Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-06-20
SOME VIEWS OF THE REPUBLICAN TICKET
w. M. BOLE, Editor
q. S. WARDEN, Manager


last few days give one some idea of the way the
Harding and Coolidge ticket is received by Re
publicans and Democrats. The general impress
sion seems to be that the old guard controlled
the convention and put over ticket composed
of two ultra conservatives. 1t IS only 1alr 10
note that this was not the intention of the lead
ers who made the nomination of Senator Hard
ing possible. Their plan was to tone down the
conservative nomination of Harding for presl-
dent by naming Senator Lenroot OF Wisconsin
as vice president Senator Lenroot was identl-
fled with the progressive wing of the Republican
party as Senator Harding was identified with
the stand pat conservative wing, and it was the
intention to molify the progressives by naming
one Of them for the vice presidency. This plan
went astray in the convention where the popu-
larity of Coolidge with the Republican delegates
caused them to wreck the plan Of their leaders
and give Coolidge majority on the first ballot,
thus naming two conservatives and leaving the
progressives without representation on the
ticket, and pretty sore besides. When stall
wart Republican newspaper like the New York
Tribune comments on the ticket in this way it
surely shows that there is something the mat
ter It says: Republicans are still ungrateful.
and destined to live in history, has been defeated
for presidential nomination by group of poll
ticians just as Theodore Roosevelt was four
years ago. We had hoped that man of un-
doubted courage, vision and executive ability
would be chosen, but we have instead Warren G.
Harding, one of the senate group which con-
trolled the convention. We believe in Republi-
can principles. We believe in this years Repub-
lican platform. We more than pleased with
the nomination of Calvin Coolidge. The Tribune,
therefore, proposes to give hearty support to the
Republican candidates and the platform on
which they stand and believes that overwheln-
ing majority of American voters will do the
same"
That is surprising statement coming from
Horace Greeley's old paper, now owned by White
law Reid late ambassador to Great Britain un-
der Republican administration. When it says
"we had hoped that a man of undoubted courage,
vision and executive ability, would be chosen,
but we have instead Warren G. Harding, one of
the senate group which controlled the conven-
tion" the inference is unmistakable that the
New York Tribune does not think that the can
didate has courage, vision or executive abil-
ty" After this damning statement it adds that
it will support the ticket Notwithstanding its
lack of the qualifications it hoped for in such
ticket Our idea is that Candidate Harding will
hardly thank the New York Tribune for that
kind Of support.
The Boston Herald, also Republican, is not
quite so brutal in its comment yet it damns Mr.
Harding with very faint praise 1t says: "Sen-
ator Warren G. Harding is not great man, but
he is sound and judicial. He will surround him
self with big men. He will seek their judgment
and respect it. He will make good campaign,
thereby proving good candidate as we'll as CIV
ing the promise of being good president, and,
in the event of his success, the Herald pledges
him it's unqualified support and congratulates
the Republican perty On its choice. The selec-
ton of Senator Harding was dictated by sound
political strategy after repeated ballots had
shown the utter unlikelihood of agreement on
any one of the three who had been leading in the
contest. Senator Harding is great campaigner.
The country will have ample opportunity to know
him better before November. Those who have
followed his career in Ohio and at Washington,
those who know his personality and mentality,
have no fear of the popular verdict"
This, in effect, is to say that Senator Harding
is not big man himself, but that he will get
big men around him who will run his admins
tration for him all right-such men as Boss Pen
rose and Reed Smoot, the Mormon apostle, and
Henry Cabot Lodge--we suppose. After putting
the candidate deliberately down as second class
in it's rating the Boston Herald also pledges the
candidate its unqualified support and congratu-