The St. Joseph observer., 1920-03-20
WHEN pENROSE SPEAKS HIS
NAME

and he is the campaign manager OF
the aspirations OF Senator Harding
who wants to be the sop president Of
these United States. The other day
this campaign manager Daugherty gave
out an interview which is almost
amazing-in fact, it is refreshingly
frank Here is what he said:
'I don't expect senator Harding to
be nominated on the first, second or
third ballot. but think we can well al
ford to take our chances that about
eleven minutes after O'Clock Friday
morning at the convention, when nj
teen or twenty men, somewhat weary,
are sitting around a table, some one
of them will say. Whom shall we
nominate? At that decisive time the
friends of Senator Harding can suggest
him and can afford to abide by the
result"
Nor, doesn't that pull aside the cur
tain and afford remarkable view of
me place behind the screen when the
Old Guard is in charge OF gop con-
vention? For. can't you see them
what weary, sitting around a table
along about o'clock on Friday morn
ing?
They are elderly men, for the most
part. If you look closely you car see
faces strangely resembling those Of
Boies Penrose and Reed Smoot and
Jim Watson and Boss Barnes and
Murray Crane and Frank Hitchcock
and Frank Vanderlip and others-the
inner circle Of the thirty-third degree
agents Of Big Business IN Politics. The
room in which they sit is not the con-
yention hall-not by any manner OF
means. In the convention hall their
puppets play and jump as they pull the
strings. It is a luxurious parlor Of
some famous hostelry. The table Is
Uttered not with heavy tones on state
craft and political economy, but with
:Aat %h!ah - better os!sa's:sa 10 7s-
fresh and inspire weary men at 2
o'clock in the morning. There are
wires leading from that room to other
rooms. far OFF, where Steel and Wool
and Copper and Transportation and
Finance, embodied in human flesh and
fat sit about other tables. similarity
Uttered.
And at this unholy hour these agents
have talked for the last time with
their principals in the far away cities
and them Murray Crane whispers
some hing like this:
"WcU gentlemen, the boys over
there under the big roof have had their
fun. The hour grows late Tho end
of the week is at hand. We had bet
ter proceed to business. Whom shall
It be-"
And Eoies Penrose shifts his pom
derous body in the great. luxurious,
deeply padded chair, and answers, SEN
tenuiously-one word. And the die is
cast. The next president OF the Unit
ed states IS named-perhaps. lie Is
surely named if the sovereign voters
voters are prepared 10 repudiate the
record and works OF the Wilson ad-
U'0'-t--,-ior. TO forcswear its ideals.
and decree a return TO the like Of the
good old days when Marcus A Hanna
was p his prime.
Wha, word did Pcnrose utter
whose name did he speak?
Il may be HardinE-or Nicholas
Murray Butler-or Lowden.-or Wood
and he may have already decided
whO-wlll not tell-but that does not
matter just now. but when ne does
whomevcr he uamcs-therc VIII be
scenes Of wild enthusiasm in the con-
vention hail over yonder. when the
long deadlock is finally broken, when
the weary delegates get their orders.
when the sovereign voice Of sovereign
state booms out that magic name and
when the galleries will be yelling in
loud acclaim under the delusion that
they have seen free and representa-
tive convention of great historic
party soIomuly register the peoples
will
And the convention win hurry
through the rest Of its mauikins pertor-
nance and the delegates will hurry
home to tell their constituents what
a great affair IL was.
And in The secluded room OF the
nearby hotel the fifteen or twenty
men will drink to the time they hope
TO meet again-at Washington a few
months later. TO prepare 20 take charge
OF the American government-and
wink fondly and knowingly one
to the other. and go home too.
And the campaign to wrest the con-
troll OF the government from the hands
Of the wicked democrats and put It
In hands that know darned we'll how
TO govern will be on.
GOMPERS WORKS 4 LONG DAY