Americus times-recorder., 1920-05-10
.. WHAT THEY SAY
CURRENT COMMENT
UF THE PRESS
Some Things Being Talked and
Thought About
HoOVER'S DEFEAT.

great independent Democratic organ
and staunch supporter of President
Wilson's great administration which
startled the nation few months ago
by announcing its support for Her
bert Hoover for president, prefer
ably as Democrat, but regardless of
ticket. The World now mas the fol
lowing to say regarding Hoover's de-
feat by Hiram Johnson in the Cali
fornla primary the other days
Johnson's victory over Hoover in
the California primaries IS over
whelming Although he polled only
half the vote that he received for
United States senate" n 1916, his
victory over Hoover admits cf only
one Interpretation.
When Hoover ceased TO be "an in
dependent progressive and Suffered
the California prlmar. as an active
Republican candidate he practically
threw away the presidency. Up to
that time his position was impregna
BILE. The great independent vote Of
the country, disgusted with profes
slonal politics, was turning to him as
the one man who seemed destined by
reason of his character and achieve
ments to guide the nation to peace
and economic security. The manag
ing politicians were panlc-sticken.
Here was new factor IN politics with
which they did not hnow now to deal.
If the Republicans rejected him at
Chicago the Democraties were certain
TO nominate him, AMI his nomination
spelled his election.
The moment Hoover entered the
Republican primaries in California
the situation instantly changed. He
was no longer "an independent pro-
gressive" but a Republican seeking
a nomination. He was not only a
Republican seeking nomination but
he was Republican of du
bious partisan antecedents, an
outsider trying to break into
game to which he had not been
invited. Whatever opinion the John
son machine and the Croker ma
chine in California had of each other, /
they had a common opinion of Hoov-
er and a common cause IN defeating
him. They Immediately joined 4
forces, radicals and reactionaries, I
and the primary returns are an 1
accurate index to the strength of such .
an alliance.
The organized Hoover supporters /
had less than five weeks in which to .
prepare for the California primary. /
The Johnson organization had had
four years in which to make ready 1
for it, and when it was reinforced by 4
the reactionary elements, it control- /
ed every Republican vote that ma /
chine politics could mobilize and .
send to the polls.
johnson was aided too by the great .
prestige that he had gained in the
Michigan, Nebraska and New Jersey 1
primaries. When Hoover made his
unfortunate decision early in April, .
Johnson was not yet formidable IN
the Republican contest. He was an
noying the Old Guard more or less
but he had not yet developed that
popular strength which has since
made him the leading Republican
candidate for the nomination, in spite
of the vast sums Of money that are
back of Wood and the hostility Of the
Big Business interests which habitu-
ally finance Republican campaigns.
All this counted against Hoover IN
the California primary and added TO
Johnson's popular majority.
HooveT's mistake was IN entering
the primaries at all. The advice ne
took was bad advice. There was no
necessity for change in the position
ne had taken. There was no popular
demand for a change. The ''sniping
Of the proIe-5iOnal politicians might
have been annoying but il was not
serious. The country recognized IN
Hoover a man fully equipped and
qualified for the presidency, who was
not seeking it and was making no
concessions to any political group,
and the trend of public opinion was
all his way.
Had ne maintained that position
he would have acquired By this time
d leadership too formidable 70 be ig-
nored or fouted AS the matter now
stands, it is conceivable that the Re
publican politicians, in the conflict
# factions, may find themselves IN
a situation in Chicago in which they
will take Hoover, but they viii take
him on their own terms, not on his
terms. 1t is far more likely, how
ever, that they viii not take him at
all, and that another alliance Of Re-
publican radicals and reacti0narles
VIII deal with him in the National
Convention a. the Johnson-Crocker
alliance dealt with him in the Cali
fornia primaries.