El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-06-12

TOTTEG and other demonstrations In the Republican
vsnon indicate either that johnson lacks the personal
following he his friends thought he possessed OF
se that the radical wing Of the Republican party Is less
numerous than It was IN 1912 For weeks II mas peen
clear most observers that johnson could not be nom
mated BY the Republican party But it has been generally
believed that he held the power to defeat the partys
nominee by leading revolt and splitting the normal party
Results Of voting candidates before Ine convention
indicate that ohnsous strength never was so great as his
opponents had feared
The great mass of Republicans VIII rejoice that johnson
vas not given more recognition in the convention He is
not looked upon generally representative Of the ma
ortv Republican sentiment He Is classed as radical
nd the Republican party, while drifting that way has not
reached radica yet Johnson was vigorously packed Dy
Hearst and this backing doubt hurt Johnson within his
party than any other unfavorabe influence that
him Then there was Tom watson the radical Demo
crst, who declared that johnson better Democrat
any who had been mentioned as possible can
ddate Of the Democratic party. The Republican party
apparently has not yet reached the point where It VII
permit its nominees to be chosen by Democrats
Tie Republican party would not live and it would not
ean power and majority Of the votes Of the people It
were homogeneous and exclusive It is important
OF the pars strength and staying power, that
has been able to adapt itself to conditions and grow
with the country Its recent series Of disasters was due
temporary failure to adapt itself and to grow The
hard one but greatly needed and It was
good for the party If not good for the country.
There has been lot Of loose talk about bosses and dc
ators and IN the convention and johnson
and his friends have not heated to charge the wholesale
bribery Of delegates Such talk does not deserve too much
attention While American politics is not as pure as new
fallen snow the average is about high the average
of morality IN ordinary business social lie Compare
lively few men are dishonest, comparatively few
Ht or accept brides auction their honor. Usually the
men who have most say about this sort Of thing the
quickest to mpute dishonest motives to those
who differ with he are the ones who most deserve to be
watched.
In the Republican convention there are nearly 1000
delegates representing 4s states and five territories. We
Of southwest know the who sit in the Coliseum
representatives. Of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
know they the same and the same sort Of men
with whom meet and do business and enjoy social
hours al the time There is every to believe that
these men are fairly representative Of the ga delegates IN
the convention few Of the es4 have itching palm,
that not TO be wondered at but It is absurd to say that
great bulk Of these not reliable that they
have no mind Of their Own.
The voting, ballot BY ballot, showed wide divergence
Of choice among the delegates. Il fair fight from
first to last The convention opens unusually free from
powerful leadership. There national machine TO
direct things the Democrats viii have at San Fran
CISCO and such as the Gins" always have matter what
winning candidate and that means that they earnestly
sought to find man who would not merely hold Repub
can votes but would attract the majority Of Independent
votes not ordinarily bound to party, and would especially
appeal to the voters the suffrage amendment is
ratified n time to give the vote throughout the
unon Il INST be forgotten that already have
the vote IN many states.
The most striking fact about the convention has been
It's clearly marked conservative tendency There radical
wing the Republican party, but It does not dominate the
party The majority Of the party must give due consider
stion to this radical wing be seriously disrupted But
the party ready TO 90 to the radicals yet
America Is committed to the two-party system yet the
line Of demarkaion Is not clear most voters would