The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-01-18
PROGRESSIVE
PARTY HEADS
ARE WORRIED
Leaders Express Almost True
ulent Feeling that In Ienta-
tive Cabinet Progressive
Wing is Sighted.
JEW URGED FOR POST
BY MARK SULLIVAN

almost truculent feellng that In the
tentative cabinet states Senator Hard
ing does not show as much consider
alton for the progressive factor as he
did in the campaign. None of the six
or seven men now accepted as final
were identified with the Progressive
rarty. r.@
The weakness of the Progressives
is that they are not united. II the
progressives could agree on list OF
candidates for the cabinet they could
undoubtedly get one. two Oh three
posts. But the lineup which the pro-
gressives held FIVE to eight years ago
on domestic Progressive issues has
been cut across at right angles; and
otherwise thrown into chaos by late,
issues dealing with foreign relations.
The two senators who were Official
ly connected with the Progressive
party, Johnson, of California, and Nc
Cormick, of Illinois, are Just now pre-
occupied not with the old Progressive
issues but with implacable opposition
to the League of Nations or any
variations Of it.
johnson Against Hoover.
On the other hand, a large number
OF the rank and file that were the
backbone OF the Progressive party,
the college communities and the class.
that politicians call the Church
people" earnestly favor the league.
The great bulk of these people would
regard Hoover in the cabinet as rep
reSertative of their views, Harding
would like to put Hoover in his
cabinet. but Johnson. the Senator from
Hoover's state. would regard that ap-
pointment as p personal affront.
NI rxysI1 ;x,er
to regard the prejudices of the DOW
orful senator from Hoover's own state,
there are large numbers of farmers
from those western states which were
the backbone of the Progressive
marty. who bitterly oppose Hoover,
because of what they take as unfair
treatment of their interests bv Hoo
ver's food administration. For ex-
amplc. Henry 6. Wallace. the Des
lNIofnes farm paper EDITOR, who IS
practically certain to be in the cab
inet himself, has been sharply critical
of Hoover in his paper
Wood Acceptable.
Another appointment which would
be acceptable to large numbers of
Progressives is General Wood. but
again Senator Johnson. who ran for
vice-president on the Progressive
ticket. with Roosevelt for president.
resents General Woods attempt last
spring to capture the presidential
nomination on the theory that he was
the true heir to Roosevelt
A powerful group Of Progressive
leaders have wanted Root for secre-
tary of state, but the two senators,
Johnson and Mccormick, would re-
gard that appointment as anathema.
Would Like Knox
These two senators, based on their
present position on foreign relations,
would like Knox for secretary of
state, although in the old Progressive
lineup on domestic economic issues,
Knox was of the inner circle of stand
patters.
In these and other ways the old
Progressive leadership is so torn to
pieces that it isn't easy for Harding
to satisfy them, however he would
like to, nevertheless, prevailing "Old
Guard" cabinet is going to cause
great deal of discomfort and it is as
certain as any future thing can be
that there will arise in the west the
coming year a sentiment of discon-
tent so strong that it will menace the
party in power as much as the old
Progressive party did
Jew Is Urged.
Senator Harding's way of going
about his cabinet making has, among
its advantages. the disadvantage of
causing just this kind of factional pro
test to arise. Not only are the old
Progressives active, but many other
groups as well; strong representa-
tiors have been made that the south
should be given an appointment, that
the Pacific coast should be given one,
and that the Democrats should be
given one. Some, of the advocacy be-
hind certain names rests on the the
ory that the cabinet should include
a Jew
Harding has been strongly urged to
appoint some one who is Catholic,
the urging coming from party leaders
who are not themselves Catholics.
Their argument is based on the
party policy.
Irish Catholic Urged
After the election, it turned out that
not only did the Irish Catholics vote
for Harding. but also in New York
city and elsewhere, quite generally
registered as Republicans. which is a
more significant thing than merely
voting for Harding. the Republican
strategists say this means the Irish
Catholics, after half a century at
anchor in the Democratic party, have
determined to try the Republicans
a while, and they urge that Harding
should give them a sign of welcome
by putting one of them in the cabinet
If Harding should decide to follow
this advice, the field in which it would
be most easy to find a man who is
first of all leader in his life and also
an Irish Catholic, would be in the
selection of a secretary of labor.
Harding Embarrassed
Harding by now has got all the
benefits to be had from this sort of
widespread discussion of trial balloons
for the cabinet. and has experienced
some unexpected embarrassments that
attend It.
The trouble with 1t is that the dis
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