The Washington herald., 1920-06-12
C. O.P. CHIEFS ACT
AS IF YELLOW DOG
CAN WIN ELECTION
ny WILLIS ,. ABBOT.


His friends say an inexperienced
campaign manager was buncoed,
All right. He Is associated with
an unpopular TRANSPORTATION COM
pany. but as In famous case, his
interest is explained away as such
a little one. He faces a fight In his
own State. but his friends pertly
declare that the enmity of Mayor
Thompson should be a passport to
the confidence of the nation.
So much for Lowden.
At this moment his leading advo-
cate Is Gen. Leonard Wood. In
Woods behalf sworn testimony
shows not less than a million and
half dollars have been spent.
Not Trust Money, In Claim.
His friends respo nd that IL was
not the money of trusts, public
service corporations or tariff seek
ers. but the fruits OF innocuous en-
terprises like chewing gum and
soap. One high In the campaign
stan Of the general further as
sured me that Wood. II a winner.
would never look rpon a mere gift
of half a million as putting him un-
der any obligation whatsoever En-
ploying n rather unfortunate COM
parisnn the genef ais aide said: "You
see things have been given to Wood
all his life. He is accustomed to
Il. He won't feel any more under
oblig atoms to PrCcter for that gift,
than the Kaiser would have felt to
a Bavarian baron who gave him q
castle"
All of which Is very we'll, but the
fact remains that even today the
followers OF Wood and Lowden are
On the defensive. The defense may
be good. but its necessity is hurt
ful IL not fatal. And s< there is
more than one candidate before the
convention immune from attack on
this ground, II seems incredible that
the future of great party should
be put thus in jeopardy.
Perhaps IL may not. This nomi-
nation Is still on the knees of the
gods, and those deities have still
several leaves in which to deter
mine how to dispose of their bur-
den.
Don't Want Dark Horses.
Comparatively few of the wise
ones will listen to the suggestion
so current twenty-four leaves ago.
of so dark a horse as Coolidge,
Lenroot or even Hoover. That
popular support in overwhelming
measure would be forthcoming for
any of these gentlemen is cheer
fully admitted by partisans of the
various leaders. But the general
! idea is that the political chiefs do
not want a man of this type.
1t may be mentioned in this con-
nection that a procession of emil
nent Democrats on their way to
San Francisco have stopped OF
here and proceeded, nightly re-
freshed by the spectacle of the Re-
publican organization apparently
intent upon throwing away certain
victory for a doubtful defensive
/ fight. Chairman Cummings. for
mer Chairman Norman E. Mack,
( former Secretary Urey woodson
and potential candidate McAdoo
are a few of the Democratic lead
ers whose hopes. have gained new
confidence.
Roll Call Begins at S O'clock.
At o'clock. the protracted ses-
sion of mediocre oratory closed to
the noisy satisfaction of the crowd.
Eleven candidates had been put be-
| fore the convention. The reading
| clerks began the roll-call and the
crucial test was on.
q. / have listened to that caucus call
| of the roster of our commonwealths
in every convention, Republican and
| Democratic. since Bryan swept his
| auditors before him in 1896. In not
one OF these gatherings has the out
come been so wholly in doubt at
/ this stage, as today. AS the call
proceeds, 1t is apparent that the
States are badly split. The DOM
inant factors in the big States pur-
posely split up their votes in order
| better to conceal their ultimate pur-
pose. New York, for example. casts
votes for almost every candidate in
nomination. Sometimes this pru-
dence produced results that stirred
| the laughter of the crowd, as when
Missouri announced half a vote for
Hoover. That State. indeed, con-
tributed much to the merriment of
! the meeting. When some delay fol-
| lowed the call OF the State, a gall
lery nut called out Count the
cash."
Suspense in Announcement
Accordingly the result of the first
roll call was eagerly awaited.
Seemingly no one attempted to foot
UP the votes as cast, for no dem
onstration occurred prior to the an
nouncement by the secretary. That
functionary believed in the dra-
matte principle of suspense, in
prolonging the agony, for he began
with the candidate receiving the
smallest number OF votes, Warner
of Michigan with one, and worked
slowly to the eliminating pinnacle
of Wood 2S7h. Lowden yaulted
second with 211h, and johnson
third with 1891.
This was practically what had
been foreshadowed as to the reia-
tive standing of the three leaders,
though the count showed Wood at
least 20 votes above the most san
guine announcements of his man
ayers.
Nothing could be foreshadowed
of the chances OF the minor candi-
dates. Sproul with his solid Penn
sylvania delegation vaulted well IN.
followed by Nicholas Murray Butler.
Harding, and Coolidge in the order
named. Seven votes were record :
ed for Hoover six more than
GARFIELD got on the first ballot in
$780," said an admirer.
Leaders Gain on second Call
The second call OF the States
showed the leaders gaining. Wood
adding two votes to his total and
Lowden forty-eight Fearing de-
velopments, California. acting for
\