The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-03-25

Irving too Hoover OF the
Fence.

II vouh b . great relief to the leaders OF
hota PARTIES II Herbert Hoover would say hatly
which party he belongs to. Although he Is
mot a candidate" for presidential nomination
It il clear from the nevspaDefs and from va
rious primary returns that he has captured
big independent following in both parties.
At first he doomed up Is the big hope Of the
Democrats, but his recent statement that he
was progressive Republican" before tho
war IL interpreted widely Is . signal that he
would prefer tobe courted by tho Republicans.
Pint "a the same statement declined the use OF
his name In q Republican primary. there To
comfort also for those Democrats who are urg-
ing his candidacy.
The San Francisco Chronicle CInd.), which
has strong Republican leanings, declares that
II will support him on Republican ticket, and
adds that sit is only as a candidate for the
Republican nomination on platform OF Re-
mhlican PRINCIPLES that we can consider MI
Hoover at all at this time" The Republicans
with Hoover as their candidate" declares the
Providence Tribune Und. Rep). would b
capable of rendering the greatest service ever
rendered by any political party IN time OF
peace" and 1t believes Mr.. Hoover "a good
enough Republican" to deserve the nomination
"The appeal for the election Of Demo-
cratic congress in 1919" adds the Tribune "is
the only blot upon Mr.. Hoover's political rec
ord from the Republican point Of view. Mr..
Hoover was not thinking OF the success Of any
party but just the best means OF ending the
war with all its miseries and horrors. There
will be many men voting for the Republican
candidate for president next fail who do not at
present consider the control OF the present
congress by the Republicans as much Of an
Improvement upon recent Democratic con-
gresses"
III nominated at all" thinks the New York
Times Und. DEM, Mr.. Hoover must be nom
mated by the Republican party" and the Balti-
more News Qnd.) agrees that che will be
aligned with the Republicans unless the reac-
tionaries control the Chicago convention"
though it does not expect his nomination, but
guesses that the G. o. P. will shun the spec
tacular both in platform and candidate" and
may even 20 so far as to incur the danger Of
being called safe and sane in both respects. :"
The Philadelphia Public Ledger Und) has Re
publican tendencies also. but is supporting the
Hoover candidacy vigorously, and has this to
say on the subject:
why are the Republican old guard exhaust
ing all the resources Of invective, insinuation
and autocraGc ostracism to drive Hoover out
OF the only party to which he has ever be-
longed and into the possible reach Of the des-
perate Democratic gamblers, who sadly realize
that they have nothing in their own stable that
C0u even make aIoCc. ID Tue Oiu SudIu
SO afraid Of Hoover that they will give
the Democrats their CHANGER
As for the popular demand for Hoover in
the Republican ranks, the Springfield Union
(Rep.) points out that in the Minnesota pri-
martes. without an organization, and without
even a willingness to be considered an aspi-
rant" his vote was half that cast for johnson
and one-third of General Woods" and shows
a degree Of spontaneous sentiment that must
be somewhat disconcerting to those candidates
who are boldly seeking the nomination" Sim
ilarly it is discovered by the Duluth Herald
Ind) that in 4 recent newspaper poll in Ore
gon there were as many Republican ballots
cast for Hoover as for all the other Republican
enthusiastically, Wood, Johnson, Lowden,
Poindexter and Harding.
The Louisville Post CInd) finds that $50
far as the Republican leaders are concerned,
Mr.. Hoover has committed an unforgivable sin.
He has actually said that the war was a sue
cess" whereas 1.-THE Republican party is COM
mitted to the proposition that the war was a
failure"
Mr.. Hoover remains . presidential posi-
bflity on the Democratic ticket, but a possi-
bility only" concludes the Newport News
Record Qnd), which paper thinks his nomi-
nation by the Republicans out Of the question:
1T u unthinkable that party which ia CON
trolled by such roactionaries as Henry Cabot
Lodge and Elihu Root It says, would com
slider for . moment the nomination Of a man
who, though once Republican, does not now
regard himseif Is bound by party ties"