Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-11
BY N. o. MESSENGER.

Looking forward to the actual
work of framing platform and
nominating a presidential ticket
at the republican national con-
vention. only eight weeks OF, pol
tticians are realizing they they
are approaching a contest between
the conservative group of the
party and what some Of them call
the radical elements. While the
latter are allocated under the
banner of the ''progressives," the
two classes are not differentiated.
Just as the other way round, a
conservative" is all the same as
a "reactionary' to your average
progressive, so the conservative
fails to see much difference be-
tween a progressive and a radical:
they all look alike to him. Neither
faction apparently recognizes any
middle ground where a man can
be just plain republican. Each
set endows the other with the
horns, hoofs and forked tail Of
the extremist.
\ 4 + Il
This differentiation has been go
ing on in the republican party for
years. reaching its acute stage In
1912. In the Roosevelt johnson split,
partially abated in 1915, and now to
be put to the acid test again in
1920. Significantly enough. the
man-Hiram Johnson-who shared
with Roosevelt fifty-fifty in 1912
the responsibility for the split,
and who carried his own state In
1915 overwhelmingly while the
head Of the ticket, Charles E.
Hughes, lost California. Is now a
potential If not commanding fig
ure in republican politics. and the
gaze of the politicians are turn
ing anxiously and inquiringly
toward him and his conjectured
course at Chicago.
That Senator Johnson would go
into the convention with follow
Ing of delegates sufficient in num-
Der to command attention has been
all along foregone conclusion.
SsSSSA@ SuSSVSSCo Ah ll4C ~
indicate that the conclusion will
be verified. Some estimates place
the johnson strength at the out
set as high as 100. These will be
delegates pledged or favorable to
him as their choice for candidate
for the presidential nomination.
But politicians do not overlook
other candidates. of Gen. Wood
in particular, will be found men
quite In sympathy with Senator
Johnson's progressive views and
policies and ready to support him
when it comes to clinches on the
progressive planks in the plat
form.
The opinion is held by some re.
publicans of prominence in Wash
tngton that it will be essential to
party success at the polls in No
vember to have Senator Johnson's
support of the candidate named in
June. Those Of most cautious
judgment do not go to the length
of suggesting that Senator john
son will bolt If his particular
choice of candidate Is not ratified
by the convention, but they do be-
lieve that IL the convention should
name a man utterly repugnant to
the progressive and radical fol-
lowing of Senator Johnson. the
assets of the party would undergo
q severe discount. And the same
conclusion attaches to the adop-
tion of a platform which might be
characterized by that element as
reactionary.
Attention has been attracted to
the assimilation of the Johnson
and La Toilette forces in Wiscon-
sin in the primary elections for
delegates to the national conven-
tion. One of the johnson eastern
managers, who visited Wisconsin
before the primaries, was quoted as
saying that those who desire to aid
in the johnson movement in Wis
consin can do most by supporting
the Wisconsin progressive candi-