Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-16

Il ernOr Sproul played in the Repub
lican National Convention is now his
tory. But it is mighty intercstin,
history.
There was a vast amount of criticism
Of Pennsylvania and her course in tn,
last two convention days. None of II
was justified.
1t came from leaders of delegations
who were fighting for q lost candidat,
disappointed and disgruntlcd because
Pennsylvania did not smash her line
and destroy her chances in a vain effort
to put their man to the front when they
had no chance of success.
GENERAL LEONARD WOOD wa.
VI the popular favorite for the nomi
nation, judged by gallery sentiment
| The Wood people were the most bitter
critics of Pennsylvania.
IF Pennsylvania had turned in for
! Wood on the fourth ballot, when he was
leading the field, there would have been
no need for nine ballots" said an ar
! dent Wood follower.
And that was the sentiment. / dis =
covered, that generally prevailed in the
! Wood camp. But it was an erroneous
. one.
| If Pennsylvania. at any time before
| her delegation broke up on the ninth
! ballot had attempted to swing her vote
| 10 any particular candidate she would
/ have diSSipatCd her strength and gained
nothing but the dcrisiOn of the practical
/ politicians. the dcnunCiation of every
other candidate and the merited charge
| that Governor Sprouts interests were
! in the hands of a lot of amateurs.
The combination opposed to Wood
was so powerful and tenacious that
! Pennsylvania could not have altered the
result Ht any stage.
Besides. only fraction of the Penn
| Sylvania delegation were for Wood the
rest would have been divided up among
other candidates.
DECAISE Pennsylvania declined to
- desert Governor Sproul and sacri-
flee herself upon the altar of some other
and. rs would have been demonstrated
unsuccessful candidate. the charge wnS
! once or twice made that the Governor :
interests were miSmanagcd
Nothing is further from the truth.
The fact is that Governor SprOul ran
neck aud neck with Senator IIarding,as
the final choice in the now famous mid
night conference at the Blackstone on
Friday. up to n certain point.
Only one mistake was made. and il
occurred at this point. As to the char.
actcr Of that mistake. not more than
half dozen men are aware of il, and il
is for them to disclose just what it was,
Those in the blackstone midnight, con-
ference were nearly all personal friends
and senatorial associates of Senator
Harding. They knew Governor Sproul
personally but not intimately.
That fact had potent influence uprn
their final decision. Moreover. it was
argued that Harding had been con-
Spiruou> in the convention of 1912 aud
was more widely known over a greater
portion Of the country than SprOul.
This may have been Spccious argu-
mcnt, but it carried weight. 1t was
admitted that Sprou was perfectly
safe man. big and outstanding. and the
acknowledged leader after the "Big
Four. uS originally mentioned. were
out of the way.
But the senatorial iunta preferred
one of their own colleagues to any out
>,drr. Thus the die was cast for Hard
ing.
LNEN after Il decision had been
IL reached the combination was doubt
full of their ability to nominate Hard
ing. Some one Of the number. or some
on" delegated to do the work, staged
the final play.
Ii was necessary for some state with
a good sized delegation to lead the break
to Harding.
Kansas was selected as the scapc-
goat. 1t had twenty votes. seven more
than Connecticut, which led the break
from Lowdrn.
The bait Of III" vice presidential NOM
in0tiOn on til" Harding ticket for Gov
crnor Allen was danglcd before the eyes
of the delegation. 1t was snapped up
instantly.
Allen was popular. The delegation
had consistently delivered ten votes for
Wood. Wood was out of it. Lowden
was on tho Sliding board. What more
natural than that Kansas, the great
Middle West, should have the vice pres
idancy?
But Coolidg" had been slated even
Will" the dirhrr over Allen was being
COnSummatrd.
kanNa> brok" away with great roar
ana parHd" for Harding as agreed to.
lhrn IA" manipulators gave her the
grand laugh aud turned in for Coolidge.
EltOM h"giuning to end the friends of
th" other candidates. excepting those
of Harding and PoindeXter and mem
b"rN of III" New York delegation. were
kept busy searching for some peg upon
Wnlrh to hang charge against Sproul
Ih"E found what they imagined to be
on" in tn" >cl"rtian of General After
bury. wee pre- >drnt Of the PENNSYLVANIA
R4lIroad. IL iaSon officer of the Penn
>ylvamj0 delegation.
"F"rp"rato influence =" was the howl
Of tn" J"hU>un men and the Wood and
l."Nd'n i""p"rrS; Ia" former partic-
ulurly.
1t was the clutch of the drowning at
the lrovrrbial straw. 1t was the visible
rvid"ur" Of desperation.
Ill" J"hn>"n following disregarded
IN" heart breaking efforts of the Cali
i9rna capitalists and the millionaire
Hearst and his chain of publications to
land their man.
Til" WQod managers conveniently
forgot mat they were nOtoriOusly in
E"IIrd with III" mOucypd and corporate
interests III every state that gave him Il
representation in the convention.
over the l.owdcn candidacy hung the
GrIm NIIad"w Of the Pullman Palace Car
I "innany and some of the greatest
luInnrlnI interests of Illinois.
I'll" whining plaint against General
A'urbury deliberately overlooked his !
IH"d'aIrd record in the world war and