The Washington times., 1920-06-12

In the same forty years there have
been possibly six nominating speeches
that were above mediocrity. Most OF
those inflicted upon us here were
tommyrot, stun. and guff. We heard
one speech delivered eleven times.
Three other times we did not hear IT
because the uproar OF the crowd was
so great not word could be dis
tinguished six feet from the speaker.
This was a merciful provision and
reconciled us to the uproar. II was
better than the speech and had more
sense.
Women Were Best
1t is things like those that dem
onstrate the sweet sanity of our politi-
cal methods.
II every one of the speakers had
said only four words, II nominate Mr..
Johnson" or 81 nominate Mr.. Smith"
and had then sat down the effect on
the vote would have been exactly the
same and seven and a half of the
nine hours of horror would have been
saved.
Far and away the best speeches
made today were by women, but as
the American woman has either no
voice at all or often like the upper
notes of the wry-socked fife, Joy in
her addition to American oratory need
not be extravagant.
One striking thing about the elo-
quence yesterday was not one or the
budding candidates was praised on
the basis of the ideas he stood for,
but only because of his extraordinary
gifts at the Moses business so that he
could take charge of things and let
us all tend strictly to our golf. And
this in spite of the perfectly known
fact the tribe of wonder working
Moses is extinct, and this Is supposed
to be a republic in which ideas and
policies selected by the people govern
and not men.
Solid south Breaks
Another familiar friend was the
breaking OF the solid South, declared
to be right at hand and certain II we
will only nominate somebody or
adopte some policy. I have beer lis
tening for thirty-two years to this
pleasant dream depicted at national
conventions, and the solid South is as
solid as ever. This year one gentle
man that offered this pipe added q
touch of novelty by describing how
Texas was about to go Republican.
1t is a beautiful trait in human ma
invariably greeted with applause.
We've got to hand IL to your Uncle
Murray Crane, the attenuated sage of
Massachusetts. He may be growing
old, but age doesn't show in his
cheerful manipulation of the trick
box, anyway.
When we come to analyze what was
done about the League of Nations in
the platform 1t is clear that Uncle
Murray put IL all over them. What
he was after was to beat Johnson for
the nomination.
Cranes Hand Seen
1t was clear enough that II a plank
were reported out supporting the
league and a fght followed on the
floor and the plank were defeated.
Johnson's nomination would be the
next logical thing. Hence, a little
wise jiu jitsu. The strong plank for
the league was demanded and insist
ed upon until the right moment came
for a compromise.
Then the league Endorsement men
appeared to yield in favor of an ut.
terance that the johnson people could
not refuse to accept and the ground
was cut from under Johnson's feet.
He had nothing to make a night
about.
BY exactly the same device In 1904
David Bennett Hill did Mr.. Bryan out
OF his radical planks. You would
think that after awhile all politicians
would get wise to this maneuver,
but there IL an order OF mind in poll
tics that is always ready to fall for
anything.
The outcome of rhe platform nsht
vas hailed by some of Johnson's fol-