The St. Joseph observer., 1920-05-15
THE ONWARD SWEEP OF JOHN
SON


The extremely poor showing made !
by wood in the Indiana primaries, |
and the equally poor showing made
by the two conservative gop candi-
dates, Harding and Lowden. in the
same state, and the tremendous ma
jority of Johnson over Hoover in Cali
fornia, coupled with the close run
that johnson gave Wood in Indiana
must give our gop friends food for
some solemn thinking between now
and convention day.
The almost complete elimination Of
Hoover in the California primaries
his home state-cannot indicate any
thing except his dismissal as a can
didate in the Chicago convention. 1t
Is becoming apparent that with the
currents and cross-currents running
as they are in the republican party
there is little place there for a man
like Herbert Hoover. He is neither
a radical nor reactionary. He repre-
terest. He is a thoughtful. forward
looking, well-balanced and sober
minded statesman. And he is lost,
without a home or a standing place,
in the tempests that are sweeping
the republican party. He does not
know how to sing the hymn of hate.
- p1a oh
tics with great issues.
Senator johnson is the Franken-
stein that the republican bosses Of the
"Old Guard" have helped create. He
has rallied to his standard the ele-
ments of hatred and suspicion aud
Esdicalism and hyphenism and pro-
been appealing to in their efforts to
destroy the influence and leadership
of Woodrow Wilson. He promises to
become greater than his creators, and
to supplant them as the boss, if not
the nominee of the Chicago conven-
ton.
Johnson's character and leadership,
through the Maryland and Indiana
primaries. for in Maryland for in
stance he was asked. at one OF his
meetings. whore he stood on prohi-
bition. woman suffrage and the gov
ernment ownership of railroads. lie
hn
ton as an "unfriendly" act, This is
the hallmark of the demag gogue the
world over, who deems his personal
fortunes more important than great
issues. And in Indiana the johnson
committee issued a flood Of circulars
in the closing days of the campaign
republican primaries to support John
son. The appeal was amde particu
larly to a racial group who are sup
posed to be almost solidly opposed tC
the league Of nations, and gave de
tailed directions as to how democrat t'
would be able to vote a republican
were challenged. This reveals how
little Senator johnson thinks of part!
integrity, not to mention common
honesty.
The sordiducss Of the republican
senate fight against the league Of ma
tons. its partisan selfishncss, its lacl
4.tI
character, has borne fit fruit in tn
rise Of Hi" Johnson. The incessan
chorus Of abuse Of the president o
the government, in season and out o
season, for good reasons and ba
reasons and no reasons az all, wit
its appeals to ignorance, TO discomfort
to prejudice, TO radicalism, has fit
uugly resulted in raising Johnson u
a. the natural leader Of elements tina
threaten not only 10 capture an
transform the republican party, bJ
that graycly menace the securit,
good reputc ana solidarity Of our T,
public. Republican partisanship h5
sown the whirIwind, It promises no
TO reap the storm.
For democrats. patriotism no le
than party eNpetiency clearly pOin
the way. Il is to stand by Preside
Wilson, by the record that has be,
made under his superb leadershi
aud by The great policy o. peace al
good will to which, through all q
ages 10 come, his name will be a
tached and on the triumph Of viii
the happiness and stability OF ciyi
zaton depend.
THE SABOTAGE OF REPUBLICA!
That rannhlipan 20