Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-06-05

contests.
..The chain of procedure on which the
national committee formed at lis St'
Louis meeting in 1917, and at tne
Washington meeting in 1919 contained
three links. The first connected the
national chairman with the recognizeu
national committeeman in the states,
TO whom were sent the official calls for
the convention which assemblies next
week. Tho national commitfeemen,
transmitted this call TO the recognized
state charmen, thus constituting the
second link in the chain. The third
link connected the state chairman with
his organization in the counties.
Wood Delegates Regular.
Through the operation of this me
chanism. delegates friendly TO General
Wood have been elected with entire
regularity in every southern state save
two. The function of the national COM
mittee at this juneture is not 10 deter
mine the qualifications of members of
the national convention; il is merely
to establish that regularity which en-
titles delegate TO be placed upon the
question of his right to a seat TO be
by the convention through
its committee on credentials.
Yet the national committee. with
Chairman Hays conveniently absent
from the chair. is assuming to decide
the matter in advance-but 10 decide
it upon the narrow lines of the com
mittee's personal preference.
Committee For Lowden.
General Woods friends have al
ways under stood that the national com
mittee as at present constituted favored
the nomination of Governor Lowden
We have never questioned their right
TO hold such a preference But We do
question seriously and vigorously their
right to color their decisions which
should be merely ministerial if not Judi.
cial. by such preference and the cond-
ions under which so many of the pres
mt national committeeman hold their
places only increases the strength with
Which we now aSsail the course which
hey are pursuing.
As result of the primaries and con-
'entions held throughout the union, sub
'tantiaily one third of the members If
he present national committee have
allied to gain the confidence of their
constituents and they will go out of Of
Tee the day the convention adjourns
Impose Peevish Purpose"
Yet these repudiated committeeman.
n defiance of the popular Judgment. al |
eady rendered. arc seeking to impose /
heir peeyish purpose on the conven- |
lon the party and the country.
Certain facts are outstanding in the !
ompilation OF ore convention events |
fhief among these is the demonst rated !
act that three men have shown them
elves to posses widespread and we'll /
ounded popular support among Repub. /
leans. These men, in the order Of their |
ON n OF taI str
Wood, Senator johnson. and Mr..
ioover. Exseot m his own state. Gov
rnor Lowden has never succeeded in
unning better than poor third in anv
rimary. This is not said in any deroga-
ion of any of Governor Iowden's many
ood qualities. 1t is plain statement
{ political fact. to which the country
not impervious even though the
ational committee is.
To Equalize Strength. |
There seems to be some secrecy
bout the national committees plans.
hep think by their higk-handed methods
} remove from the Wood and into the
ewden column sufficient number of
,tes to eaualize the apparent strength
the two rivals on the first ballot.
ne hestates to revive the harsh
nguage of 1912. but there is only one
ord which can fifty characterize such
-ocedure; and | refer inauisitive per
ms to the vocabulary of eight years
20 to learn what that word is
Twice before in Republican history
i've similar tactics been employed II
true that the committee sits in the !,
zen with the paid agents of George W. |
erkins and others freely circulating
rough the committee room aud
hispering their darkening counsels in
the ears of unsophisticated commit
emen. With this exception the paral- 4
is perfect. | strongly hope it will not q
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