The Washington herald., 1920-04-11
.BORAH CHARGE
PLACES LOWDEN
IN WOOD'SB BOAT
Candidates Bracketed Un-
der Barrel Campaign
Suspicion. =
ILLINOIS. WAR FIELD
General and Governor All
Important G. o. P. Fig
ures in Primary.
ILLINOIS WAR FIELI
by WILLIS J. ABBOT.


floor of the Congress Hotel in the
suite usually occupied by the DEM
ocratic National Committee in cam
paign years, extend the spacious
quarters Of the Wood campaign
committee. Clerks and stenogra-
pliers. political strategists and smil-
ing handshakers I'LL up the ten or
more rooms and give an eager well
come to the inquiring guest. The
first thought Of one politically wise
is that so expansive-and expensive
"a headquarters seems on the sur
face to lend\a certain support to the
charges made by the enemies of
the General that his campaign is
somewhat over-financed. Perhaps 1t
is to give emphasis to this that Mr..
T. d. knight. in charge of the Low
den boom. has established his quar-
ters on the same floor. nesting so
to speak under the caves of the
Wood castle. For the Lowden man
ager contents himself with two
rooms. one a mere hotel bed room,
one stenographer. and a single VOL
unteer aide. as against the Wood
army. Visitors are invited to ob-
serve the contrast, and to forget
that the crusadins Borah- has hrael6-
eted Bowden with Wood as guilty
Of piutocratic practices in politics.
Borah Charge Weak Point.
The Borah charge. coupled with
the fact that General Wood has
! made no adequate defense. Is I'M
iquestionably today the point Of
weakness in the Wood campaign.
You hear 1t discussed on every hand,
often to the exclusion of those is
sues on which the General thought
to base his fight for the nomination.
His own answers to it have been
evasive, and in some instances Of
fensive. To respond to such serious
charges as these with the fiippant
retort that they are the expiring
squawk of the Old Guard" or to
respond oratorically that ito charge
! that the Republican onvention can
I be bought Is to insult the party"
carries no conviction to intelligent
minds, and indeed is apt to leave
an impression that a more complete
defense Is lacking.
1t is fair, however. to give the
explanation of the Wood managers
which, IL not wholly convincing, Is
n o0t
their principal has yet offered. They
do not deny their possession of a
campaign fund of comfortable, II
not colossal. proportions. They
could hardly deny 1t in the face of
the material evidence Of prosperity
presented by their Headquarters.
and the fact that a desk in the
very sanctum of sanctums is re-
served for Mr.. Proctor. Of soap
fame. But they excuse it with the
pleas that their campaign Is urged
without aid from. and in fact
against the opposition of political
machines and bosses. The work OF
reaching the people direct is ex-
pensive, involving as il does heavy
expenditures for correspondence.
clerk hire. postage, advertising and
the like. With political machines
, to overthrow there must be dis
tlnguished speakers taken about
! the country to explain the issues to
the people. 1t all costs money ana
there is every indication that the
money is available.
Woods Practical Political Methods.
The Wood campaign is in the
hands Of experienced politicians at
headquarters. The sneer at ideal
ists so frequently heard in con-
nection with other candidates. can
have no place there. Mr.. Frank
Hitchcock, who succeeded the eouaI-
practical Mr.. John T. King. of
connecticut, has just returned from
an extended tour of the South. A
territory which he has worked be-
fore Tor less progressive candidates
tnan General Wood. Very active in
the nigh board of strategy is. Fred
er1ck II. Joss, an Indiana politician
of experience and notable talent in
| organizing work. With the State
machine of Indiana distinctly offish
| toward the Wood candidacy Mr..
Joss Is relied upon to organize that
| State, and has indeed done so to an
extent which Is instructive to VET
eran politicians. Not a precinct in
the State Is without its Wood work
ers and all are in constant commu-
nication with headquarters. Michi-
gan and Illinois are organized with
! equal attention to detail.
Work of this nature. reouires
money and the money is evidently
at hand. nl-natured critics have
referred to the switch from the ex-
perienced politician King to the in
experienced but moneyed Proctor as
a. case of swapping brains for a
barrel, while under the Proctor
management there Is not apparent
any lack of brains. Recently the
Procterites have put forth q state
ment that all of the Generals trou-
bles over the money question have
been due to the fact that the re-
pudiated King solicited and receiy-
ed money from sources that could
not stand publicity. and has refused
C0NTrNUED ON PAGE THREE.