The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-04-15
POLITICAL TIES
LESS B|NOiMC
PEOPLE SEEM MORE INrrRGsr.
20 IN PRINCIPLES THAN
INDIvIpuAIa
WAR MEMORIAL FOR CAPITAL
To Be Used 40 National Center for
Official and unerlelsi Public Liz Of
kstion-ho~ uneIs Sans Pestnas
tsrs Are Chosen.
BY JAMES p. HoaNApAy.

washington. - Approximately one
third Of the delegates to each Of the
national political conventions have
now been chosen. The interest In the
election Of delegates 10 largely con-
lined to the Republican party, because
every one Of the candidates for the
Republican nomination Is trying to get
as many Instructed delegates as posi-
Die. On the Democratic aide the policy
Is to choose uninstructed delegates,
and while two or three men who are
In certain sense candidates for the
Democratic nomination are interested
In the selection Of delegates, not one
OF them is making an actual nght.
The most competent political observ-
ers are now Of the opinion that the
Republican convention, as we'll as the
Democratic convention, will be open,
In the sense that no candidate will 20
INTO the convention with anything like
enough votes to nominate him on the
first ballot. Such q situation always
lends zest to a convention, and so II Is
a foregone conclusion that the ga Their
Ing at Chicago on June s and the meet
ing at San Francisco on June % will
hold the undivided attention OF tho
country for a few days. The old
timers In politics are making the OBJ
servation that they cannot recall
more mixed situation In each Of the
old parties two months prior to the
opening Of the convention season.
Ties Less Binding.
The well seasoned political writers
who are touring the country, almost
without exception report that political
ties are less binding. apparently than
ever before; that the masses OF the
voters seem 10 be interested In prin-
ciples to a greater extent than ever
before and less In personalities. indi-
viduals. The professional politicians
In both the parties are not attempting
to hide a good deal OF concern which
they feel over the incoming reports to
the effect that IL the two conventions
do not do what the masses of the vot-
ers believe they should do there might
be another effort made to form a new
party. No one takes this talk very
seriously and yet there is no question
but what II is being INDUCED In to
some extent.
II does seem to be a fact that there
Is being voiced more than ever before
an objection TO the so-called profess
sional politicians picking the candi-
dates for president. 1t is this mani
festation that Is putting so much life
into the contests for delegates in the
states that have provided presidential
preference primary laws.
Neither of the old political parties
Is quite certain at this time what II
will put in its national platform.
Neither can say, for instance. whether
the treaty OF peace with Germany, and
the League OF Nations covenant In par
paign. Ever since the treaty went
down to defeat for a second time In
the senate the politicians in both the
parties have been trying to figure out
how the treaty and the league covenant
could be presented as an issue. and no
one has as yet come forward with any
plan satisfactory. The truth is that so
far as the national organizations Of the
two old parties are concerned there is
still the desire TO have the treaty dis
posed " before the national conven-
ton season comes on.