Evening star., 1920-06-14
ACTION ON HARDING
G|VESF|NAL BLOW
TOPR|MARY IDEA
Conference Held to Select
Nominee Brought Victory
to Senatorial Group.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


room.' on a certain night during the
republican national convention, the
next nominee would be chosen. His
mistake was on the time-it was 3:11
am.
That conference will go down in the
history of politics as the final break
down of the American primary sys-
TEN. SO far as selecting presidential
nominees is concerned
/ Senator Harding had carried his
own state in the primaries only with
the greatest difficulty and did not dg-
ure prominently in the nominating
campaign in any other state. Messrs.
Wood and Johnson carried many
state, but were sidetracked by the
leaders of the republican party, and
Mr.. Harding was chosen because he
was the only man upon whom an
agreement could be reached.
| Many a prominent man was present
at the fateful conference. Represent
atives of all the candidates were on
hand. as well as several senators. man.
ayers and friends. Col. George Har-
vey had the historic room, together
with Thomas w. Lamont of ]. P. Nor
| gan q 20. Will nays, the HdtlOHdl
chairman, and several Of the national
committeeman were there, too.
| Felt Victory Was Sure.
| Everybody had the feeling that
President was being chosen, for the
expectation of victory in November
| was sure. 1t was the plan of the old
| guard to nominate Lowden, but the
| Missouri expose on campaign expendi-
lures. together with the threat of
Hiram Johnson and Senator Borah of
\ opposition to the ticket. prevented the
Illinois executive from getting the
| prize.
| Really Senator Johnson vetoed both
the party decided upon Harding as the
| most unobjectionable of all the dark
horses mentioned. OF course, If John
son had consented to run for Vice
President with Knox. the Junior sem
ator from Pennsylvania today woa1d
| sent to Senator johnson during the
early hours of the morning. asking
him to. go on the ticket with Knox,
but he absolutely refused. So the old
guard decided on Harding. sSgx, 4 i
Tales galore are going the rounds
about the dark horses held in reserve
There seems to be no question about
the fact that Senator Penrose would
have made a drive for Knox at the
Psychological moment II he could
nave QOn0 T.. ana lnG16 Is a WGl
subtsantiated story that friends Of
Will Hays had it all fixed up for him.
Senators Tosk Charge.
Indeed. this convention was really
a struggle between members Of the
national committee and the senatorial
| group. The latter quietly took charge
of things during the middle; of the
week and put through a man of their
own choosing from the United Statef
Senate.
| Old guard strategy went wrong in
only one particular. Word was first
| sent to the Kansas delegation that II
| twenty votes were swung to Harding
Gov. Allen would be made Vice Presi-
dent. And Kansas swung into the
surprise. as they knew Kansas didn't
like republican conservatives as well
as republican progressives. But that
was the promise, and. being loyal tc
/ Gov. Allen, the delegation swung to
Harding.
| Then came along another group and
insisted that Senator Lenroot be the
vice presidential nominee. and after
Kansas had voted. word was sent
again to the Kansas delegation that
1t was deemed best to name the SEN
ator from Wisconsin for reasons of
party expediency.
| Senator Medill Mccormick made the
nominating speech for Lenroot, but,
even the Lenroot boom was Debated
suddenly, this time by no wish of the
old guard.
Somebody in Oregon nominated
Coolidge and Alexander Moore Jump
ed to his feet and seconded it in
behalf of Pennsylvania. All through
the day the seventy-six votes from
Pennsylvania had been watched as
the keystone of the convention itself.
The delegates believed it must be the
/ xxyjah 0f PpnrnQa W. II,
the confusion, and in the desire to get
the convention over with, delegation
after delegation voted for Coolidge.
Progres.ives' Attitude.
AS usual, there were expressions of
disappointment over the selection of
! the presidential nominee. Progressiyes
talked bitterly for a. few hours after
the choice was made. but already they
| are beginning to be converted
| The situation is best illustrated by
an incident in the lobby of the Black
stone Hotel today, when woman
who had supported the candidacy Of
| Leonard Wood. remarked:
| We'll, / am not reconciled yet"
| "Ah, that's why we have conventions
in June and not September" answered
a republican editor. who is himself
progressive.
republicans who dislike the Wilson
administration or anything that
| savors of a prolongation, Of it than
there are republicans who dislike
Warren G. Harding. Slowly the disap- :
pointment will be worn away by
processes OF political attrition that
make for solidarity In most cam
paigns.
johnson in Campaign.
1t is too early to say what Hiram
Johnson will do. He will not, though.
bolt the ticket. He will probably do
he probably will not go elsewhere
He is known to be deeply disap-
pointed but far from bitter over the
result. He will be regular but he
ment. to deliver his own strength to
the republican ticket-the strength
which he marshaled in the primaries.
For one thing. he couldn't deliver
It. because In moments of confusion
the republican resolutions COMMITTEES
omitted from the platform a plank
sympathizing with the cause of Irish
freedom. Many Of Johnson's follow
ers were Irish Americans. The dem
ocrats will probably insert an Irish
plank and hold many of their irish
votes.
The republican managers, however.
are confident that this will not at
feet their chances for success in No
vember. They are as sure Of victory
as If Inauguration day were tomor-
row.
The campaign will be an old-fash-
ioned one. Delegations will be brought
to the new shrine In Marion, Ohio,
lust as they used TO come to the
yeranda of the Mckinley home in
Canton, Ohio. But there is this Diff
: ference-Warren G. Harding makes
a splendid speech and a fine impress.
sion He need risk nothing in going
out on the stump. He is dignifed.
statesmanlike individual who really
looks like a President.