The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-01
Addition of Eight More Dele
gates Indicated by Committee.
Shift in Positions Puts johnson
in Third Place.
LOSING DELEGATES FOR WOOD
Subcommittee to Make Deci-
sion in Florida Fight.
Tho Low on Initial Ballot,
johnson to Have Veto Power
BY HAROLD D. JACOBS.

Chicago, June Leaders of the or
ganization supporting Gov. Frank O..
Lowden for the presidential nominal
ton were openly optimistic today
when the Republican national COM
mittee here resumed its open hearings
Of contested delegations inaugurated
by Chairman VIII Hays.
While none of the Lowden me 4
would officially commit himself, it was
generally accepted that the organiza-
ton had gained all of the eight con-
tested delegates temporarily seated by
the committee yesterday-one from
Alabama and seven from Arkansas.
Contesting delegates who lost were
understood to be for Maj. Gen. Leon
ard Wood
Puts Lowden Second.
Assuming the unofficial claims of
the Lowden organization are borne out
in the convention, the Indicated vote
on the initial ballot, exclusive of the
ia contests yet to be decided, would
appear to be:
Wood, 2ss; Lowden, III; Senator
johnson ISL; Nicholas NJ. Butler, IS;
Gov. William Sproul. &c; Senator War
ren Harding<~4s; Governor Coolidge,
%; Senator Sutherland, 16; Senator
Poindexter IA.
The candidates. of the presidential
asp.Tants have in no way entered into
the hearings TO date the national
committee making its decisions for the
temporary roll Of the convention
purely upon the legal and party or
ganization questions involved. In each
case so far an entirely different ele-
ment has appeared. For instance. in
Arkansas it was the race question
while.in Florida it was purely a tri-
factional fight.
The committee completed the case
10 =
day and referred the confusing legal
technicalities to a sub-committee
which was to make its report tedav-
The regular delegation. headed bv
National Committeeman George w.
Bean. was openly for Wood. The first
contesting delegation. led by H. L. An
derson, is merely anti Wood" The
second group of contestants under w.
1ow6cn.
District of Columbia Today.
The first case to be considered to-
day was that of three sets of delegates
contesting for the TWO seats from the
District of Columbia. This is another
fractional battle and all of the contest
ants are understood to be friendly to
Wood.
The. case of fifteen contesting dele
gates from Georgia was to be present.
cd next This is an out and out fight
between Wood and Lowden delega-
tions, the former led by Roscoe Pick
EFT and the latter by Henry L. John
son. Pickett's is the contesting dele
CATION
The feature of the hearings, aside
from the abolition of ''star chamber
sessions, has been the Introduction of
an informal attorney for the commit
tee, who weighs the legal aspects and
presents the motion for seating one
OF the delegations. Charles B. War
rem, national committeeman from
Michigan, is acting in this capacity.
''Veto Power" to johnson.
Altho Senator johnson is practically
certain to run third on the opening
ballot. certain party leaders in no way
friendly to him have begun to admit
privately that he is going to Exercise
veto power over the convention" This
may be interpreted as meaning that
Johnson, even should he be defeated,
may be in a position to say absolutely
who shall be the nominee. But it may
also be interpreted as meaning that
Johnsons friends will practically
force him to carry the fight for his
. own nomination to the last~ditch.
johnson not only represents himself
in his candidacy, but is the recognized
leader of the progressive wing" in
which Senator Borah, Senator LaFol-
lette and others are factors If John
son should feel constrained to with
rupting the party organization, his
it was pointed out, and may use the
senator's undoubted strength as a
club.