Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-10
KNOX|S
DARK HORSE Of
REAL OLD GUARD
Governor SprouI Likely to
Get Nomination If Senator
johnson Refuses to Take
Second Place
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

By DAVID LA w ESGSS6
Copyright, 1920. for The Atlanta Joafnal.)
COLISEUM, CHICAGO, yHns g.
The inside story of what is happen
ing at the Republican national con-
vention is fascinating battle be-
tween masterful politicians. The
candidates are only pawns. And the
most striking development is that
the real "old guard namely Sem
ator Boies Penrose and his assoc
ciates in the senatorial group, in
Guiding former Senator Murray
Crane, of Massachusetts, have quiet
ly taken charge of the whole situa>
ton.
= The key to it all lies in the hands
of the New York. Pennsylvania and
Massachusetts, delegations and the
various moves of the last twenty
four hours indicate that Leonard
Wood will be eliminated by COM
bination of Johnson and Lowden
strategists, then Lowden will be
eliminated by a coalition of the
same forces assisted to some ex-
tent by the defeated Wood lieuten-
ants and the final effort to put
Hiram johnson over will be made
in all sincerity by the senatorial
group with the full expectation that
the rank and file or the New York,
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts
delegations will decline to accept
the California senator, leaving the
field to a dark horse, who at this
writing would appear to be Philan-
der Knox, if Senator Johnson will
agree to run as vice president and
Governor Sproul, of Pennsylvania,
if Senator Johnson refuses to agree,
Considerable of furry has fol-
lowed the brilliant move by which
Frank Hitchcock, leader of the
Wood forces, secured control of the
credentials committee. This veteran
politician quietly went to work in
each delegation three days ago and
saw to it that one of his own men
was selected by each state to sit
on that credentials committee. With
a majority Of thirty out of forty
eight members, Mr.. Hitchcock would
be able to unSeat many Lowden
delegates who had been previously
seated by the national committee
But while he is worrying Tobias
Hert, the Lowden general, the lat
ter will surely carry the fight ia
the floor of the convention if Hitch
cock does attempt rudely to throw
out Lowden delegates. Neverthe'
less a blow has been suffered by
Messrs. Hert and Will Hays which
may affect their prestige in the
convention and correspondingly Mr.
Hitchcock's stock as a leader has
gone up.
Spanked Via Long Distance
Parallel with the strategy whereby
the Wood forces routed the Lowden
managers in the credentials commit
tee is another move, the Significance
of which will be apparent as it is I'M
folded.
Will Hays, who is suspected by
the Wood forces of being too friend
ly to Lowden, was deserted at the
last moment in his attempt to make
state Senator Ogden Mills chairman
of the resolutions committee, which
drafts the platform. That old guard
veteran, Senator Jim Watson, of In
diana, took a fall out of his rival,
Will Hays, by rolling Mills over
board with a vote of 40 to 8. Now
where did Mr.. Watson get such an
overwhelming majority and how did
Will Hays come to have so little in
fuence in the choice of a chairman
of resolutions committee?
The answer is simply that Frank
Hitchcock threw the support of all
the Wood delegates on the resolutions
committee to Senator Watson. Mr..
Mills had counted on the help OF
Leonard Wood delegates, but he was
beaten by the old guard without
trouble For back of Senator Wat
son, indeed, back of every senator
in his fight, is Senator Penrose, OF
Pennsylvania, who. through the me-
dunn of a long distance wire and
trusted lieutenants, is simply spank
ing the new "old guard and teach
ing them lessons in practical poll
tics which they will not soon forget.
Now, as to the nominee, again one
must turn to the senior senator from
Pennsylvania for the answer. His
statement that the Republicans must
nominate a man who can win and
only one who is sure to win was, of
course, being construed by the sup
porters of each candidate to mean
their own man, but the writer has
the highest authority for the state
ment that Senator Penrose believes
the following men could win if nom
mated
Senator Hiram Johnson-but he
can't be nominated.
Herbert Hoover-but he can't be
nominated.
PhiIander c. Knox, and he can be
nominated, only if Senator Johnson
agrees to accept him and run as vice
president.
Penrose in Control
There is no doubt in my mind that
the "old guard is very friendly to
Johnson and believe him a remark
able vote-getter, but they know that
the delegates from eastern states
and the business men in other dele
cations are absolutely opposed to
him. Even if the "old guard wanted
to do it, they are powerless without
the assent of the conservative bust
ness men who are the backbone of
the Republican party. Big business
is represented here. The most "a
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