The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1920-05-13
a DIVIDED REPUBLICAN PARTY

| The outstanding fact of Tuesday S
primaries is that Hiram Johnson has
invaded the east and invaded it sue
cessfully. The moral victory in the
For months the Wood managers have
that state. They had unlimited
money; they had the support of the
manufacturing interests that believe
| in the settlement OF strikes by mill
tary force, and they had the assist
anee OF a, strong political machine.
Jersey to Wood except Johnson, who
had neither money. nor organization,
and no Republican leader of dis
| tinction or NJ Statewide influence
publicly championed Johnson's
candidacy. Nevertheless, Johnson
fought the Wood forces and the
Wood barrel to standstill.,.
Hiram Johnson is one Of the three
Senators with whom nenry Cabot
Lodge packed the senate committee
on Foreign Relations in order to OBJ
tain an adverse report against the
Treaty of Versailles and the con-
yenant of the League OF Nations.
Johnson, however, took the Lodge
programme seriously and proceeded
In making his uncompromising
fight against the treaty of peace, he
perceived also the political advan-
tage of capitaliZing all the discomfort
created by the republican managers
in their attacks on the administra-
ton. That is the issue on which he
is making his campaign.
Johnson is against everything
that is, and he is reapmg the bene-
fits of opposition. He has no con-
structive policy, but he needs none in
his pursuit of delegates. It is
enough for him to be able to make
a convincing appeal to every ele
Tment of unrest, and that is what he
IS doing.
enter the primaries and made no
campaign, thousands Of republicans
wrote his name on their ballots. In
that state the contest was between
Harding and Wood. The other can
didates kept out and the M9oa
h.ar,ding's prestige in his own WI i, state
vantage for Wood, who has in turn
been dscredited by Johnson's vote
in New Jersey. 1t is plain enough
even in Ohio that if Johnson had
had half of the money that was be-
hind Wood. both Wood and Harding
might have been eliminated at one
stroke.
OF the avowed republican aspir:
ants for the Presidency, Johnson has,
demonstrated that he is the only
one who has a popular following.
What is still more important, the
elements that are behind Johnson
are as bitterly opposed to Old Guard
rcpublicanism as they are to Wilson
Democracy: They are as strongly
leadership of the republican party
as they are against the liberal lead
emhip OF the Democratic party and
for the most part would be willing
to follow Hiram Johnson into new
party if he faAled to obtain tine nom
ination at Chicago.
The rspnbIiiean leaders der pro profess fs,t to
son that he will not bolt, but such
guarantees mean nothing: Roosevelt
die not wish to bolt il 1912, but he
had aroused forces that he could not
control and was compelled relsct-
antly to so with them. It is by no
means impossible that johnson will
succeed in creating similar situa-
vention meets, and that the republi-
can party will again find itself hope
lessly divided between its conserva-
tives and its radicals. The republic
cans who are following johnson have
nothing in common with the republi-
cans who are following Wood and
Harding md Lowden.' and no method
of cancellation exists except by find
ing a compromise candidate.
Hi1am Johnson is the Afirlwind
from the sowing of the republican
leaders in Congress since the arm
lstlce was signed, and the republican
party will Be lucky indeed il the
whirlwind does not develop into a
cyclone at Chicago in Jane.-New
\ ork World.