Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-22
ALL THE WORLD AWAITS
THE G. o. P. CONVENTION
And the Big Show Is Actually Being
Staged Without the Usual
Dress Rehearsal

Once in every four years the Repub
liCans and the Democrats of this happy
land outdo anything he ever dreamed Of.
Any national political convention as
Hcmblcd to nominate presidential can
didatc is awfully like Roman arena
a Roman arena with touch Of the
bull.ring aud something of the at
mosphrrp Of airy vaudeville. The rank
and file Of delegates journey from the
four quarters Of the country, attended
by the Clansmcn. 10 sing aud shout and
lean blisSfullv against the lamp. posts
of big town and stare at tho great of
this world. Theirs is usually a SOLDERING
experience. n hard lesson in the futility
of pride. Men who are grand person.
ages in their own communities. grand
enough to be made delegates. dwindlc to
obscure and forlorn and homesick wan
derers in a crush of the more eminent
They arc the chorus. They are ex.
pccted to obey the stage managers and
the ring masters. Up front. on the
platform and in tho caucus rooms hc-
hind tho platform sit tho Big Ones
whose word is law. They are the Pen
roses, tb. Lodges. the Murray Cranes.
the Bryans and the Iohnsons.
a Big One who is fit for his Job has
stony bosom through which no Wild
or blazing word can penetrate to ignite
his spirit. The chorus may shout and
wildly sing and be swept By emotional
tempests when a cheer leader climbs a
chandelier to beckon with a flag or when
somebody talks about freedom or a
favorite son or cross of gold. Your
Big One will not be moved to laughter
or tears with the mercurial crowd.
No flicker of the glad delirium which
orators know how degenerate will pen
citrate him. That is as it should be
Somebody has 10 stay on the ground
and calmly think. So the Big Ones sit
and wait 1t is their show. And that
brings us to the point of this discus
Siou.
The Chicago spectacle will he staged
without rChearsals. No star has been
chosen or agreed upon. UnQuestionably
there has been a good deal Of friction
and anxiety and numerous conflicts of
opinion and purposes among the Big
Ones. They have been unable to agree
on headliner-though the convention
is only seventeen days away,
They didn' I want a star who would
be his own stage manaCcr--so tLey re .
jcCted Hoover They have rejected
Johnson and it has been plr for
months that they rejected Wood. Never
in the history Of national conventions
have the Big Ones moved more slowly
or with greater caution. Are they wise
or foolish? Let us scc.
In the next four years the policies
and affairs of nations will settle into
definite trends that will affect civiliza
tion for good or i'll through many gen
orations. And what is donh hv the
Republicans at Chicago and by tho
Democrats at San Francisco and hy the
voters in November will profoundly az.
feet the minds and motives Of those who
control in Europe.
In every Parliament. in every state
chamber. in every center Of foreign
diplomacy the acts of American politi
cal leaders will bc scrutinizcd with
fevPrish interest. Indeed. if estimates
were TO b" made upon a reckoning OF
moral effects alone. it nigh, be- said
that our responsibilities are now ms
heavy as if we were asked TO nominate
a President Of the world. For men
everywhere in Europe who have noble
purposes and humane aims and pas
SlOnatp desires to serve humanity better
than its governments have served il
hitherto will find new strength and in
Cniratip,, IN Tho t,,r, ioJ
the nited States has not altogether
deserted thcm.
Where mon are intent on reviving the
old order Of conflicts and rivalrics and
are willing. for the sake of pmpire IN
drag their peoples after them in tbe
crazy hunt for a rainbows s end. there
would be cheers al the Hcws that tho
chicago convention had selected for
President n man unable to recognize and
deal with the new responsibilities Of n
new era
The Chicago Convention cannot an
pear 20 Countenance unprovokpd mill
tarism unless it is willing In give ord
less en"ouragemont to all the mlitar
lstS OF Europe It cannot wholly II
nor" tho obligations that are oyrs in
world affairs unless il desires IN harden
the determination OF some Furonson
statesmen who are waiting for onnor.
tunitics to make the most Of tbo;r rou,
national strength at the ovnenso ~,
weaker peoples.
As America thinks. tho world i, I;Lo,,.
to think. II cannot well do otbor,,,eo
for the time at least. So rho Cbionco
convention will BE- no ordinary fos
malty. 1t will have IN Lofra 10 ,ni,,
Of tho country with the knorIoJ,o .Lat -.
It's definition will guido dor,iro., st4a