The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-24
HARDING WILL
STAY NEUTRAL
IN SOLON RACE
Offers No Support to
Amy Ohio Cam
didote.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1922, by The Argus.

Washington, D. c., March "a
President Harding will remain neu
trail in the fight to be made in his
home state of Ohio for the sena-
torial nomination. He told Repre-
sentative Burton that, while he was
friendly to him and wished him
luck if he ran for the senate, there
would be no administration candi-
date at the primaries or a party
convention if one should be held.
Mr.. Harding has been besieged
by his friends in Ohio to take SIDES.
Some have gone ahead and created
the impression that he favored a
particular candidates. it helped
to spread such thought in politi-
cal circles. But when Mr.. Burton
went to the White house he found
the president very anxious to have
it known that he would not inter
ferc.
Besides Mr.. Burton, there is talk
of Representative Longworth, the
son-in-law of the late President
Roosevelt; Representative Simon
D. Fess, chairman of the Republi-
can congressional committee, and
Walter Brown, who has been work
ing on a government reorganization
plan for the president.
POmerene Should Win.
Although Ohio politics is especi-
ally interesting becauseethe presi-
dent halls from that state, the stu
alton gives a glimpse into national
politics. For one thing, the
strength of Senator Atlee Pomer-
enc, Democrat, who is up for re-
election, is conceded by the Repub-
licans. They whisper to one an
other that Pomerene will be hard
man to defeat as he has shown rare
courage during his term in office.
He won fame by his relentless
prosecution of the Newberry case
when it seemed to be the desire of
a group in the senate to let it
slumber.
The administration, of course, is
eager to see Pomerene replaced by
a Republican senator, but for the
moment it is concerned about who
shall oppose him. Friends of the
president are divided in their sup
port of the various candidates. 1t
would be embarrassing for the ad-
ministration to take sides even if
it did have preference.
The case of Representative Bur-
ton is unique. He was long mem
ber Of the United States senate and
declined to run for denomination
in 1914 because he believed he had
served long enough for the party
leaders to determine whether or
not he should be returned and he
was disinclined to enter a primary,
having on previous occasions been
elected by the state legislature.
When former Senator Foraker en-
tered the race and Republican lead
ers thought his reentry into poll
tics would disturb the harmony of
the organization, Warren G.. Hard
ing was put into the race. Thus
he succeeded Burton. 1t was a
Republican year and almost every
body agreed that if Burton had run
he would have been elected easily.
Mr. Burton made a trip to South
America and developed further his
interest in foreign relations and
last year decided to run for con-
gress, this time for membership in
the house of representatives. He
was elected by a big majority from
a Cleveland district.
Harding Likes Burton.
It rarely happens that a man
who was once a senator comes back
to congress in the house. Mr.. Bur-
ton is highly esteemed by the pres
ident and was recently nominated
to represent the house on the allied
funding commission. A constftu-
tional dispute has arisen as to
whether a member of congress can
serve on such an executive COM
mission and if the senate decides
he is ineligible it will give him
added opportunity to make the race
in Ohio for the senate.
The bonus may be an issue in
the Ohio senatorial primary. Rep
resentative Fess voted for it while
Mr.. Burton made one of the princi-
pal speeches against it. The ad-
ministratioh wanted the bill defeat
ed. Mr.. Burton's supporters will
probably make most of the-fact that
he followed the wishes of Presi-
dent Harding on a vital question.