Americus times-recorder., 1920-05-28
LONG CONTEST
MIGHT ENABLE
LOWDEN TO WIN
Politicians See Chance
Of Wood, Johnson
Votes Going To Him
By H. N. RICKEY,
N. E. A. Staff Correspondent.

w NAOhlN1 YIN, May 60 1hSAS
are a great many keen men among
the politicians and newspaper men IN
Washington, who are saying that
Governor Lowden's chances Iol the
Republican presidential nomination
are improving.
Although both Wood and johnson
will have more votes on tnc nrst Oai-
lot than LoWGen, the Illinois COVER
nor Is said to be In stronger posi-
ton to proht by long drawn out
contest tnan either of them.
The Lowden managelG are making
the most eXUravagant claims Tor
their candidate.
Based on Hopes.
Many Of these CLAIMS, as IN the
case OF those made by the managers
of the other candidate, are based on
hopes rather than expectations.
But after full allowance for all OF
this, the fact remains that as tho
situation stands today, LoWden Is at
least as good a betting proposition
as either Wood or Johnson.
Ny own conviction is that he is
more likely to get the nomination
than either OF them, although this
is not to say that he Is by any means
a favorite as against the held.
The Lowden campaign for dele
gates, while not as successful as ne
or his managers probably expected
has been conducted IN such a way
as to create as few antagonlsms as
possible among the other candidates
and their friends.
Keeps Out of Rows.
He has succeeded IN keeping out
of such rows as have developed be-
tween Wood and Johnson, Wood and
Harding, and Johnson and Hoover.
The Lowden strategy has been
based upon the theory that the can
didate who is the second, or even
third choice of the greatest numDer
of delegates, will have much pet
ter chance of being nominated than
one who has exhausted his strength
in the pre-convention fights. but mas
not secured enough Instructed deIe-
gates to nominate.
There is much to be said for this
plan of campaign and 1t would not
be at all surprising if after the hrst
two or three ballots at Chicago, the
wisdom of it in Lowden case Is
demonstrated.
May Get Wood Strength.
The Lowden people have great
homes of falling heir to consider
abIe part of Woods strength, as
soon as the impossibility OF Wood
nomination becomes manifest.
II is known that there have oeeh
a number of meetings between sew
eral of the Wood and LoWGen people
and it would not be at all surprising
If some sort of tact understanding
would be arrived at.
1t is also known that the l'oW0eh
people are making supreme ehoLCs
to convince the old guard RepuoA-
cans-Penrose, Lodge, Watson, eI'
al.-that the Illinois governor IS Ihe
logical man for them to support ana
Tins make impossible the nomination
of either Wood or Johnson. ,,|
The recent visit of Senator Medlt
Mccormick, of Illinois, to l'enrose;
is said to have been IN the interest
of Lowden's candidacy.
Penross Unfriendly, But
I'm to now Penrose has not been
friendly to Lowdeu, # one were TO-
take his public utteranceS dC 'neli
full value. ~, l;,,1o
mats, often use language To copSe1
thought and those VINO Know fe4l-
rose the best are not at an sure Ina'
he meant what he said When ne Sus-
gested that this is not a, good year
fer man to try to ride INTO the
vevesidency in Pullman car. A lew
weeks ago PenrOse also SAID tLaI II
a man of Lowden's type was TO pc
nominated he favored Governor
Sproul of Pennsylvania.
The very fact that Lowde2 S can
didacy is taken seriously enough by
tactiturne Penrose who speaks LOT
the old guard, to call forth frequent
statements about it, IS taken as a
good omen by the Lowden. people
The Pullman car reference TO-
I.owden was based upon the fact that
Iowden is the vice president OF the
,5ni man company AMI that his wife
;s q G1ughter of the late George
Trl,man, founder o. the company
Laws Him Wide Open.
Undoubtedly this business and the
family connection of Lowden lays
him Vide open to the charge of be-
mo renresentative of big business
snd if he is nominated the Demo
crsts may be depended upon to make
fbe most of it. But the Republican
iaodors are so sure of being able to
elect their candidate this year that
they are not likely to consider this
a vital weakness if they decide that
Lowden is the most available man.
Personally and politically Lowden
is one of the most interesting char
acters in American public life. He