Americus times-recorder., 1920-06-09


his greeting was friendly. Hays
speech was short and snappy. Sena-
tor Lodges was long and heavy. Ev-
erybody was bored stiff while he was
speaking and glad when he finished.
Very few heard what he said and
nobody seemed to care.
The newspaper men all had ad-
vance COPIES and knew that it con-
sisted in most part of peevish criti-
cism of Mr.. Wilson, and fulsome
eulogy of the Republican Congress
for saving the nation from the ter
rible man in the White House.
Nothing happened to give the
slightest clew to who is going to be
nominated. AS this is the only
thing in which SO per cent of the
delegates and visitors are interested,
the adjournment to Wednesday was
relief to everybody. There was a
rush for the hotels which are the
centers of activity in the great pres
idential free-for-an.
Until midnight the headquarters
of the candidates and the corridors
were filled with people, tobacco
smoke and rumors. The rumors were
infinite in number and variety. They
emanated from the score of candi-
dates headquarters. After analyz-
ing and sitting the rumors one was
forced to this conclusion: Some
body is going to be nominated some
time-maybe. About 1880 l met
very important man who would
know what really was going on be-
hind the scenes if any one would.
From past experience | know l had
this mans confidence.
eyes, l know who is going to be
nominated" he said in answer to my
question. / had my first conven-
ton thrill. The great scoop was
mine. l steered the important man
into a nearby side corridor so that
the answer to my' next question
would reach no ears but mine.
"Who is? Tell me. swear not
to betray your confidence"
Ny important friend put his face
close to mine and whispered:
81 know, but I can not tell.
! After the nomination is made
am going to see this man again and
when he tells me how sorry he is
that he could not let me in on the
secret I shall say:
"What a liar you are"
1t is still Lowden against the field
The only organized leadership mere
is among a group of machine ,pollti'
clans centering in the national com
mittee. Lowden is their candidate
In past years these men have taker
orders from the cold guard" " Hav
ing disintegrated, they are now, op
Grating without orders and nave
formed an offensive and defensive
alliance to keep control of the party
machinery in their respective loclll
ties. There seems to be no doubt
that they have received satisfactory
assurances from the Lowden people
The strength of their position lies II
! the fact that the opposition is no1
organized. 1t is scattered among
dozen candidates, each one OF whon
thinks he may have a chance. :,
The moral leadership which coulC
put the machine politicians to route
is not here. At least, it has no
shown itself yet. Such Leadership
would force the other candidates u
sacrifice their personal ambitions 10
the sake of the country and the par
ty and consolidate their strength be
hind some man whose nomination
would be responsible to the grea
popular demand for the end OF ma
chine politics.
Entirely apart from the question
of Lowden's personal fitness for th'
presidency, his nomination would b.
1 the triumph of machine politics anC
Doodle. The consensus of opinion
seems to be that neither Wood MOI
Johnson can beat Lowden. The hop'
of those outside of the group O
fourth-rate machine bosses and theil
hard-boiled delegates is that thu
Lowden drive for 493 votes by th'
fifth or sixth ballot can be stopped
If it can be, and there are good rea
sons for believing it can, this con
vention may mark the beginning o.
another great epoch in the histor!
of the Republican party-it ma.
! nominate Hoover.