New-York tribune., 1920-10-24

1iiiotS PIO-ledBue hepuD-
llcans OF these two statements Of Mr..
Root on the league which prompts Mr..
Cox to send this trucuiant but cloudy
dispatch to Mr.. Root, which is no more
clarifying, effective or substantial
than Mr.. Cox's proposed reservations.
and leaves the matter exactly where
! 1t was.
Copyright 1920, by Public Ledger)
and taking advantage of every slip of
its opponents and every incident that
might help its friends It has the city
organized not by precincts, but by city
blocks. Every block has its captain,
and II voter, man or woman, moves
the old address, the new address and
details about the voter are reported to
me board OF strategy before the sun
Of moving day goes down.
Thompson-Lowden Feud
Thompson was first elected Mayor of
Chicago in 1915, carried in on wave
OF sentiment temporarily directed
against the candidate of the old Roger
{. Sullivan Democratic organization,
Robert L. Sweitzer. In 1919 Thomp-
son was reelected, the independents.
who could support neither Thompson
nor Sweitzer-who ran again-rallying
on third candidate supported by The
Chicago Tribune.
Meanwhile Thompson had been elect
ed national committeeman and was as
plrlng to state leadership Backed by
ms wonderful machine, it seemed as
though nothing could stop him. but the
lndependents in Chicago, especially The
/ Tribune and The News, which have been
bitter against the Mayor, demanded
that Governor Lowden repudiate
Thompson and all his works Iowden
did so, especially as many big men in
the Republican party, angered at what
they considered Thompson's proc Ger
man record during the war, and espe-
clally at his boast that Chicago was The
sixth German city" OF the world.
backed the Chicago independents in
their demands.
Throwing Thompson overheard meant
the raising Of the first real opposition
TO Governor Lowden in the state 1t
, prevented his getting solid delega-
tion to the Republican National Conven-
ton here last June, the seventeen
Thompson delegates voting solidly
against him from first to last Thomp-
son was at heart for Hiram Johnson,
ana has organization put on the big
Johnson demonstrations here during
the convention, which were as noisy as
they proved to be futile.
mayor CuSleu from Committee
Lowden, in control of the state com
mittee and the state delegation. how
ever, by fair maJorities, threw Thomp-
son or the national committee, putting
Senator Lawrence Y. Sherman, whose
term in the Senate is expiring, and who
IS not candidate for reelection. on the
national committee in his place.
Had Lowden been nominated for
President there is little doubt that
the Thompson machine would have
bolted, and this was one of the factors
in Lowden's defeat for the Presidency,
though he probably would have been
nominated in spite Of it had it not
been for the disclosure that Louis !.
Emerson, his campaign manager. had
paid cash to two Missouri delegates
Thompson and the friends of Low
den were both satisfied with the nomi-
nation Of Harding, however, and so
far as can be discovered there is not
the slightest trace of disaffection in
the Republican ranks so far as the
national ticket IS concerned
From the national standpoint, in
deed, the situation is satisfactory.
Zach faction has an important nominee
1t wishes TO elect, the Lowden people
having put Mckinley over and the
Thompson people Small for Governor.
Each side, therefore, has the utmost
incentive to get the full vote out on
Election Day. and each side wants the
majority in its own territory for the
national ticket to be as big as possible.
Even II the remote possibility of
organized cutting by each side Of the
others candidates should develop, and
it seems scarcely possible. the struggle
vote out to the last man and woman,
and no harm would come to the ma
tional ticket.
Illinois, getting back to national is
sues, Is in the best shape on the
League of Nations issue of any in the
Union. In the first place, The Chi
cago Tribune, one of the great news
paper forces of the world, has been
very nearly irreconcilabe on the treaty
from the first. During the pre-con-
vention campaign The Tribune an
nounced that it would be satisfied with
Wood, Lowden or Johnson. Senator
Harding at that time was not thought
to be IN the running for the nomina-
ton The fact that The Tribune would
take johnson is a fair indication OF
its position on the treaty. 1t is inter
: esting to recall in this connection that
right after the election of 1916, when
Johnson carried California by almost
) 100000 and Wilson carried the state
~ SfSA c,VOV, Liz 1IlUule printed Il
bitter editorial. entitled "California-
, the Boob State"
The Tribune never did like Wilson
and the people of Illinois have agreeC
with this paper rather consistentlv
Illinois being one of the few states II
which women voted four wears acc
5 that was not carried away by til.
kept us out Of war; appeal Of tn,
President
: Although not deceived by the peace
l issue four years ago, the people O.
illinois were just as angered as some
of the Western states which gave thei,
J electoral votes to the Democrats. The,
showed it by the tremendous Repub
can vote they rolled up after the Presi
dents 1918 appeal for a Democratic
/ Congress.
J In Chicago. also, the two Hearst
papers. morning and evening, both with
! large circulations, although they dc
not compare with The Tribune anc
News in either circulation or influence
} have been pounding steadily on the
league.
Probably Illinois is one Of the few
states in which more people are afraic
of the league because OF its liability tc
} get this country into war than are
i enamoured of the league because they
think it would prevent war.