Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-09
HOOVER AS DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATE TALKED Of
Michigan Vote Compels Political
Leaders to Take New
Soundings.
rrom rodar,s naltlmore sun.


Washington. April S.-The big Demo-
cratic vote polled by Herbert Hoover IN
the Michigan primary and the public APP
peal of Massachusetts Democratic leaders
To Mr.. Hoover for chance to campaign IN
behalf of his nomination at San Francisco
has revived discussion IN Washington oi
the possibility of this candidates appro-
priation by the Democratic party afteraI
When 10 days or SD ago Mr.. Hoover
made public his willingness 20 accept the
Republican nomination and IN the same
statement pronounced himself lie
PUBLICAN. Democratic leaders generally
dismissed him from further party calcu-
lations They assumed that the former
Food Administrators has deliberately re-
nounced any hope or expectation OF
Democratic support: that he had burned
all his bridges behind him and that from
that time forward the Hoover problem
would he one for the exclusive consldera-
ton of the Republicans.
But many curious things are happening
in the present campaign, things more
curious than have marked the course OF
any Presidential contest within tho mem
ory of living men, Nothing more eX-
traordnary has occurred, however, than
the fact that more Democrats ia Michigan
voted for Herbert Hoover than Republi-
cans and that he led the Democratic
candidates, having nearly 5000 plurality
over his nearest competitor, Governor
Edwards, of New Jersey.
Support OF a candidate of that sort IS
of course, 80 rare rs to attract the notice
of the whole country and is so significant
MS 10 cause the more sober political leaders
in both parties to take fresh soundings re-
garding the kind of man who calling him
self Republican, can go out and gather IN
thousands of Democratic votes III single
State.
This Michigan development, no doubt,
prompted the Democratic leaders IN
Massachusetts, headed by Chandler NJ.
Wood, organizer of the Hoover Demo
cratic Club OF this State; Edward A.
Feline. perhaps the most prominent
business man of Boston, and others Of
that type IL inquire of Mr. Hoover whether
or not he would accept the Democratic
nomination if offered TO him.
The answer which Mr.. Hoover viii
make TO that inquiry will be of nationwide
interest. Friends OF the former Food
Administrator intimatcd today that the
answer would not he a reputation of
Democratic support and that while 1t
might not he a candid bid for the Demo
cratic nomination 1t would not close the
door to such possibility.
vcr's friends. ii not to all of them, that
the Republican response to the Hoover
candidacv has not been encouraging.
He has not been enthusiastically acclaimed
hv Republican leaders or by Republican
followers. Party hospitality has not been
accorded him in the measure that was
expected and some of those who have
admired thecandidatc most sincerely have
felt that he,blundered sadly in abandoning
the neutral position which he originally
took and sought 10 qualify as a regulation
Republican when be must have known
that he could not fit a square peg into
round hole.
The Republicans OF Michigan failed
to rallv 10 Hoover. Both johnson and
Wood were far ahead OF him and the best
be could do was TO push Lowden for third
place. The very next day the Republi-
cans Of New York turned him down cold
Ibiong with johnson and Wood. They
let it be known that the New York dele
CATION would go uninstructed.
The Michigan result so far as it affects
the Hoover standing In the Republican
marty. has been explained away by the
fact that he got late start there and had
neither money nor organization. The
same is true of johnson, however, and the
same Is true of Hoover IN the Democratic
primary. He had neither money nor
organization nor party standing as n
Democrat and Yet he astonished every
Democratic leader IN the country by the
size of his Democratic vote.
Maniiestly it Is too soon to talk serious
iv, of a revival of the Hoover boom in the
Democratic party. But as already point
ed out in these dispatches. if the Republi-
cans continue to turn Hoover down IN
State after State and If the Democratic
voters continue to vote for HIM, no matter
what herllay say about has Repubhcanism,
a situation will be created which viii be
unique in the political annals of the coun-
Try.
lf Hoover should be bodily rejected at
Chicago under such circumstances he
might conceivably have standing at San
Francisco.