Is dorsement of the Anti-Saloon league,
while Cox is believed by local Demo
Gratis to have moist leanihgs. So
far as this state is concerned, the
drys would have a better chance.
The people of Washington are
tired of the liquor question, but what
they are mostly tired of is the liquor
question in politics. Any Democratic
Lin the state of Washington on the
Hbasis of wetness alone. He had bet
Tier count on some of the populous
eastern states where the advantages
of prohibition still are imaginary.
Bryan and the FARMER
Another thing is that William Jen
nings Bryan is looked upon by the
farmer as a teacher of agrarian gos-
pei, and this is the country where
he is by no means held in such light
esteem as in certain parts Of the
east.
To be sure this is an entirely diff
ferent part Of the world from New
York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
For instance, while Republicans dis
hike the Wilson administration as a
matter Of principle, they don't dis
like with the bitterness of depth of
feeling that the average Republican
in the east releases when engaged
In political conversations.
Perhaps it is distance, but the
btate of Westinghouse at least this
"A end of it-isn't afraid that the
= League of Nations or the pending
peace treaty will work the harm
hat Senator Johnson says it will,
Even the Republican newspapers in
q
khcoce on the treaty of Versailles
and the league with reservations
they think it better than nothing
,no il there is any concrete disap-
bointment about the Republican con-
Fention, it is about the platform
rather than the candidate.
"Pussy-Footed" on League Plank
A straight out-and-out declaration
bout the peace treaty with reserva-
ions would have been very welcome
bereabouts and folks now are inclin-
d to look upon the plank about the
League of Nations as "a superb
piece Of pussy-footing," as one Re
publican expressed it
1t is pretty early yet and such dis
appointment as prevails may disap-
disappear but the main things for
party and a candidate to do to get
he votes in the state of Washing
on is to inspire confidence.
This is the task that Senator Har-
Ing and his campaign managers
have before them. And there are a
good many progressives who will
lave to be coddled if they are to en-
,race heartily the platform and cam
idate by the time November comes
round.