The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-06-23
LAWRENCE TELLS The
REAL INSIDE" STORY
OF COOLIDGE'S WIN

PORTLAND. Orc. Jun" @c.-HardinS
and Lcnroot was to hav" been the Ee-
publican ticket. and the combination
might have prcyTIiled ~ chicago bat tor
the interference OF Wallace Mc'Smant'
delegate from Oregon. who spoiled the
plans OF the Old Guard by nominating
Governor Coolidge a. the psychological
moment when the cn4irc convention WAS
weary OF balloting, and the name or the
Massachusetts governor seemed TO oHe'
a popular candidacy for Vice president;
Shortly after the nomination u
Senator Harding relates Mr.. Mccain
ant, who has just returned here from
the Chicago convention, the word Was
PASSED around that senator Lenroot oN
Wisconsin was 10 be his running mate.
In common with other members OF INC
Oregon delegation. l did not receive ING
suggestion with enthusiasm tor scNcral
reasons In tho first place. Dir. Lcnroot
in the light to depose John c. Spooner;
one OF the strongest and best pollticat
figures Wisconsin ever had. in faSor OIL
Robert VI. la Toilette. Further I tnaa
I felt that we must look for leaders
from those whose Amertcanlsm rang
true during the great test. lose,ne1
with other members OF tho oregon uele-
cation. We talked the matter oyer uT
ing the few minutes that we had; JuaSe
Carey OF Oregon suggested that noun
Satc Governor Coolidge as orcsons
choice.
During this timo someone had nomt-
mated Lenroot. and when JunrpSu uonUI1 ~.
Mating the Massachusetts, governor
think the chairman thought wanted 10
second Lenroot's nomination; ~ any
rate. he recognized me readily in spite
OF the uproar the hall was In. and All
I had time to say was merely that tho
citizens OF Oregon had instructed ths
Oregon delegation 10 nominate one OF
senator Lodge. for vice president but
tnaSnuch as that statesman had asked
that his name not be used We oesiIea
10 place In nomination the name or an
Governor Coolidge. When the MasSa-
chusetts members heard the name the!
went wild, jumped upon chatrs na anu
shouted the name OF CooUdSe. FROM
seconds 10 my nomination. and when
the roll was called II was soon eri-
denced that had touched popular
Chord. The action was entirely spon-
taneous. and ten ten MINUTES MINUTES 80 eeiU Fprsh.r
from my mind or from tho minds OF
other members OF the Oregon deteSa-
tion. c--o- r,oo-
,;drs nersonallv. 7 had obtained a great
deal OF information about him ana pc
Csma convinced that ne possessed the
qualification which Is perhaps above All
else In this time OF unrss'-hSn'e'''
The textImony OF Mr.. MoCamapt
squares fndsed with what, was observed
froys the press 6cz m Chicago, ana re.
r.ais for the arSt time what was oehino
.he movement for Coolidge.
Alec Moore H$lpsd.
The someone who naa nomlna;ea
d.
oS Illinois. who was further DISTURBED
when Alexsnder Moore OF Pittsburgh
Iamped TO his feet and seconded the
nomination. OF Coolidge IN 1enan y
20 rush over to the Pennsylvania dele
cation 10 and out what was the troueIe.
He asked Governor Sproul who was
Chairman OF the Pennsylvania delega-
fIor. what IL all meant, since Senator
Penrose was understood 10 have asFeeo
10 the nomination OF Lenroot But the
scconding had already been done anu
air. Moore's prestige In the fennss
leagues stood back OF him. for evident
ly tha word about Lenroot had not oecn
na sssed 10 the Pennsylvania delegation
soon enough. and the action taken was
spontaneous. a
Nv the time Senator McCornlck and
Governor Sproui had finished talNnS;
rho movement for Coolidge was IN iuiI
swing and could net be stopped 30 .TI ,n
'rhey had no objection TO the Massacnu-
sets governor in the nrst instance.
Their idea In advancing Lenroot was 10
put a western progressive on the 'EHsS
WISCONSIN and states west OF the MIS-
stssippi. II was believed that TWO con-
xsrvatives would not make a strong
ticket On the other hand. now tnaS
is all over many Republicans teel 'na.
/, might have been mistake 10 ruI
two United States senator's on INC
ticket. as It mi sht have lent color 10 the
charge that a handful Of men In tho
I:nited states controlled the Republican
national convention Indeed. in many
parts OF tho west Coolidge Is better
known than Harding. and some hepuU
Nc,r. <.v frankly that the convention
put the cart before the horse" but In
Ctrsron the ticket ~ popular enough To
larry the state without much trouple
,r6ai's the outlook in June even BEFORE
the Democrats have named their candi-
SAte.