The Washington herald., 1920-05-17
Democrats Hope for G. O. P. Split Republicans
Gather Here to Discuss Panks of Platform

the position of those Democrats
who demand that no backward step
snail be taken by the convention
| on this issue. But it would be idle
to deny that the advocates of a
| liberal construction of the amend
ment are going to be strong. And
their success. although most inn
probable would almost inevitably
result in a bolt.
The Presidential Enigma.
NoI is this the only menace to
/ Demo cratic solidarity in the COM
| ing campaign. What the President
may have in contemplation is be-
yond Imagination today. and is the
problem that is most agitating
those Democrats who cling to the
faint hope of party success. But
the least tl.at is to be apprehended
is a demand for en- unqualified in
| oorsement OF his administration,
and especially of the treaty with
all its league addenda II refused
this will put the party in the fatal
! position of entering campaign
with a reputation of its own ad-
ministration. If granted such an in
dorsement. especially in so far as
| it affects the Presidents position
on foreign affairs. will infallibly
cost the party hundreds of thou
sands of votes.
The convictions and the desires
/ of the American voters in both par
ties clearly lie betWe the ex-
tremes of J, hnsonism and wilson
ISM.
1t is quite apparent to any i'm
partial observer that the Democrat
ic leaders might better be patch
ing up threatening riffs in their
own fabric than comrlaccntly wait
ing for the Republican robe to be
rent in twain.
Not that harmony is particularly
assured in the G. o. P. Today Gov.
Lowden seems the leading candi-
date for the Chicago nomination.
With great natural ability and a
fine record as a war governor. he
would under ordinary. conditions be
an unexceptionable candidate. But
his business interests have been
such as to lend plausibiIity to the
cry already raised that he Is the
representative of big business, and
reactionary.
That charge Is being reiterated by
the forces back of Senator johnson,
and the powers that are loked upon
as being engaged in fomenting the
movement for a third party. While
johnson himself has not echoed 1t
being frankly desirous of some of
the Lowden delegates should their
chiefs support disintegrate-the
newspapers in which he has found
his chief support are noisy with the
clamor.
Retort to the johnson Threat.
1t is in fact, in the growth of the
Johnson support that the chief men
ace to Republican solidarity is to
be found. The heterogeneous ele-
ments that the Californian has gath
cred about him will be content with
TO other candidate. There is talk
among politicians of tying johnson
with some conservative. like Knox,
to hold his backing. But more even
than in the case of Roosevelt the
johnson following is personal and |
unbelievable to another. II 1t were
otherwise, then In permitting |
hughes to be defeated In California |
while he himself was elected by |
more than 100000 majority johnson |
was guilty of such black party |
treachery as ever to disqualify him
for another Republican nomination. |
The defeat Of Johnson by a man
of the Lowden or Knox sort will be |
an invitation to Republican split, |
But the nomination of johnson on
the other hand will estrange from
the party that enormous body of |
voters who are desirous OF seeing q
man Of affairs rather than a poll. |
tician nominated this year. And IL
seems probable that II will be this
element that viii control AZ Chicago
They may have 70 figure on marty
disunion following the rejection Of |
johnson. Judging from the utter. |
ances of many with whom I have
talked they perceive that the sItua.
tion can only be met by nominating |
some man who will draw enough In |
dependent Democrats 10 make up
for anv Johnson dafAatlss.