Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-07
johnson Sectional
Candidate Only
Centiuned from Page One

Nontiuneo from rage One
makes convincing demonstration of
strength in the coming primaries.
The great damage a weak showing in
the primaries will do Wood will be to
set the convention to asking whether
Wood If nominated can be elected. A
political observer who has been around
the Middle West ard who came back to
Washington just before the Michigan
primaries reports that the politicians
were already asking this question, and
the general impression was a subsistence
OF the Wood boom of which the Michi-
gan result was surprising illustration.
According to this observer the pros
poets in Indiana two weeks ago were
that Wood would get majority in tac
Republican, primaries. In a few days
that had declined to the point where he
was not expected to get more than the
plurality of those primaries. \ similar
situation exists in Nebraska. A prom
tnent Republican politician from Ne
braska, a supporter of Wood, no>' in
, Washington, summed up the situation
over johnson, but don't kEow whether
he can hold it or not"
The whole Republican situation is in
q state OF very unstable equilibrium
uninstructed delegates will be for Wood
If and they will be against Wood
If. And much of Woods nominal
support like that in Kansas ard Mime
sofa is uninstructed.
Bosses Won't Rule Convention
One thing is clear, that the bosses
will not control the Republican con
vention. Wood and Johnson have beaten
the bosses. With the virtual eimina-
tion of Lowden and Harding has come
the elimination of the bosses. Elm
N ic .haf hn bo,.
complished so far. And the question is !
whether the next primaries taken along
with those of Michigan will result in !
the elimination Of Wood.
The great result of the primaries is |
TO reveal the weakness of the candi- |
dates. Lowden has been shown to have .
little party support. Harding will be
stripped naked in Indiana. If not in
Ohio. The bosses have been shown to
be unable to control their OWE states.
And now Michigan has shown an
overwhelming sentiment against Woods
methods of seeking the nomination and
has registered a big industrial vote
wanting a more radical candidate than
General Wood.
4 Unless General Woods managers
succeed in localizing this disaffcction.
when the Republican convention assem-
bles IL will be made up of delegates who
have not been rushed off their feet by
the appearance Of sure winner in
the tests, and Of delegates over whom
the bosses will have little control
They will have before them the evi-
dence of Johnson's strength with tho
lnasses, especially the masses in the.
Industrial East. How will they nomi.
nate n candidate who will hold together
this vote on which the election may I
turn?
) They will have before them the issue
1f the excessive use of money. Gun the
party stamp itself in advance of the ma
ional convention as a party whose ,
:andidate enjoys too much support from
he financial interests?
Bitter Fight in Ohio
And when the Ohio fight is over the :
delegates will have another question to .
answer. Can either of the candidates =
Who participated in that fight carry that !
tate in November? Those who know 7
ohio say neither of them can. The =
lght in Ohio is one of the bittcrcst in
Republican politics. Charges Of treach-
ny come from both sides. The news :,
'apers Of Ohio never committed them =
elves so desperately to one side or the ""
,ther as now 1912 is being repeated in |;
)hio. !
And the labor vote in Ohio will re- 4
ulre cOnslQeThtlOn IN stare torn by
action as Ohio is going to be if either
( ood or Harding is nominated Labor
playing a definite role in this cam
ign. In Michigan it was for johnson
,.ainst Wood, so much so that johnson I
gept the cities. In Ohio IL is for Wood
sainst Harding, because Harding voted
Dr. the Cummins antiStrike provision. c
Is not that il loves Wood more. but a
hat IL loves Harding less. d
|: III Wood shows weakness with labor Is
lsewhere, in Indiana and in New Jer- V
ey, for example, the convention is
kelly to believe that after voting for r
vood ia the primaries Ohio labor will r,
pit Wood for McAdoo or some SINH
1T Democrat on the election. m
Unless Woods next big offensives Il
re more successful than the last the
'hicago convention will be free To ask II
be questions just suggested about the f,
xpediency Of nominating the man who ir
ill enter the ballOting with most W
trength, and it will ask them. 1t may is
aswer them fayorably 10 Wood. But "
nee the Michigan result a great many te
eople hero in Washington think they
Ill not.