Evening star., 1922-10-13
SOUTH CALIFORNIA
TURNS ON JOHNSON
Sentiment Against Senior
Senator Said to Affect
G. O. P. Press.
PRIMARY WOUNDS OPEN
Big Cut in Majority in November
Expected to Rouse Him to Truer
Progressiveness.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

LOS ANGELES, Calf, october 1S.-
This is the section of California In
which Senator Hiram Johnson seems
to have lost his grip. So intense is
the anti-Johnson sentiment that as
powerful. indeed, as regular, a repub-
lican newspaper as the Los Angeles
Times has announced that, while 1t
will not indorse the democratic nomi-
nee. it will, on the other hand. decline
to ask the people to support Johnson.
Some idea of the falling off in john
son stock here may be obtained by
examining the primary vote for Presi-
dent two years ago, when so ma
tionaliy advertised and we'll liked a
person as Herbert Hoover had diff
Guilty carrying Los Angeles county by
majority of 1900. This year c. G..
nomination and not to be compared
with Mr.. Hoover in prestige with the
community. carried the same county
by 5000 votes over Hiram Johnson.
Strange as II may seem. the op-
ponents OF the senior senator from
California argue that he Is no longer
progressive and all that sort Of thing.
This is dry country. and they suspect
Johnson, however reticent he may be
on the subject, to lean toward the
wet side.
Must Gain In North.
Hiram johnson will have to depend.
as usual. on the northern part of the
state for his majority. But he will
need more votes from the north to
win than ever before. And winning
with Johnson in this instance Is not
merely polling more votes than his
democratic opponent, but retaining
the support of the republican rank
=,
shall be the equivalent Of Il vote of
confidence. Republican registration
is practically four to one greater than
the democratic totals. But California
had somewhat the same disproportion
between the parties when Woodrow
Wilson carried the state by 5000 six
years ago and Johnson by 25G,000.
viii johnson win by 250,900? II he
does it viii mean that California
stands back Of him as stanchly today
as in 1916. But the chances seem to
he against such large vote this
festation OF wounds in California
politics. Cnfriendly critics say john
son was a good governor, but has
made a poor senator and that he has
been travelling on the momentum he
gained while governor. Those who
say johnson is turning conservative
argue that a diminished vote this
time will make Hiram sit UP and take
notice and make him realize that he
must interpret the spirit of California
with i progressive twist.
Tariff Vote Condemned.
One Of the newspapers which sup
ports Johnson finds fault with his
vote on the tariff. for. while approv-
ing his protection of fruit interests
here, it thinks he was not justified in
supporting spm- Of the other alleged
iniquities of the bill. On an issue
such as the SeUate'S vote on the seat
ing or unseating of Mr.. Newberry of
Michigan the fact that Mr.. johnson
wasn't present to vote did not help
him any with his constituents, Who
have been accustomed to straight
from the shoulder punches from their
idol of aggresSivenesS.
Has Hiram Johnson made good at
Washington" One hears that ques-
tion asked very often in southern
California and variously answered.
Certainly two years ago in the presi-
Dental primaries California sent
solid delegation to Chicago to sup
port Johnson. state pride, it is
now said. was responsible for the
burying Of the hatchet at that time.
Now. however, some of the conserva-