El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-07-22
INSIDE STORY
DE- CUMMINGS
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
CC0ntInued from page II


chairman ana campaign manager -
succeed Homer S. Cummings. was not
accomplished without much furrowing
OF the brow and anIieties travail
The inside story Of the Cummings
episode is this: Mr. Cummings ac-
cepted the Craftsmanship virtually at
the request Of the white house three
years ago. when Il was realized that
preparation OF the 1920 campaign
could not begin stoo soon He was
called TO duty only three weeks be-
fore the 1913 congressional campaign.
too late TO turn the adverse tide which
had begun In the ensuing two years
he worked indefatigable. but he din
not coddle some OF the organization
men as they wanted to be coddled-
Cummings spent more OF his time
making speeches than he did playing
politics. When the San Francisco
convention came, some Of the or
ganization men. including Edmund n
Moore, Of Ohio. were peeved because
Cummings did not get them enough
tickets for their boosters in the gal
ieries- Moreover. Cummings was
talked OF as a dark horse by friends
and is supposed to have had his
lightning rod I'd for the nomination,
and when he was petitioned to re-
leass the Connecticut delegation Of
Il votes TO Cox. ne refused TO do So
At any raf1. frien5s over whom he is
suppl So TO have Influence, did not
break to Cox when Nhe latter needed
votes
Cummings Idol Of Delegates.
On the other hand, Cummings had
made a great speech and was the idol
OF many Of the delegates. Now Il
SO happens that every successful
nominee picks his own campaign
manager or national chairman II was
logical that Moore. Of Ohio who had
managed the Cox campaign so splen-
didlT, should become the campaign
manager. but the Ohio committee
man had also rubbed some people the
wrong way at san Francisco and II
IS said TO have been out OF sympathy
with the league OF nations as an issue.
Naturally. the governor offered the
place to Moore, who would rather
have accented II than any other job
in public life BIT harmony required
his sacrifice. And when it came TO
eliminating himself, Moore also
Homer Cummings It was generally
assumed when Moore declined the
place that Cummings would be chosen.
but when Moore got here he put his
foot down hard on such a PROPOSE
ton And several OF the national
committeeman. who had been irritated
by Cummings at san Francisco, began
to praise Cummings eloquence on
the stump, but deploriug his lack OF
executive ability to run a campaign. I
knew they had fine family row on
their hands.
Il took hours Of shifting and
dfplomatiee conversation TO work
out n solution.
Ed Moore himself came forward
with a suggestion, made 10 him by
Franklin D. Roosevelt, that George
White. Of Ohio. would be a splendid
compromise White happens TO be a
dry and was talked Of seriously for
governor OF Ohio this year: also he
is an intimate friend Of president
Wilson and came back with him on
the George Washington from Europe
He sat as a student at Princeton
under Mr. Wilson. who has a deep
affection for George White
White PonuIar in Congress.
Moreover. White earned consider
able esteem and popularity as a mem I
Der OF the ways and means committee ;
of the house Of representative and is I
Known TO the congressional poll /
ticians perhaps even better than Cum I
mings- White was second in com
maud to Moore in San Francisco. so I
governor Cox pays his debt to his
personal managers there. first, by /
offering the place TO Moore and. sec
ond. by using his influence 20 secure
the election OF White
Under no twist OF the imuElnn-
tion can White be regarded as IN
untf-Wfls0u MN. for he d for
the league OF nations and hns al
ways been known rs n Wilson
supporter in congress- White
helps Cox to retain the dry
strength in the Democratic party
Of Ohio and brings 10 the cam
naiEn a high degree Of couscien-
tiouEneEs and earnesfness- The
Democratic presidential nominee
has certainly VFeufhered one storm
that threatened dfscord.
Al the Democrats went awey pro-
Tossing happiness--Copyr 1920,