The Washington times., 1920-06-10

W Horse and the Convention.
Seware the Long, Long Trail.
Poor Old Guard
Must Swallow What II Hates.
By ARTHUR BRISBANE.
tcopyrtght. ltse.l

SxAAOAuO, June lOs-At the
corner Of Madison and Fifth ave-
nues, in this big town. q heavy
policeman sits on q big horse,
through the hot hours Of traffic
rush. directing traffic.
You can see that the four-legged
animal, biting his bit in slow medi-
tstion. never asks himself why the
policeman doesn't get down and
stand on the ground. !.
Toward the south, nearer th4
stock yards, the convention sat for
N while yesterday, placid and calm,
with q big steam-roller sitting on
its back. You could see that this
Republican gathering never asked
itself why the machine didn't get
down. 1t is used to having q ma
chine sitting on it
That convention yesterday tried
70 sing the Battle Hymn of the
Republic" and couldn't. But it
can say, "Thy will be done," and it
does.
Sometimes, however. horses and
conventions run away, and you
may see something happen today
or tomorrow, when Borah and
others begin.
Yesterday some gentle goose
tried to offer johnson the support
Of everybody for Vice President,
II he would only be harmonious.
1t was like telling q little boy
who wants q ticket to the circus
that you will let him visit his
grandmother's grave instead.
johnson made it clear that he is
not that kind of a little boy.
He even gave public interview
0eclaring that he was out for the
Presidential nomination to the fin
ish. To that may be added, more
positively than ever, that he is in
beyond the finish. II he is not
nominated when this convention
ends he will be nominated after
ward.
Some Of the biggest bosses know
this, and today for the first time
1t seems that the most intelligent
OF them realize that they have got
20 take johnson whether they like
him or not, or put up q man to be
beaten by Johnson's Independent
ticket
Senator Penrose's brief state
ment, sent out late last night, in
dicates that the able Pennsylvania
leader is not too sick to know the
real situation. The statement
clearly means that while he will 90
with Sproul, the candidate of his,
State, as far as State loyz1ty re-
quires, he knows that there exists
a situation that menaces and might
destroy the Republican party
should 1t refuse to do what the
y people want, NOMINATE JOHN
SON.
The average delegate and the
average citizen know nothing.
They are IKE flies buzzing back
and forth in q moving railroad
Acar. Not only do they ignore the
destination of the train; they don't
even know that it Is moving.
But occasionally you come across
q man that deals on confidential
terms with the insiders. Such Is
Levy Mayer, whose law office has
for clients as many great corpora
tions as the ordinary school ma'am
has pupils. Nationally he was an
original Wood man. More than a
year ago he was telling this
writer what a wonderful Presi-
dent Wood would make. Locally,
he was a most original and en-
thusiastic Lowden man.
But he knows politics and knows
the plans of men that pay big
prices for his legal advice. II any
of those men said to him today:
Levy, think l will bet a million
against Johnson. What do you
say?" Levy Mayer would reply.
81 say you will lose your money"
: Senator Penrose, in the cautious
language chosen for his announce
ment, says that he recognizes the
weighty consideration of gen.
erai character that prevails at the
convention at Chicago"
By this he means that, although
he would like to have Sproul, who
is his local governor, and next to
Sproul would like Knox, who is
his local Senator, he knows we'll
that there is q real band wagon
already in motion, and that old
fashioned Republicans, If they
want to ride in 1920, instead Of
walking again, as they did in 1912
and 1915, must get aboard, .wheth-
er they like johnson, the driver, or
not.
When the convention started
yesterday morning a husky Cheer
Leader" gesticulating violently,
rot the audience to singing,
aThere's a Long, Long Trail q
Winding"
II the Republicans are fools
enough in this convention to throw
over johnson and the rs per cent Of
the Republican party and millions
of Democrats that want him, they
will travel over again the long,
long trail that they travelled In