Evening star., 1920-06-03
Republican Delegates Await
Outcome of Spectacular
Johnson Welcome.
BANDS AND MARCHING
CLUBS FORM PAGEANT
Political Prophets Lay Off Their
Regalia to Watch Progress Of
Californian's Boom.
BY N. o. MESSENGER.

BY N. o. MESSENGER.
CHICAGO. Ill, June 3.-Bearing
down rapidly from the east upon this
devoted band of republican patriots
assembled in Chicago comes an on
rushing political thunderstorm; dark
cloud charged with lightning and
thunder. Will it burst in deluge.
sweeping all before it. or will it
break in a gentle. refreshing shower?
The storm is Hiram Johnson's political
boom. and. like a veritable storm king,
he rides it himself.
This is Senator Johnson's day of
triumphal entry into Chicago. In red
letters across the front page the
morning paper carries the greeting.
Howdy. Hiram" and thousands of
usty throats will shout it as he
emerges from the La Sale street sta
tien this afternoon. He will be driven
to the Auditorium Hotel, attended by
bands and marching clubs, and from
the Wood headquarters, just across
Congress street, Gen. Leonard Wood
can look upon the demonstration
while the echoes of the tumult will
rattle the windows of Gov. Lowden's
quarters in the Blackstone Hotel, a
short distance below.
Denomination to Continue.
From now until Monday night.
when Senator Johnson is to make
his keynote speech in the Auditorium
Theater and launch his final shaft at
the target of the nomination, his
boomers will keep up one continual
demonstration to show that he is the
favorite of the people and to impress
the incoming delegates with that sug-
gestion.
His supporters feel confident that
Gen. Woods struggle for the nomi-
nation has been discouraged by the
Senate committee testimony; that
Gov. Lowden's strength has been sap
ped by the Missouri episode. and that
he stands out as a promising candi-
date untouched by taint and the object
OF general acclaim and applause. They
claim he is in the lead of all candi-
dates by virtue of their elimination.
Among the personnel of prominent
and influential republican leaders here
are men who receive these claims
coldly and distrust the optimism of
the chalmers. They figure votes in the
delegations and cannot see where
Senator johnson is anywhere near
holding a commanding position in
point of actual voting strength in the
convention.
Eject Of Missouri Testimony.
The Missouri testimony was regard
ed as a jolt to the 1owden prospects
yesterday. 1t was feared thai it
might implant the idea in the minds
Oh lA6 uHihSlTuClSQ anu lOH-ColuillltSu
delegates that the country will not
accept Lowden.
The governors statement last night is
construed today as likely to cause re-
action in his behalf. That remains to
be demonstrated, as the delegates come
in and break their reports from back
home of the sentiment there. No one
here is rash enough to foresee what
these reports may be, but the important
fact remains that the men in the party
management who are conducting the
Lowden boom. have not given up his
cause or relaxed their efforts for one
instant on account of this episode.
One of the old-time politicians said
today to the Star correspondent:
We are accustomed to getting wal
lop occasionally in our fighting. but we
don't sit down and cry about it"
That is the record of the fighting men
who are with Gov. Lowdcn.
The wiseacres and political sharks
generally have laid off their proph-
cts regalia for a day or two, until
they can observe the progress of the
johnson boom and estimate how much
actual voting strength in the con-
vention he can engender out of all
the noise and enthusiasm which is
to be created for him. 1t will not be
forgotten that a similar drive was
Johnson's great chief, Theodore
Roosevelt, in 1912. and from the noise
and enthusiasm of the local recep-
ton one might have thought the uni
verse was backing the colonel But
those hard boiled delegates sat un-
moved through it all, with stolid
faces and jaws set. voting straight
Combination Ticket.
After the wiseacres in the party
leadership can estimate the effect of
the big Johnson drive that commences
today they will be better enabled to
discuss combinations and dark horses
One conn mbination which, it is believed
would go through with a rush, would
be Lowden and Johnson, but the John
son people will not listen to that now
Their man is running for first place.
They suggest putting it the other way
around. johnson and Lowcen. where
upon the Lowden people retort tina.
the Illinois governor has the greater
strength in the convection.
Then there is talk of PENNSYLVANIA
suggesting combination of Knox and
johnson. which is utterly objection
able to- some cautious republicans,
who are not ready to frame the whole
ticket on the basis of absolute irrec-
onciiability to the league of nations
II Senator Johnson fails in his at
tempt 10 stampede the convection and
carry everything before him with "a
be considered first for the vice. presi-
dency in every combination that
might be proposed Taking it in the
: last analysis. in the event OF his fail
ure to land first place, and consider
ing him for the vice presidency, the
wiseacres. have to take into account
the consideration that there are aome
reactionaries and standpatters to
whom Senator Johnson would not play
second fiddle. While Knox is regard
ed generally as of thes reactioua ries
he is NOT So called by Senator John =
son. who is devoted to him and knows
thatrhe held the confidence of Roose.
welt.
Cannot Forecast Nominee.
The uncertainties of the situation
are fascinating Here it is within one
week of day when ballotine for
choice is expected to begin and there
is not man in all this aggregation
OF political talent who can honestly
or win, in fact. claim to be able to
forecast the nominee. Claims of man.
agers<are listened to by all with polite
condescension and a wry smile of du-
biouspess on the face Of the listener
Everybody knows that nobody
knows exactly how the delegations
may line up even on the first ballot
as the case stands. and that even
such a showing would be inconclu-
sive and delusive.
Nobody knows what bolt from the
blue may come next to amaze and
appal. or in which camp 1t may fall
lContinued on Page 2, Column 1.)