The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-05-20
POLITICAL PUZZLE
BATTLING AS EVER
COP. HOPES TO MOLIFY JOHN
son WITH SECOND PLACE.
Borah More Difficult.
Will Bryan Be Good About League If
He Gets Prohibition Plank?
A Question.

ations as the dates of the national
conventions draw nearer. The Demo-
cratic problem may be to some extent
simplifed by the outcome of the Re-
publican gathering.
For instance, if the Republicans
should nominate Senator Johnson, OF
California, extreme radical with an
especial following of the foreign
born the chances of nomination OF
former Secretary w. G. McAdoo by
the Democrats would be decidedly
AUGMENTED. In comparison to the
wild radicalism of Johnson the mllo
radicalism of McAdoo would PROB
ably impress the business people OF
the country as conservative, while the
more conservative sFlabor' element
would be for McAdoo anyhow
It is no small advantage to the
Democrats that the Republicans have
to make their decision as to candl-
dates and issues before the Democrats
meet to make theirs. There may be
some questions in the public mind
which both of the great parties Will
be willing to sidestep. There are
others which cannot be avoided. The
Republicans have to take the risk OF
error as to the sidestepping and OF
blundering in the method of meeting
the unavoidable; the Democrats will
have several weeks to study how pub
lie sentiment seems to react with re-
gard to what the Republicans do.
And should the Republicans split at
Chicago, the likelihood of Democratic
cohesion at San Francisco will be
doubly greater.
johnson and Borah Problems.
On the surface, it would appear
that the problem of what to do with
Hiram Johnson is the most serious
confronting the G. o. P. Maybe 1t
is, but some very astute Republicans
of old guard persuasion, and of mild
progressive" persuasion as we'll, are
more disturbed down in the bottom
of their hearts about Senator Will
liam r. Borah, of Idaho, than they
are about the rampageous senator
from California.
These students of the situation rea-
son that the thing that Senator john
son is most in earnest about is high
Office and that with him the issues
of the day are means to that end.
On the other hand, they regard Borah
as deeply in earnest about the league
Of nations, to which he is opposed
in it's entirety and to the point OF
fanaticism.
Johnson is violently aggressive and
radical. but he is not a fanatic. He
is playing politics all the time. Borah
has acted as if he intended to COM
NIT the Republican party absolutely
against the league of nations with
out reference to the effect such a step
would have at the polls. He believes
the step would be winning one, but
he would take it just the same If he
thought the contrary. He is not a
candidate for any nomination, either.
Now, the compromisers in the Re-
publican party, the men who figure
that all is lost if there is a split, are
calculating on the acceptance of the
vice presidential nomination by John
son, in spite of his declaration that
he would not accept that honor. They
know he is playing for the highest
thing in sight now, but they feel that
his party can less afford to give him
the presidential nomination than it
could afford to give it to Roosevelt in
191e-and Roosevelt was much
stronger man than Johnson with the
American people. They think john
sons friends can convince him that his
only chance to become president is by
the Vice Presidential route, which
Roosevelt had to take. Reasoning
thus, the old guard men way up and
way back except the California Sena-
tor to accept a mild plank On the
league of nations if he gets the Vice
Presidential nomination. But they
don't know what Borah will do about
this plank, any more than the Demo-
Gratis know that Bryan will do about
certain matters at the Democratic
convention.
The Democratic Situation.
While Attorney General Palmer has
more delegates instructed for him at
this time than any other Democratic
Presidential candidate Or possibility,
the impression gains that he will not