The Washington herald., 1920-04-11
BORAH'S CHARGE
PLACES LOWDEN
IN WOODS BOAT

TO tell his former chief what they
were. But when they tell this tale
to one with any political experience
1t is with the tongue in the cheek.
Both are Embarrassed
The fact of the matter Is that
both Wood and Lowden are serious
ly embarrassed by the question OF
the origin of their campaign FUNDS
Governor Lowden, through his wite'
is a very rich man, abundantly
able to finance his own campaign.
But his response to the challenge
of Senator Borah does not ring
with much more sincerity than the
Wood explanations. For the Gov
ernor says he will readily join with
the other candidates in making
detailed statement of all the sources
of his fund. Why not go it alone?
His managers argue that If he alone
submitted such a statement 1t would,
however innocent the showing.
make him to some degree a target.
But, on the other hand, his appar-
ent unwillingness to make a public
accounting will suggest to the av-
erage man that there Is something
to conceal.
The two candidates thus bracket
ed together under public suspicion
of making a barrel campaign will
fight the most important round Of
their battle in the Illinois prima-
ries next Tuesday. The fight in this
State is between Governor Lowden
and General Wood alone so far as
the Republicans are concerned. For
a time the Johnson managers
r.f h. ri rfo
and such action on their part would
not have been unwelcome to the
Lowden faction as it would have
divided the opposition. But the Illi-
nois primary law is an exacting one
and it's conditions could not have
been complied with by the Senator's
hackers at the belated date upon
which the purpose of entering the
Illinois fight was conceived.
Generals Men Confident.
At the Wood headquarters the ut
most confidence in the outcome of
Tuesdays primaries is expressed.
But it is difficult to discover the
reason for this confidence. The
State administration is a unit back
of the Governor. Although rumors
have been plentiful of efforts to
lure the following Of Mayor Thomp-
son, of Chicago. into putting a RI
val delegate ticket in the field and
thus dividing the local forces, moth
ing has come of them. Among the
more prominent Republicans or the
State there seems to be practical
unity behind the Governor. Indeed
some of the Lowden spokesman go
so far as to say that the invading
forces of the General have had a
big enough caliber to fill their list
Wood people reply that this offis6-
ness of Illinois politicians demSn-
strates the hostility of party bosses
to the General.
Importance of the Lowden Vote.
Most observers, familiar with
conditions in Illinois, will agree that
the probability of Lowden's success
is great. The State has never been
lacking in local pride, and there is
no ground for any especial revolt
against a governor whose admins
tration has been universally ap-
proved. 1t is recognized, too, that
the outcome of the primaries will
be final so far as Lowden's ambi-
tions are concerned. This fact
makes the feeling of the supporters
of the Governor toward the Wood
boomers rather bitter. They insist
that the situation in Illinois was
not of character to justify the
Wood claim that the local candi-
date was put up merely as a stalk
ing horse to hold the State delega-
tion at the command of national
bosses. If the plan at one time
mooted of making Senator Sherman
the favorite son had been put in
effect there might have been reason
for that charge, but Governor Low
den has every possible reason to
be regarded as a bona flde candi-
date. The feeling. therefore, that
has been aroused by the invasion of
Illinois by the Wood forces Is very
pronounced, and in a way seems to
threaten a revival, so far as that