The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-05
NU SIEAM kULLEk
Convention Preliminaries Wind
Up With "Three Ring Finish"
Everything Confusion Prior to
Opening of Big Show.
but THERE'S NO BAND WAGON
Uninstructed Delegates Form
Majority of Those Present.
Great Scarcity of sold Heads"
to Show the Way.
BUT THERE'S NO BAND WAGON

Chicago, June 5.-Disag agreement be-
tween General Woods managers over
whether the Republican national COM
mittee has been steam rolling his
delegates has furnished the incident
which was needed to wind up the Re-
publican convention preliminaries
with a three ring finish.
Altho Senator Moses. one of the
generals mana gers, has denounced
the decisions Of the committee which
have seated Lowden delegates over
Wood contestants as steam roller"
procedure, General Wood himself has
followed it up with a personal state
ment expressing confidence in the
fairness of Chairman HAYS and dis
claiming any belieI that the commit
teemen are permitting their personal
preferences as to candidates to enter
into the decisions which will deter
mine the character of delegations.
Steam Roller Talk Old.
Steam roller talk has not reap
peared in the preliminaries since the
celebrated Taft-Roosevelt contest in
1912 and it adds to the noise and con-
fusion in which the uninstructed dele
gate, so to speak, is having some diff
ficulty in locating the band wagon.
There are several elements which
contribute to the support of predic-
tions that 1t is going to be a regular
old time convention. Four years ago
on pre-convention Saturday every
thing looked pretty tame. Charles
Evans Hughes was as good as nomi-
mated altho it was not generally known
and the atmosphere was placid.
Is No Band Wagon.
Many steadying influences which
guided the preliminaries of four years
ago are absent now, and a good many
new elements which make for confu-
sion are present. In the first place the
majority of the delegates are unin-
structed and altho majority of them
are anxious to board some band wag-
on. there does not appear to be any.
Then there is the absence of the
steadying influence of the old time
leaders who have hitherto been able
to guide the destinies of the conven-
ton. The bosses who speak with a
note of authority seem to be absent
and altho the incoming delegates are
willing to be led they don't find any
considerable party being personally
conducted in any one direction.
About the only thing that every
body seems to be agreed upon is that
no candidate is going to be nominated
on the first ballot, and from the infor-
nation that leaks out from the vari-
Gus inner circles of the different
groups it seems that all the mana gers
are figuring on at least three ballots
to find out where they stand and make
up their estimate on the possibility.
The prediction of many seasoned poll
ticians is that the convention will have
it's opening hurrah, the complimentary
votes for the favorite sons, the ballots
TO fulfill the instructions and pledges
and then the real business will begin.
Big States Have Program.
If the program being talked of is
carried out the leaders of the delega-
tions from the larger states will have
a conference and decide whether they
will pool their votes and returning to
the convention next morning cast
them for the man about whom they
have hopes of rallying enough support
to command a majority.
An element which adds to the uncer-
tainty is a repeatedly expressed feel
ing among state governors, chairmen
of state delegations and others that
members of congress and federal Off
cials have too much to say in conven-
ton plans and decisions. How far this
(Contfnued on Page TwoJ