Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-25
LoWDEN's CAMPAIGN FUND

Under pressure from that talented
~ trouble maker. Senator Hi Johnson,
affairs within the g. q. 2, are de-
veloping swiftly for a crisis that may
send another throne or two and q few
more dictators down forever into the
dust.
The hand Of Mr.. Penrose seems to
have lost its cunning. Slowly the old
crowd that has been running the Re-
publican party is being backed against
the wall. The Old Guard is being con-
sistently outgeneraled. 1t was routed
yesterday at the opening Of the Sen
ate inquiry into presidential campaign
funds.
The acknowledgment Of Lowden
fund. already swollen to S414,OO0.
wrung from one of the Lowden man
ayers at the beginning of the hearing,
will startle a great many conservative
Republicans, who. while they know
that money is necessary in any national
campaign. had hoped that the barrel
has passed permanently out of pcsi-
dental contests
Mr.. Lowden is rich. He has clean
ltNulu Ilt - uDl SIlOllSUldu VI tht
associate of corrupt politicians. 1t may
be assumed that the fund created in his
interest was intended for legitimate
use. But the size of that fund will be a
new incentive to all critics Of the pres
ent party leadership and to radicals
like Borah and Johnson. 1t will bring
the dollar mark back with a rush into
Democratic cartoOLs. And it IL largely
because of the defective strategy of
Senator Penrose that the party now is
heavily dependent on a candidate who
appears to labor under a weight of too
much money
Penrose aided Johnson when the
plans were being laid for a Senate in
quiry intended to diScredt General
Wood. johnson instantly used the
weapons thus put into his hand for a
sudden flank movement against the sen
ator's supposedly favorite candidate
And it is not too much to say that the
chances of the Lowden candidacy were
adversely affected at yesterdays hear
ing in Washington.
1t was generally supposed. when Sen :
ator Penrose suddenly threw the hat of
Senator Knox into the presidential ring
that the maneuver was intended to oh
struct the johnson campaign in Penn
syivania and elsewhere. What happen cd
was disquieting. The vote showed that
Peunsylvanians who took the trouble to
write the names of presidential can
didates on their ballots were disposed to
accept Hiram rather than Philander as
their favorite son. Johnson polled about
two votes in this state for every vote
cast for Knox
1t is significant that the talk of a
Johnson bolt became newly insistcnt in
Washington after the PENNSYLVANIA
primary. The California senator has
ceased to promise that he will not bolt
lie refuses to answer questions or tc
give assurances to anybody. Washing
ton now admits that there is an ever
chance of split in the convention
There are two motives that may inspirt
the California senator to a bolt. One i,
the League of Nations plank. which
rationa Republicans will insist upop
and the other is the nomination which
the convention will refuse to give him
Yet 1t was Penrose who brought John
son into the field as Il dangerous facto,
by stolidy refusing to recognize the pc
tentiality of Hoover.
Because Hoover was thrust into III,
background situation has been created
which is dangerous for the party. dan
g'rous for the country and dangerou.
for Mr.. Penrose and his friends. Th,
Old Guard has been led into a Ak and i
cannot easily get out of it There ha,
been a great deal of Gesparing tall
about methods by which standpattisn
might be eliminated in the G. O. p
But the standpatters may be rapidly
eliminating themselves.