The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-04-23
REPUBLICAN CAMOUFLAGE
(By A. T. Edmonston.)

primary day, Tuesday, August 3rd,
neaE-, it becomes more evident every
day that the Republican "wet" candi-
date for the gubernatorial nomina-
ton, Editor E. E. f. McJimsey of
Springfield, is losing strength and
that he now has not the following in
st. Louis, Kansas City and out in the
State by fully thirty per cent that he
mad at the close of February, when
the "gop" movement in his favor
was at its zenith.
On the other hand the "gop" dry
candidate, Arthur M. Hyde, the form
err progressive leader who through his
prohibition activities in the past put
Trenton, his home town, and Grundy
county into the local option column,
has made enough party gains in the
last sixty days to warrant the asser-
ton that if the coming statewide pri-
mary was held tomorrow he would de-
feat Editor McJimsey easily by at
least 10000.
From st. Louis comes the informa-
ton thoroughly alarming to the re-
naming badly frightened and demon
allied followers Of the Springfield ed
itor that the recent inactivity of Nc
Jimsey in his campaign has caused
great dissatisfaction among ST. Louis
Republicans and that they are now
looking about for another candidate
who can command support both in the
city and the country. 1t was stated
by a well-informed Republican few
days ago that the st. Louis conting-
ent had about decided to persuade Al
fred A. Speer, President Of the First
National Bank of jefferson City, to
make the gubernatorial race for the
"gop" wet element in preference to
McJimsey. This proposed movement
has gained considerable strength
since then.
Hyde's Strength Alarms wet Cops.
For a month information has been
pouring into st. Louis that Hyde, Nc
Jimsey's chief opponent, has been
gaining remarkable Roadway in his
campaign all through rural Missouri,
and that McJimsey had been doing
little, if anything. Hyde is an out
and-out dry and the st. Louis organi-
cation is therefore strenuously bent
on defeating him. 1t long ago decid-
ed that McJimsey, coming from the
country, was the logical candidate
and the st. Louis support then was
| pledged to him.
While it is not improbable that st.
Louis Republicans would go to Hyde
| if they were certain he would get the
nomination, they prefer now to find
candidate who can defeat him. Speer
holds views on the liquor question
which would prove satisfactory to wet
st. Louisians, if a compromise "gop"
candidate was needed, but he never
has been identified with the liquor in
terests in any way.
Banker Speer was a member of the
Legislature several sessions and was
Speaker of the House in 1909 when
Republicans had majority in that
body. He was a member of the recent
commission which supervised the
building of the new Missouri capitol.
Doubts that McJimsey can win the
nomination, according to- St. Louis
"gop" politicians, have been raised
from the fact that he has not attended
Republican gatherings throughout the
State where he would meet partymen,
extend his acquaintance and gain sup
port. Hyde has taken in all of them.
! McJimsey was not in st. Louis over a
month ago when Major General Leon
ard Wood was in the city, nor did he
come for the big Lowden meeting last
week. He has attended only two of
the congressional district conventions,
one in West Plains and one in Soda
liza. He addressed the West Plains
convention but refused to speak at Sc
dalia during the congressional con-
vention of his own district, the Sew
enth.
According to reliable information
when it was proposed by the Resolu-
tions Committee at the Sedalia con-
vention to indorse McJimsey he was
supported by only one member Of the
committee. Other members then pro-
posed an Endorsement of Hyde. 1t is
said Hyde had great difficulty in pre-
venting this Endorsement. The reason
the Trenton candidate opposed his own
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT was that he feared
McJimsey would withdraw if this sup
posed McJimsey district Endorsed his
opponent. 1t is further said that
ilyuc "Ouiu plSlSI W nave MCJAuSey
for his opponent than some other
stronger Republican who may also
have gubernatorial aspirations.
McJimsey wet" Platform a Straddle
The platform McJimsey is making
his race on for the big "gop" nomina-
ton, announced at party dinner in
st. Louis month ago, is not "wet"
enough to suit the real dripping Re-
publicans of that big oasis where in
toxicating liquors are still sold daily !
under cover. They expected McJim-
sey to say that he was soaking "wet"
but he did not do so. He avoided any
very definite position on the liquor
question, though he proclaimed his al
legiance to the st. Louis awfully
moist party organization
St. Louis Republicans also COM
plain that McJimsey is too close to
Tal1 II