The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-06-07
INSIDE POLITICS
BEING PLAYED, BUT.
LITTLE IS GAINED
Lawrence Says Small Progress
Around Bases Has Been
' Made as Yet by Nominee
Team Captains.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Correspondent of The New
Seinnifar


CHICAGO, H., June l. (spl Inside
politics, like inside baseball, has its
mysterious feints and passes but thus
lar captains of the various political
teams have made little progress around
the bases Conferences between the
respective managers have been held
with the idea of persuading rivals that
they had better give up trying and
throw their strength where it will do
most good"
Supporters of Senator Hiram John
son, for instance, are saying to Low
den men. that the Illinois governors
vote against Roosevelt in 1912, through
y ms proxy, Senator Lorimer, would kilt
MN with progressives, and that if that
WASH t sufficient, the Missouri scandal
about the purchase of delegates would
do it.. Really, the Johnson men would
not admit it, but if 1T came to a show
down, they would be for Leonard Wood,
rather than Lowden.
On the other hand there are two
classes of johnson delegates, the thick
and thin supporters who will stick co
the finish and those who come from
states which voted Overwhelmingly for
Johnson, but who personally don't like
Johnson because of his unpopularity
WITH the political. leaders of the Re
publican party. These Johnson dele
gates must vote for the California SEN
ator as long as there is a chance for
him TO WIN but the managers OF other
candidates are already trading with
them for second choices, and third
choices
) The Lowden people continue conf
dent The Wood people realize they
have been slipping in~the last two days,
but they, too, know that if Hiram
Johnson wants to do it, he can make
LeoNard Wood the nominee. This
would cause considerable confusion
, among the members of the new "oll
b. guard, who, by the way comprise the
u, managers of the Lowden boom, men
like a. T. Hert national committeeman
from Kentucky, and John Hammond,
the new boss of Oklahoma. They
fought the Wood managers in many a
state and won. If Gen. Wood is the
nominee, it will mean the fall of this
new old guard Their political future
depends upon the success of Lowden
and to be able to manage the campaign
itself will mean the distribution of Of
fees in the event of victory, something
thoroughly understood by the delegates
with an eye also to the future.
But, speaking of what the managers
are saying to each other, a faVorlte
expression among the respective boost
ers of johnson, Lowden and Wood is
this: You had better come our way.
for if you don't look out, you will get
One of the most influential of the
Massachusetts leaders told the writer
that he didnt believe the delegates
in this convention would stay nut very
long that they would soon get tired
Of voting for Wood, Lowden or John
son, and would ditch them all for a
dark horse and that, while he himself
was violently opposed to Herbert Hoov-
err the delegates knew the former food
administrator would be an easy winner
in November and would look upon him
as a simple solution of the deadiock.
However, much faith in the ultimate
strength of Hoover is not widespread.
Few of the leaders consider him prob
ability though all admit public senti-
mcnt is behind his candidacy, which
would make victory absolutely assured
if he were the Republican nominee.
Much more plausible, is the talk OF
Hughes. Again and again as the dis.
Interested delegate looks around and
Apcculates on the possibility of pro
l0nged deadlock, he reVerts to the for
mer Justice OF the supreme court as a
clean candidate with a prestige, unim-
paired by four years Of political mac
tiyitv and an experience off the bench
that would make him much better
campaigner than ne was in 1916
1t is easy to say that this conven-
ton is cropping in the dark, that it Is
leaderless That is a superficial I'm .
"a, preston. This convention knows us pusl-
ness knows what it wants, Dut the uh-
certainty is due to the tug war Pc Pc
tween factions, which represent the
same thing. Prejudices galore are re-
cited against each candidate II IN
Democrats were here they could ~
their campaign textbooks, Big kepun11
Uran leaders whisper that Leonard
Wood is Impossible because the coun.-,
try will not stand for military man
Others openly declare johnson as ap-
solutely unacceptable to American puSl-
ness, Now the leaders themselves ,t,,i nE IN
Johnson They would nominate nm III
"A minute if they could His contagu'S
in the senate have grown tond OF filrai u
and they don't think him bit 10" raul
cal But the rank and file OF the deit-
gates are determined that johnson
'' The trouble is. that even if the lead