Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-06-14
C. 0. P. LEADERS
|. FEAR VERDICT Of
NATION ON TICKET
Powerful Voting Elements
Alienated by Dodging of
Burning Issues.
HARDING REPRESENTATIVE
OF EXTREME REACTlONARIES
Platform Makers Worried Over
Effect of Cowardly Surrender
on Treaty Issue.
DRYS AND VETS ARE ANGRY
Labor Men, Soldiers and Pro-
hibitionists Given Scant Com
fort mt Chicago.
HARDING REPRESENTATIVE
OF EXTREME REACTlONARlES
DRYs AND VETS ARE ANGRY
Labor Men, Soldiers and Pro-
hibitionists Given Scant Com
fort Mt Chicago.
ny J. FREDERICK EssARY.

CHICAGO. Juno 13.-Republican
politicians who have remained In
Chicago TO take stock, following tho
adjournment of tho national conyen-
ton last night. are waiting with main.
ful concern the popular verdict ON
the party ticket. the party platform
and present party leadership.
NOW that the nominations hayo
peen made and an irrcvocablc pro-
gram of policies has been adontcd.
the men who were responsible for
the business transacted in this citv
during the past week have begun to
wonder whether or not the country
VIII approve return to standpatism
IN government; whether It was
sate thing to put rcactionary tickat
INTO the field. and whether the nartv
has not been guilty of weakness. n
not cowardicc. in surrenderinG abb
'ectly upon the issue of peace.
Republicans Are Depressed.
inis second-thought period comes
inevitably after the excitement tbo
hieh tension, the heart straininr of
tacttonal convention. And IL has
pecn u period of peculiar depression
IN this instance because OF an an
sence or enthusiasm over either tho
'ieket or the platform upon which
tne ticket must base it's appeal 10
the country.
experienced convention observers
nave never witnessed a moro sober
proceeding than that late yesterday
which forced through the nomination
VI arren U. Harding. Nor is il any
see,ee that II another working day
'au remained. IL yesterdays ballot
'"s haa oeen on Friday instead of
ON saturday, the convention nominee
would In all human probability bavs
oeeh some other man than tho Sena-
tor from Ohio.
Such leadership as was in com
mand realized that the convention
would never consent to stay on tho
ground over Sunday; that It hnd
made up it's mind to nominate some-
oodE and go home; that it would have
been futile to try to stem tho tide
that had set In for Harding. and that
the party. after all, might go fur
ther and faro worse than they would
ny lis acceptance OF the Ohioian.
A Pronounced standpatter.
1t Is not argued in any quarter
that Mr.. Harding Is the ablest man
available whom the convention
might have named. He Is not. He
has no constructive record to his
credit; he is tho author of no great
national policy; his name Is not as
scciated with any important program
Oh legislation; he has no powerful
personal following even in his own
State ana he represents nothing in
'he popular mind except the most
pronounced standpatism in politics.
but granting all this, his friends
seem convinced that he will mako
an effective candidate. He Is hand
some fgure on the stump; he has re-
souFcetuihess as speaker; he Is
clean. He came through tho pre-
convention campaign without being
smothered with the aftermath OF a
"slush fund" campaign, as did Low
den and Wood. He will promise n
safe and sane administration, IL
elected. He will not run amuck In
the White House and he will DO
ahundantly financed in the fight
against the Democratic ticket. This
Is about the sum total of his assets.
according to those who have cham
pioncd his cause.
1t remains to be seen whether or
not such a candidate can effectively
reunite the Republican party. That
there is n radical element and n pro
gressive element that is not alto
gether radical in the Republican
ranks, everybody knows. The primary
vote cast for Hiram johnson indi-
Gated that as clearly as anything
could.
Named by the Old Guard.
Harding is neither radical nor pro-
gresSive. lie is not an Old Guards
man OF the Penrosc- -Barnes-Crane
type, but he was nominated by grace \
or that sort OF leadership, after tho
reactionaries had concluded that it
would be dangerous, IL not suicidal.
to force Governor Lowden through
the convention.
Where the progressive vote in the
party Will so. therefore, In this cam
paign. depends in large measure
upon the platform adopted and the
ticket nominated by tho Democrats
at San Francisco. 1t Is not mean, by
this that there is any serious doubt
regarding the side which Johnson
and Borah will align themselves
with. 1t is assumed on every hand
thot they viii remain loyal, but IL
is by no means certain that they can
deliver. or Will make any serious
efforts to deliver. the following they
have in the politics OF today to
ticket which represents nothing that
they stood for in tho Republican
party.
Although the radicals by threats
and warnings compelled tho convan-
tion TO accept a meaningless plank
upon the question OF peace: compelled