New-York tribune., 1920-10-10
By Howard y. Hadley

by Howard IL. Ftadlcy
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 1.-The people
Of the Pacific Coast have recently ell
joycd two extra good opportunities to
laugh. One was when the Rev. DR..
James Whitcomb Brougher, of this city,
met Will Rogers in joint debate, sub
ject: "Who dave Done Most for This
Country, the Preachers or the Cow
boys?" The other was when John w.
Fowler, colored, of Oakland, Progressive
candidate for Assemblyman from the
39th District, held state Progressive
convention all by himself in Sacrament
to, being the only person qualified as
Progressive party delegate at the Au-
gust primary. In California the state
party conventions are held after the
primaries, the delegates being the cam
didates for state and national offices.
Brother Fowler went through the
whole program, from soup to nuts, with
out skip. Arriving the night before,
he registered at the Hotel Suttcr, had
supper. set fire to a long, black cigar,
and, when seen by the reporters, pre-
dicted a harmonious convention, stat
ing also without hesitation that he
stood first, last and all the time for
100 per cent "Amercanism." He hit
the old trail right at the start and
never lost it.
Retiring to the secrecy of his room,
he framed up slate calling for the
election Of himself as chairman and
secretary of the convention as we'll RS
chairman of the Committee on Creden-
tials, Resolutions and Temporary and
Permanent Organization. Next morning
he assembled put his slate through
without hitch and then delivered the
keynote speech.
Remnant Of His Party
"This is the remnant of the Pro-
gressive party" Chairman Fowler, the
official keynoter, declared. Like the
prodigal son we have come home but
not after spending our substance in
riotous living. Instead, under the glo
rious leadership of Theodore Roosevelt
and Hiram Johnson, we have enacted
some of. the greatest statutes in the
history of our land.
"But now on the front porch we
see Harding and Shortridge, waiting to
welcome the prodigal son. The fatted
joicng. The older brother who stayed
home is Samuel NJ. Stortridge, and We
all say to him, as was said in the
Bible story, All that we have is thine
take it and use it," Shortridge is
the Republican candidate for United
States Senator.
The keynote speech urged more free
dom in Ireland, praised the conduct
of Terence MacSwiney and, of course,
condemned the Democratic party"
The report of the Committee on Res
Ixl, ~
candidacy for the Assembly and
"viewed with alarm" any proposal to
drag our boys from their mothers
arms for service overseas in fighting
the battles Of the greedy, imperialistic,
land-grabbing nations of Europe and
Asia"
To perpetuate the party organiza-
tion, the chair then appointed John W.
Fowler as the State Central Committee
and adjourned after appointing Dele
gate Fowler to convey the greetings of
the Progressive Convention to the Re
publican Convention in session con-
veniently near by.
One Other Good Laugh
Not forgetful of the good results Of
the remarkable Progressive party move
ment we could, and did, laugh over
the final one-man convention held by
friend Fowler.
Our other good laugh came over the
Brougher- Rogers debate. Dr. Brougher
is the pastor of the church founded by
Bob Burdette. the Temple Baptist
in this city. He holds his services in
the Auditorium, the largest theater in
the city, the magnificent hall where
grand opera, symphony concerts, etc.
are given. The theater is full to the
doors morning and evening every Sun
day Scores are turned away as 3
rule
Brougher is one of the ablest and
easily The most popular preacher or
the Pacific Coast. Everybody out here
knows him, or at least knows all about
| him. He is one of the very few real
sure-frc, after-dinner speakers II
: America He is a humdingcr on tht
Chautauqua platform. The day Gov.
ernor Cox was here crowd Of business
men waited in vain for two hours in the
Morosco Theater for the Democratic
candidate for President to appear Te
kill time the crowd sang all the popular
| and patriotic songs they knew: finally