The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-06-14
RESULT PUTS
SENATORS IN
G.O.P.SADDLE
Harding Nomination May
Mean Choice of Radical or
Liberal by Democrats, is
Blythe's Opinion.
COLBY, COX, M'AD00?
HY SAMUEL G. BLYTHE

CHICAGO, June lahore than three
million dollars Of their own and other
peoples money were spent by the var
fous candidates in the attempt to get
the nomination for president and they
all lost. The Republican senate oil
garchy did not spend 80 cents Of it's
own money, and it won.
The political strategy of this con-
vention, the inside stuff, was based
on two simple but concrete PROPOSE
tions. The first was this: Nominate a
conservative. The second was this:
Beat Wood
Did Not Like Wood
That was all there was to it, and
that explains every move that was
made. To make clear what happened
let 1t be understood that the candi-
dacy of Wood never met with favor
among the real operating members of
the senatorial autocracy. They did
rot like Wood, and they did not want
him.
The chief exponent of this dislike
and the prime mover against Wood
was Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania,
the leader of the Republicans in the
senate and the strongest man in the
party nationally - the acknowledged
boss. A dozen reasons might be given
for this opposition to Wood by the
senate autocracy. but one is sufficient,
and that one is the campaign of 1912.
Wood was a sort of residuary legatee
OF Roosevelt, and Roosevelt split the
Republican party, made the election
OF Democrat inevitable, threw the
Republican party out of power for
eight years, and none resented this
more than the senate Republicans
who had waxed fat and powerful in
the 16 years they had been in control
Wood Wasn't Roosevelt, Though
Wood wasn't Roosevelt, indeed
they looked on Wood as beating on a
10 cent Roosevelt drum, but he was
representative enough, typical enough
symbolic enough and heir apparent
enough to make the opposition to
him conclusive and inclusive. John
son. of course, was a sort of a Roose.
velt echo. but they never held John.
son dangerous. and the results showed
they were right. Wood was the man
they had to beat.
Thus, as I have explained in my
PREVIOUS dispatches, the fight was be.
tween Wood and Lowden, only as they
were the instruments of it. 1t was a
fight between two sets of politicians
! one led by Hert, of Kentucky. as
against Wood, and the other by Hitch
cock, who was the manager for Wood
and that fight was for the control OF
the Republican party. inasmuch as
these politicians could control it,
Harding Saw No Chance.
Months ago the Senate oligarchy sci
up its plans. They told Lowden tc
make the fight and see whas he coulc
do. They told Harding to go in anc
try conclusions. Harding hesitated
He went in, and backed out. He coulc
not see much of a chance but the sen
atorial clique showed him back. They
told him he must perform. and take
his chances. So Harding returned te
the campaign.
They forced Lowden and Harding tC
make fights in states where they haC
no chance, holding to their strategy
that the way to be at Wood was tc
multiply candidates against him ant
thus decrease his chance of getting
substantial control of the convention
by any one man. That was the way i
stood when the closeup campaign
previous to the convention began a
Chicago.
OIigarchy Is on Job.
During these developments the sena
torial oligarchery, reported in part, b!
Senators Brandegee, of Connecticut
Smoot, of Utah Wadsworth and Cal
Ger, of New York; Lodge. of Massa
chussetts: Curtis, of Kansas: Watson
OF Indiana: Harding, of Ohio: Shel
man and Mccormick, of Illinois, anC
various others of more or less import
ance, was busily on the job, with tw,
tasks to perform. The first was t.
Nget a properly innocucous platform
, and the second was to get an 1nnocusl,
proper candidate.
They had long before issued the ulti
matum that none but the most conserv
ative sort of a conservative could b.
named-a standpatter Of the old type
They were not in sympathy nor II
touch with what so ever new cond1
tions prevail. either politically or eco
romically or sociologically.
Got Harding Past Convention.
The past was good enough for them
Continued on Page Two)