The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-01-26
HOOVER MUST
TAKE STAND
If He Wants to Play Marbles
With Either of Old
Gangs.
SOME FUSS MAY RESULT
Food Administrator May Be
Good Timber, but Party
Affiliations Count.
IRN w o cIMMeA
(BY w. . SIMMS.'

| washington, Jan. 26.-(I N. 81
Herbert G. Hoover. former food ad-
ministrator, will not be nominated
for the presidency on either the re-
publican or democratic ticket-unless.
This is the law as laid down by the
party leaders here as they cast prac-
ticed eyes over the reports coming in
from seaboard to seabord, telling of
the progress of the Hoover boom.
And. Judging by the steely glitter in
their optics rs they thus pronounce
Judgment on the nonparty man, the
fur will fly in San Francisco or in
Chicago, for that matter, If anybody
tries to put the former food adminis-
traitor over without his coming out
fairly and sQuarely in the open, for
one or the other major parties.
Hoover may be good timber, both
sides say here, but what party does
he belong TOT
Republican. democratic, or some
other?
old line party men insist Hoover
must be one thing or the other, either
u democrat or a republican, ii he
wants to play marbles with the gang.
So say both gangs.
before the san Francisco convention
would nominate Hoover visiting
democratic committeeman slightly in-
Cllnou "HooverWard, stated, ne would
have to come out tiat-iootedly with an
announcement when would place him
cutoEoriCally Inside the democratic
party. That's sure"
"a personal following Is not sufficient
to get u man elected, this defender
Of JHcksonian democracy Wen on. This
the lnto Col, Roosevelt demonstrated to
his cost. Roosevelt had a bigger personal
following than Hoover has. and when he
tried to get to the White House with
out the help of the q, Q, l.. organization
or the democrats he failed utterly
Hoover must pick one side or the other
and hoist this nag II he would be
president
This pretty well sums up the feeling
here in political circles. Nevertheless.
neither party seems able 70 keep Its
eyeH Off Hoover long at "a time, thus
hotrayinE a certain uneasy watchfulness
on their part. some OF the more out
spoken members admit he Is a new
species of political Bird and that they
cannot help watching the way he uses
his wings Reports from Senator Hiram
Johnsun's state of California Indicate
that some OF Johnsop's political running
mates are adding their puffs TO tho
| Hoover boom, but the senator says he
| is not worrying. Hoover Is strongly
in favor OF the ratification OF the
treaty Of Nersallles and Johnaon Iuat na
| strongly opposed 70 10 and intemd8 20
make Il the keynote Of his campaign.
senator Aale J, Gfonna,. Of North
Dakota, aHys his part OF the country
ls strongly against Hoover.
This proposition Ia attributed 10 the
food administrators keeping wheat &C
S2.2b the western farmers maintain
when southern cotton growers were al
lowed 20 charge anything they pleased
for their crops
Strong Partlsanshlp.
From the east come reports OF strong
partisanahip. one group favoring
Hoover. no matter on which side OF the
fence he may hop or. the other op-
posing him with equal enthusiasm re-
gardess OF his politics. present or
future,
Another interesting phase OF the
Hoover boom Is that the real hacker
Of the former food administrator Is said
by some TO be none other than President
Wilson himself. And though the presi-
dent remains silent upon that as well
us upon all similar questions, the idea
is ont entirely unsupported.
Senator Gilbert Hitchcock. minority
leader In the senate, for example. has
Hoover and the senator from Nebraska
expressed himself as favorable 10
since the death of Senator Martin, OF
virginia. former democratic whip.
Hoover. In HltcheoCks opinion, can
ho elected II he can secure the nomlna-
tion, Obviously the senator considers
ioover's aloofuesa from party afiilia-
tuuH, the personal drawback for no
admits he believes the eX-food admins
istrator would make an excellent presi-
don't. He fears, however. the politicians
may not be able TO lay aside party
prrJudiccs long enough to nominate "A
man merely because OF the ideas ho
represents
Again the Hoover boom is said to
have been Originally Inflated by Col.
T.. VI. House. President Wilson'S great
connd0nt and friend. N certain stories
are true. However. away down among
the suhtleties OF national politics the
suggestion has been put forth that per-
hnps the alleged estrangemcnt between
tho president and Col House Is, In fact,
n very aitoi political move.
The row over tho treaty began IN the
senate long before the Texas colonel
returned from abroad, Il Is pointed
out by one Uf the Capiturs most devious
dopcstcrs The president long ago could
clearly forcsvr that what has happened
would happen Plainly the day would
come when everything that emanated
from the white House would be
suspected and obviously he would stand
more In need Of "a faithful friend than
ever. friend not suspected OF being
too closely sympathetic.
Hence the undenied stories OF the
GOODNESS" between Col House and the
president So figure some OF those who
always seek q political reason Tor ever,'-
thing thnt happens during a presidential
campaign.
Anyway President Wilson Col House
end Senator Hitchcock. close 10 the
White House. are said % be friendly
towards tho Hoover for president idea.
M'H0pMANK MhpCu 10