The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-05-10
Ho0vER'S CHANCES.
As Analysed by New York World Aft
ter California Primary.


.Tohnson's victory over Hoover in the
California primaries is overwhelming
| Although he polled only half the vote
that he received for United States sen
ator in 1916, his victory over Hoov-
err admits of only one Interpretations
When Hoover ceased TO be "an indie
pendent progressive" and entered The
California primaries as an active Re.
publican candidate he practically threw
away the presidency. Up TO that time
his position was impregnable. The
great independent vote of the country,
disguised with professional politics
was turning to him as the one who
seemed destined by reason Of his char
acter and achievements to guide the ma
tion 10 peace and economic security,
The managing politicians were panic
stricken. Here was a new factor in
politics with which they did not know
how TO deal. If the Republicans re-
ieeted him at Chicago the Democrats
were certain TO nominate him, and his
noaination spelled his election.
The moment Hoover entered the Re-
publican primaries in California the
situation instantly changed He was
no longer IAN independent Progress
sive" but Republican seeking nom
nation, He was not only Republi-
can seeking nomination, but he was a
Republican Of dubious partisan ante
cedents. an outsider trying TO break
into a game 30 which ne had not been
invited. Whatever opinion the John
son machine and the Croker machine
I'm California had Of each other, they
had A common cause in defeating him.
They Immediately joined forces, rsdi-
Gals and reactionaries, and the primary
returns are an accurate index to the
strength of such an alliance.
The unorganized Hoover supporters
had less than Ave weeks in which to
prepare for the California primary. The
johnson organization had had four
wears in which to make ready for II,
and when il was reinforced by the re-
dictionary elements, il controlled ev-
erv Republican vote that machine poll
| tics could mobilize and send to the
| polls
johnson was aided too by the great
prestige that he had gained in the
| Michigan. Nebraska and New Jersey
| primaries. When Hoover made his un-
fortunate decision early in April, John
son was not vet formidable In the Re-
publican contest. He was annoying
! the old guard more or less, but he had
not vet developed that popular
strength which has since made him
the Leading Republican candidate for
the nomination. in spite Of the vast
sums of money that are back of Wood
and the hostility Of the big business
| interests which habitually finance Re-
! publican campaigns. All this counted
against Hoover in the California pri.
mary and added to Johnson's popular
ma iority.
Hoover's mistake was in entering the
primaries ut all. The advice h. took
was bad advice. There was no .neces-
sitv for the change in the position he
had taken. There was no popular de-
mand for a change. The "sniping" Of the
professional politicians might have been
ANNOYING, but il was not serious. The
country recognized in Hoover a man
fully equipped and qualified for the
presidency, who was not seeking Il and
was making no concessions 90 any po-
litical group. and the trend Of public
opinion was all his way
Had he maintained THAI position he
would have acquired by this time a
leadership too formidable to be ig.
nornd or fioated As the matter now
stands. il j. conceivable that the Re
publican politicians, in the conflict of
factions. may find themselves in sit-
nation in Chicago l. which they VII
take Hoover. but they viii take him
on their own terms. not on lris terms.
Il i far more likely, however. thae
they will not take him al all, and that
another alliance u Republican radi-
Gals and reactionaries viii deal with
him in the national convention a. the
Johnson Croker alliance deah with
him ~ the California primaries.-New
York World