The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-06-24
BY WRIGHT A. PATTERSON.

For President-Wsrren c. Harding
OF Ohio.
For Vice President-calVin Coolidge
Of Massachusetts.
Convention Hall, Chicago.-The
nomination for president was made OF
the tenth ballot. The vote on
that ballot for the men who had been
the leading candidates was: Harding,
B471A; Wood. 1919; Lowden, II;
johnson, 80 40.
After it is all over, that is the news
it took five strenuous days to produce.
That is all that the great mass of the
public will remember. But for those
who had part in the contest it will
be an experience to be remembered for
q lifetime, and the convention of 1920
will go down in the history of the Re
publican party as one of the hardest
waged battles of the party's existence.
1t was a battle of which the audience
saw but little that was spectacular,
show that did not measure up to the
expectations of the thousands who had
begged and fought for and purchased
tickets, and who had damned them
selves into the great building session
after session, Sweltering and roasting,
and always anticipating something
worth while.
The public did not see the real fight,
as they were not admitted to the coun-
ell rooms where the differences of con-
testing candidates were irOned out,
or where the varying opinions of diff
fernt factions were being reconciled
so that platform that would fit all
elements might be produced. The
unusual conditions of the times had
produced wide range of ideas. Men
differed radically On important points
upon which the party must go TO the
public as a unit if it is to have chance
of being successful in November and it
was not an easy task to find the common
ground upon which all were willing to
stand. Every day of the five brought
it's threat of a bolt on the part of
some faction, and these threats
brought adjustment after adjustment,
after sessions lasting from but few
minutes to an hour or so, in order
that new conferences might be held
and new efforts might be made to sat
isfy opposing elements.
League of Nations Fight.
It was the League Of Nations plank
that proved the greatest stumbling
block. The irreconcilables of the SEN
ate, led by Senator Johnson, would
not listen to anything that savored of
an Endorsement of the League Of Ma
tons, with or without reservations.
Another element, led by Nicholas
Murray Butler of New York, insisted
upon an Endorsement of the League
with the Lodge reservations, and on
Wednesday morning it seemed that
nothing could prevent a split on this
plank.
1t was at this time that the politi-
cal genius of Elihu Root was called
upon. The cables carried the troubles
OF the contestants to Europe where
Root is assisting in the organization
OF an international court, and the
cables brought back a solution that
satisfied Senator Johnson and his fol-
lowers, and which the others were
willing to accept in the interests of
party harmony.
There was difficulty again over the
labor plank, and again compromise
was. resorted to to prevent a split.
Much the same thing was true Of the
plank on Mexico and a plank on Ire
land In the end the Irish were over
looked entirely. as nothing the leaders
were willing to do was satisfactory
to that element that was demanding
q strong resolution acknowledging the
freedom of the Irish republic"
Many Hours of Waiting.
For hours the resolutions commit