Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-24
Evening Yesterday l4lOS
u. o. Hastings o KS Har ding.


With the assurance of Hon. Daniel 0
Hastings that both the Chicago candidate
and platform are all right, the Republicans
of Delaware are expected TO open their
campaign without further doubt as to
Mr.. Harding's fitness or that the strad-
ding declarations Of the party were not
An indication that the G. o. P. is going
into the fight fearful of defeat. MIR. Hast
ings blames the fiery speech placing john
sons name before the convention as the
cause of the downfall Of the Senatorial
fre-eater and heir TO the Roosevelt shoes.
The fact, however, is that Johnson was too
radical standard bearer for the party TO
select at this crisis-too bitterly opposed
n Wilson and the treaty-and the conven-
tion was obliged to fall back on Harding.
The other leaders in the race, notably
the choice of the voters of the party,
General Wood, had been backed for first
place by the cash of favored interests and
Wall Street, so that he was regarded as
being out of the race as soon as the CAM
paign expenses of the candidates were laid
bare. Lowden met the same fate. 1t is
evident that the purchase of the Michigan
United States Senatorship has made the
party scarey Of the old-fashioned cash
campaigns which were decided by the
purchase of the voters, so Senator New
berry's conviction will probably have
some compensating effect if it drives the
dirty dollar out Of our elections.
1t, 10 be sure, worked irreparable harm
IN giving the Senate over to the Repubh-
cans and enabling Lodge to pack all the
committees against the Versailles Treaty
and the President of the United States.
Newberry, however, had the decency to
withdraw from the Senate after the crime
was exposed in court-himself and ac-
completes sentence d'to imprisonment and
the purpose Of his purchased election ac-
complished.
So without the use of the accustomed
millions that the Republicans have spent
in past campaigns. such wise leader as
Judge Hastings must see the party
chances reduced to the point that must
arouse the deepest concern among the
faithful.
What the Honorable Daniel 0. Hastings
might have thought, as he was addressing
his Republican followers, if he were honest
with himself and got the right perspective
on the work of the Chicago convention
was:
Boys, j tell you il was the best we
could do. There was SO little material to
pick from and much of that was tainted
with Wall Street dollars that there was |
nobody left but Harding whom we could |
nominate without creating free fight in
the party.
Mr.. Hastings might also with truth |
have assured the Republicans of Delaware |
that the nomination of Harding was |
ordered by Penrose, and whoever heard |
of the senior Pennsylvania Senator going |
into a national campaign without the
support of Wall Street. which this year
may be manifested In some other way |
than the direct filing of the Doodle bag of /
the party.
Probably Judge Hastings thought his
optimistic statement would be more
palatable to the party voters than the
lamentable statement that the Party of
Grand Achievement" was going into the
campaign hopelessly and irretrievably di-
vided on the great issue. and with a candi-
date who probably might rank with two
or three of the earlier Presidents that
Ohio has forced upon the suffering nation
because of their mediocrity II the Della
ware delegate brought from Chicago any
light as to Harding's achievements that
have fitted him in any way for the Presi-
dency, except that he will be submissive
to the will of the Senatorial boss, that
ruled the convention over 1900 miles of
telephone wire, he would be doing his
followers here real service by not with
holding the information.