The Washington herald., 1920-05-03

IF 1t comes out" There doesn't
seem to be- good reason why IL
should not come out. In this Cali
fornia climate the question of cleo
tion day weather never has to be
considered and II Is my belief that
the woman voters are quite alive
to the issues. They are not wholly
pleased by the Johnsonian assump-
ton that to the Senator alone g
due the fact Of suffrage. They in
sist rather that whatever part he
took in effecting IL was forced upon
him.
Doubtful Of Hoover.
even the practiced amateur poll
tician what chance Hoover has Of
carrying the primaries, you will be
told that he has none. But that is
because most OF the practical poll
ticians are Johnson officeholders,
while the amateurs are Influenced
by reverence for the opinion of
those who have been practical
enough to get Jobs. 1 would not
myself hazard the opinion that
Johnson will surely be beaten, but
neither would 1 put signature to q
prophecy of his victory.
For unless the temper Of Cali
fornia voters has absolutely changed
in the last four years, the very
forces that then carried johnson to
victory will undo him now. He has
deserted them for those who were
then their enemies. He is preach
ing not progressivism but reaction.
He has abandoned the forward gaze
of the progressive for the furtive
backward glance of the reactionary.
How can he hold his former sup
poPters7
His spokesmen appeal to Cali
fornia pride. They insist that. vic
torieus here, he will inevitably be
nominated at Chicago. No one with
knowledge of national politics will
believe this for a moment
slump in Prestige.
Moreover, the successes OF John
son outside Of California no longer
advance with that impressive sweep
which for a time seemed likely to
carry all before II. New Jersey de-
feated him. Neither Michigan nor
Nebraska will give him the support
in the convention which his cham
pions at first claimed.
These later developments are hurt
ing him with those Californians who
are swayed FIRST by State pride.
The nation may expect to see a
tremendous unorganized popular
vote for Hoover In this State. 1t
may not prove to be a majority vote.
In such event, under bad election
law, It will produce no delegates.
Should II, however, closely approx
mate the vote OF johnson, 1t will
produce the effect on the country of
a split delegation, and greatly en-
hance the prospects of those who
will urge Mr.. Hoover on the National
Convention. At the same time a vote
so divided will tend to put johnson
out of the running.
Adverse to johnson.
When II is kept in mind that SEN
ator Johnson, partly by his own ut
terances, partly by the character of
the men with whom he has chosen
to train In this fight has been put
in the position of the beneficiary
of pro-Germanism, the foe of last
ing peace, the hostile critic of the
United States In the war, the enemy
OF those who were our closest allies,
and the political bed-fellow of those
he called crooks and scoundrels,
1t seems difficult to understand
how he can hold the old Progress
sive Roosevelt vote. It would be
difticult even II he had not headed
his ticket with the Southern Pacific
Senator Flint and tho Southern
Pacific Millionaire Crocker, and
turned for his journalistic support to
Mike DE Young and william r.
Hearst