Evening star., 1920-01-11
POLITICAL TANGLES
DISTRACT OREGON
Special Session of LegisIa-
ture Promises Trouble;
Shape Presidential Plans.

/ PORILAND. Ore, January lU (Spe-
ciaD.-Oregon is facing So many
political tangles and complexities. in
slant and in expectation. that it's
| voters have hardly had the oppor-
| tunity to focus their attention upon
presidential possibilities. or any one
particular point of the political COM
pass.
Right now the state is confronted
with a special session of the legisla-
, ture called to meet January II, be-
cause. in fact, though not by the gov
ernor's proclamation. the growing pres
sure of the woman voters of the
state for ratification of the Susan B.
Anthony amendment forced its con-
vention. BY reason of various under
lying and local causes it promises to
blow a political hurricane before it's
adjournment that may have no small
effect upon the coming congressional
, and state campaigns. But, in spite of
this. and in the widst of it. the presi-
dental contest. so far as Oregon's
preferential primaries are concerned,
is beginning to take form and get
under way.
Oregon Delegates to BE Pledged.
Oregon is one of the few states
which, by mandate of its direct pri-
mary law. pledges it's delegates to
national party conventions to the
party candidate receiving the popular
vote at that election. The state will
send ten delegates to each of the ma
tional conventions this year pledged
least. for the popular choice of the
party as registered at the polls
May 81.
Already four candidates for the re-
publican presidential nomination have
opened their Oregon primary CAM
n oNfI al ar1fs = live lxr.
Gen. Leonard Wood. Gov. Lowden.
Senator Poindexter of Washington and
Senator johnson of California.
Activities for Candidates.
Gen. Woods candidacy is being
looked after by state manager. Dow
walker, IN overseas veteran. who has
opened Headquarters at Portland and
dent club has been organized in
Portland. and others are being or
sanized in different sections of the
state.
Gov. Lowden also has a state man
ager and state headquarters at Port
land. His state campaign is in the
hands of Joseph f. Dunn, a promi-
nent business man of Portland. who
has recently opened his offices and
begun the work of distributing Low
den literature.
Senator Johnson has manager
Representative James f. Stewart of
eastern Oregon. who has been doing
preliminary organization work. but
will not open headquarters until after
he has returned from the legislative
session near the 1st of February.
/ Senator Poindexter also has an
! overseas man watching his interests.
| Walter Tooze, jr.. young upstate
| lawyer. He has not established head
quarters as yet, but is getting good
! deal of Poindexter literature into the
mails.
! Wood 1. Most Talked OF.
| 1t is too early in the game to at
| tempt to tell. except in a, very gem
eral way, how these various candi-
dates stand or to predict how their
relative strength may develop be-
tween now and the primary election
in May. Gen. Wood is the most-talk
ed-of candidate of the four. but it is
hard to guess whether the talk would
mean votes. The people seem to be
| waiting to see all the horses trotted
out before they begin to put their
money down. Next to Gen. Wood in
| popular conversation comes Gov.
Lowden. who has quite a sprinkling
Of friends and supporters. most OF
| them former residents of Illinois or
| the middle west.
There is. also. more or less John-
! son talk and a little Poindexter' talk.
! hut both of these candidates are
| facing voting population which,
! iudging from available indica tions.
! diners very materially from both of
: them in regard to the ratification OF
! the peace treaty and the league OF
| nations covenant.
League Is Favored.
! When the treaty fight was first
opened in the Senate the Oregon Jour-
! nal of Portland conducted a straw
J ballot, which in short space OF time
! Welded 20.0O5 votes in favor OF the
| league of nations as it then stood to
F. 176 against it. For the past few days
; the same paper has been conducting
! recorded 2SS votes in favor OF com.
promise and immediate ratifcat ton.
81 votes for "the Lodge reservations,
50 votes against ratification and
3.371 for ratification as submitted by
President wilson," Practically the
same divergence of sentiment has
been shown by similar votes taken
by papers in eastern and in southern
Oregon. all of which would indicate
would be very popular with the Ore
gon electorate should it take their
attitudes on the league of nations
into consideration, as it very proba bly,
will.
Democrats Await DEVELOPMENTS.
Cp to the present time there have
been no intimations of any democratic
candidates intending to enter the pri-
mary contest in the state. There is
about the hotel lobbies and on the
streets. but. generally speaking, the
democrats seem to be waiting for
developments in the east before start
ing TO stampede in any given direc-
ton. RALPH WATSON.