The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-06-18
WARREN c. HARDING

| victory in November. But the fact
cannot be blinked that some eminent
Democrats who attended the conven-
tion went away with grins Of satisfac-
tion decorating their faces.
Lodge Was Too Scholarly.
To go back to the beginning again,
something must be said of the keynote
address by Chairman Lodge. 1t was
one of the most scholarly efforts of its
kind and the great mass Of the dele
gates, to say nothing of the audience,
utterly failed to comprehend it. The
senator did not once descend to the
level Of most of his hearers, and con-
sequently he failed to arouse any great
measure of enthusiasm.
1t was noticeable that this address,
as well as every other speech and the
platform as well, devoted its denuncl-
atory passages not to the Democratic
party, as is usually the case. but to
President Wilson. It was always his
acts and his policies that were con-
demned-and the language used In
dealing with him was scorching. OF
! course, the reason for this is that,
| FROM the viewpoint of the Republicans.
~. Wilson has been the Democratic
party for the last seven years.
The first day found three candidates
in the forefront of the race for the
nomination, and while the prelimi-
naries were completed their workers
were straining every nerve to have
them make the best possible show on
the first ballot. These men were Gov
ernor Lowden of Illinois, General
Leonard Wood, and Senator Hiram
Johnson of California. From their
elaborate headquarters in the hotels
swarms of men and women f1ocked to
the Coliseum with banners and but
tons and literature. Each of them
was certain Of victory-for public con-
sumption-but each of them knew in
his heart that he could not win II the
senatorial bosses had their way. All
the rest of the possible candidates
really ranked as dark horses. They
included Herbert Hoover. DR.. Nicholas
Murray Butler of Columbia university,
Gov. Calvin Coolidge Of Massachusetts,
Senator Poindexter of Washington,
Senator Howard Sutherland of West
Virginia, Governor Sproul of Pennsyl-
vania, Senator Philander Knox Of
Pennsylvania and Senator La Toilette
Of Wisconsin. A long enough list In
all conscience. From these dark
horses, it was predicted, would emerge
the winner, and the prophecy was full
filed.
Routine Work, Then oratory.
1t required three days to get through
with the preliminary work of the gath
ering and to have the platform built,
read and adopted. The latter took
place on Thursday. AS has been said,
the resolutions met with almost unani-
nous approval. A young man from
Milwaukee was the only dissenting
member of the committee and he pre-
sented a minority report that embodied
many of the policies advocated by La
Toilette. The audience did not want
to hear him and he took advantage
of their fmpatience to try to place him
self in the position of martyr, but
Chairman Lodge cleverly forestalled
this. and the minority report was
speedily dumped into the waste basket.
Friday was the day Of oratory- Men
who thought themselves eloquent and
others who really were eloquent mount
ed the speakers platform in procession
throughout most Of the day to place
before the convention the names and
qualifications of the candidates. In
many cases women were among those
who seconded the nominations, and
usually they acquitted themselves
much more to the satisfaction of their
hearers than did the men, for they
were brief, snappy and graceful of
address.
On the roll call Of states Arizona
Welded to Kansas, and Governor Hen
ry J. Allen stepped up to nominate
General Wood. Though obviously
nervous and not quite adequate of
voice, he did his excellent subject
full ustice. setting forth specially the
fine record the general had made in
Cuba and the Philippines. and his pre-
paredness for war when the great
conflict broke out.