Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-05

campaign among the national COM
Imitteemen and the delegates as they
arrive.
Senator Moses Statement.
! Senator Noses of New Hampshire,
who conducted Gen. Woods pre-con-
vention campaign in the southern
Estates, issued long statement whose
tone was in sharp contrast to the jubi-
liant notes that came from the Lowden
(; headquarters.
Evidently mistake has been
made" said Senator Moses state
ment. The steam roller which was
used so effectively in the convention
| of 1912 and with such disastrous re-
suits to the party in the election fol-
lowing has not been scrapped after
! all. 1t has merely been in the ma
chine shop for repairs and for some
new attachments.
THE most important of the latter
appears to be a patent reversing ap-
paratus which enables the national
committee at will to disregard its
prior formal action in recognition OF
certain national committeeman and
state chairmen against whose organ
izations there have been trumpet UP
1 a series of fraudulent contests.
THE chain of procedure. which the
national committee formed at its st.
Louis meeting in 1917 and at the Wash
| ington meeting in 1919. contained three
links The first connected the national
| chairman with the recognized national
! committeeman in the states. to whom
were sent the official calls for the con-
vention which assemblies next week The
national committeeman transmitted this
call to the recognized state chairmen,
| thus constituting the second link in the
chain. The third link connected the
state chairman with his organization in
the counties.
Function of Committee.
Through the operation of this
mechanism delegates friendly to Cen
Wood have been elected with entire
regularity in every southern state save
two The function of the national COM
mittee at this juncture is not to de-
termine qualifications of members OF
the national convention it is merely to
establish that regularity which entities
a delegate to be placed upon the tempo
rary roll. leaving the ultimate question
of his right to seat to be determined
by the convention through its committee
! on credentials. go
yet the national committee. with
Chairman Hays conveniently absent
from the chair, is assuming to decide the
matter in advance-but TO decide it upon
the narrow lines Of the committees per.
, sonal preference.
1 1cIt. " OOu tTleUuS nave always
derstood that the national committees as
lat present constituted favored the nomi-
nation of Gov. Lowden. We have never
questioned their right to hold such a
preference, but we do question seriously
and vigorously their right to color theil
decisions. which should be merely min
isterial. if not judicial. by such prefer
ence. and the conditions under which sc
many of the present national commit
teemen hold their places only increase
the strength with which we now assai
the course which they are pursuing.
LAS a result of the primaries and con-
ventions held throughout the Union
| substantially one-third OF the members
of the present national committee have
failed to get in the confidence of their
constituents and they will go out OF
Office the day the convention adjourns
Yet these repudiated committeeman. In
defiance of the popular judgment al
ready rendered, are seeking to impose
| their peevish purpose upon the conven-
ton, the party and the country.
Strength of Candidates.
Certain facts are outstanding in the
complication Of preconvention events:
Chief among these Is the demonstrated
| fact that three men have shown them
selves to possess widespread and well
founded popular support among republi
cans. These men. in the order of their
demonstrated strength. are Gen. Wood,
1
cept in his own state. Gov. Lowden has
never succeeded in running better than
q poor third in any primary. This Is not
said in any derogation of any OF Gov.
Lowden's many good qualities. 1t is a
plain statement of political fact to which
the country is not impervious. even
| though the national committee Is.
'There seems to be no secrecy about
| the national committees plans. They
think by their high-handed methods to
remove from the Wood column a sufi-
cient number of votes to the Lowden
column to equalize the apparent strength
OF these two rivals on the first ballot.
One hesitates to revive the harsh Ian
guage of 1912. but there is only one
word which can f1tly characterize such
procedure, and l refer inquisitive per-
sons to the vocabulary of eight years
ago to learn what that word is.
Republican History.
Twice before in republican history
shave similar tactics been experienced.