Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-05
WEDNESDAY, MAY 5. 1920.
Circulation Every 1.IC00
.Evening Yesterday l4OUU
Afraid of Their Own Fire.

Afraid of Their own tirc.
There is visible alarm IN the Repuhllcah
eamp especially in the quarters OF the
.Old Guard leaders, over the candidacy
If Senator Johnson Of California for the
Republican nomination for President
Notwithstanding his occasional sct-hacks
ne has assumed u strength that makes
him formidable competitor. and they
fear his nomination would shatter every
prospect of Republican success at thc
election
Leading Republican newspapers have
entertained tins fear for some tune and
have openly vmccd their protests "a"
Republican National Convention sad
the New York Tribune IN recent issue
is not likely to ho 4 body whose majority
will yote for any candidate shouted for
hv radicals Of revolutionary q ah
extreme paclfst type. Nor Is i likely Is
shower honors on the favorte q those
who nut Germany / interests first \ef
will tho henson bestowed upon Johnson
hv William Randolph Hearst be All asset.
William Hale Thompson, another con
spicuous Johnson champion. may ~
strong IN Chicago wards oi large hybrid
population. Int he is not as we'll thought
of elsewhere. This. Of course. ls pn'
forth as warning against the nomination
Of Senator johnson for President.
The Philadelphia Inquirer another
stcadfast Republican organ, likewise =
plainspokcn IN its protest Where there
Is a hanging over from the war of German
symnathx. It saws. Johnson i strong
Where there are farmers of tho doPni'st
order. such as there arc in North Dakota,
Wisconsin and Minnesota. he has follow
ing Where Republicans arc tainted with
radicalism and arc easily swayed by dema-
gogism. he can and docs command .
large vote
But this large vote, With its disturbing
foreign elements Is naturally Republi-
can vote. 1t was attracted by the action
Of the Republican membership Of Con
gress, Senate and House. Its sympa'hles
with Germany were cmphatically Endorsed
bv many Republicans IN Congress during
the early stages Of the war in Europe,
before our country was drawn into the
great conflict. 1t gave liberal support
to a protest against people OF the United
States setting foot on merchant vessels
bound for foreign ports, thus virtually
supporting the brutal policy % Germany
in overriding the rights of neutral nations
on the high seas Thus II rallied 70 its
ranks all the large element Of German
svmpathizers throughout the country
Through the solid support Of this un-
patriotic element. the Republican party
managed to win political victory Al the
! last general elections which, aided by
the most outrageous debauchery IN certain
States. enabled il TO secure q majority N
the House of Representatives and to OBJ
tain control of the Senate by the narro"
/ margin of two votes One Of the Senator;
who comprise this meagre majority no"
, sits within the shadow OF prison walls
having been tried, convicted and sentenced
on proof of scandalous employment @
money to secure his election. But he
holds on to his seat, meanwhile striving
desperately to throw off the strange hoic
of the outraged law and keep hlmseL
from going to prison. And this RepubiI
can Congress. so elected. has, during tht
past wear devoted almost It's entire tim'
/ to extending further encouragement Z
thls alien and radical element OF our votlns
citizenship by opposing the admrmstft
ton iii all its efforts 10 bring about no
onlv a cessation Of the war, but welcome
restoration Of peace throughout the world
Now some leaders of the Republican
party are terrified over the dominance
in their party of this disloyal and aheI
element which they did 50 inuch to draw
to their party's support. They are afraiC
Of the foreign fire they kindled il thei
party home It threatens the .dcstruc
ton Of the edifce and they are worried
But why should they be? They Dc
liberatelv invited the situation that nov
fills them with alarm They should have
no fears Of Johnson as their party
candidate for President He is the On,
man who Represents their aims and pur
poses as set forth by the course Of thei
party representatives in Congress. Mex
to Lodge, they should welcome him as
candidate most truly appropriate. Blu
they win not even consider Lodge ant
are scared terribly at the prospect Of John
son. They are insincere and have no
the courage Of what not long since the,
proudly proclaimed as their convictions
But they started the fire and fed it as
siduously. They alone are to blan
for the threatening proportions 4 hl
assumed