Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-08
JOHNSON'S VICTORY
STAGGERS LEADERS
OF "OLD GUARD
Dear Me, Dear Me, How Very
Strange" is All That Senator
Lodge Could Say.
. DEMOCRATS DELIGHTED
Special Dispatch Prom Every Evenings
Washington Correspondent. M

srocisi Dispatch Prom Every Evening S
Washington Core espondent. H
Washin ton. April S.-Senator Ohm
sons vote in Michigan | as ggered tue
old hne Republicans who had about
made up thei min Is that everything
WAS settled and that It wouldn't matter
whether the nominee was Wood, Lowdeil
or Harding They reg rd the victory OF
Johnson i'm tho primaries of the Wolverine
state as positively pcrilons and are won
dering ho they are gong TO meqt the
situation
some of the "sta DIP e. le ders suggest
that the so-called conserv tIves concen-
tra,, on one man. They propose that
either Wood or Lowdcn be thrown to the
political wol es But the weakness OF
this proposal il foun IN the fact that
neither i apparently willing 10 withdraw
from the race. not even to save the party
from going 20 wreck on the rocks OF
Johnsonism.
4 short time ago Johnson's candidacy
excited smiles OF dcrisio among the
knowing ones Now, however. the
Californian is giving the party lea ers
cause for the greatest possible anNcty
Senator l. dge is especially concerned
over tn johnson victory In Michigan,
but the most he would say was, Dear
me, dear me, how very strange
rxrEcrs JOHNSON TO WIN.
Senator KENYON, one of Johnsons
most ardent admirers, said the events
Of the past forty-eight hours were sue as
10 Justify the confident hope that john
son would be the Republican nominee.
The Senator admitted that IN making such
!, selection the onvention may alenate
some of the rcaCtionaries, but that, he
said, would not seriously impair the
strength Of the Californian at the polls
''Whv understand that even Delaware
l. looking in .Johnsons direction, SAID
Senator Kenyon. 1T wouldn surprise
me in the least If the little, but essentially
great. State were 10 come over TO our
man at Chicago. The Republicans OF
Delaware are quite capable OF Progressive
thought and progressive action and
warn our friends who arr supporting
other candidates that we are not by any
means ready to concedc the loss OF that
state.
DEMOCRATS REJOICING.
Meanwhile Democrats are rejoicing
over the large-siEed fight in the Republl-
can camp. They say the different G.. .. 7.
groups have told so much about their
party that the Democrats will be relieved
attacks on their opponents. Thus they
will be enabled TO reserve their energies
for constructive effort and will expend
their oratory in picturing the achieve
ments of the Wilson administration
rather than in exposing the shortcomings
Of the Republicans.
"As Democrat | am immensely
pleased with the situation, said Con
gresham Griffin. of New York. The
Republicans, early in the game. figured
that anybody could be elected on their
ticket. They went on the erroneous
assumption that the Democratic party
was regarded by the nation at large as a
failure Then the special interests pro-
ceeded TO groom some men, one of whom
thev decided 10 force down the throats
Of the voters. This assumption that the
rank and file would accept any ticket
that the reactionary leaders would offer
is deeply resented by honest thinking
Republicans and viii nrove costly at the
polls"