New-York tribune., 1920-06-15
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The advance guard Of Democratic
delegates is already on the way to
the Coast. What will be the re-
action there to the work of the
Republican convention?
The Republican gathering was
described as Embossed" and without
leadership. That was, as things
turned out, an illusory descrip-
ton. About third of the delegates
reflected the will of the Republican
voters, expressed in primaries. The
other two-thirds represented either
themselves or small groups within
state organizations. The two thirds
knew where the real leadership was
and at the psychological moment
bowed to it. In this respect the
Chicago convention Of 1920 didn't
differ materially from the average
Republican or Democratic conven-
tions Of the last thirty years in
which there has been a contest for
the Presidential nomination.
If the Chicago convention looked
Embossed to the inexperienced eye
no eye, however unframed, can be
deceived by an appearance of leader
lessness at San Francisco. Nine
tenths of the Democratic delegates
are "hand-picked." In 1912, when
the party was affecting great de-
votion to the principle of popular
control Of conventions and nomina-
tions, it instructed the national
committee to see to it that delegates
to succeeding conventions should be
chosen at primaries and that prefer
ences for candidates should be ex-
pressed in the same manner. But
this year primaries and expressions
of preference have been avoided like
a pestilence. The leading candi-
dates for the nomination have
begged to have their names with
drawn from consideration in the
primary states. Most of them have
urged the selection Of unpledged
delegates. The national committee
and the White House have sought to
send to San Francisco men who pre-
fer instructions from the leaders to
instructions from the voters. A
Presidential nominee is to be i'm
posed on the party from the top"
as everything else has been imposed
on it for the last eight years.
Attorney General Palmer has
been allowed to appear as an active
Administration candidate. He has
collected some delegates nominally
pledged to him. But few people be-
lieve that they are intended to be
used ultimately for his benefit. The
President and the national COM
mittee mean to control the situation
If Mr.. Wilson wants to run for q
third time the convention will &C.
cept him. If he wants to transmit
the mantle Of leadership to Mr.
McAdoo, his son-in-law, the mantle
will be transferred. The latter
enters the convention without a
single delegate instructed for him
and with the active opposition of
the delegates from his home state
Yet he is generally regarded as the
logical nominee, in case the Presl-
dent decides to intrust to another
the fight for she ratification of the
Versailles Treaty as it stanos.
Mr.. Wilson las demanded a
referendum on W.lsonism. The San
Francisco convention will assemble
Text week mainly for the purpose of
allowing him TO notify 1t wnat the
Democratic platform is to contain
and who is to be thu Tcmocratic
candidate. The drama at San Fran
cisco, as was the case at Chicago
, will be managed from the wings
At Chicago there was a junta OF
Senatorial managers. At San Fran
cisco there will be one undisputec
manager in chief.