The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-13
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer.
Copyright 1922.


Copyright 1922.
LOS ANGELES. Cal, Oct. 13.-This
is the section of California in which Sen
atOr Hiram Johnson seems to have lost
lis grip. SO intense is the anti-John-
son sentiment that powerful. indeed.
as regular, a Republican newspaper as
the Los Angeles Times. has announced
that while il will not indorse the Demo-
cratic nominee it will on the other hand
decline to ask the people to support John
SON.
Some idea of the falling off in johnson
stock here may be obtained by examining
tie primary vote for president two years
ago when a nationally advertised and
well liked person as Herbert Hoover
had difficulty in carrying Los Angeles
county by a majority or 1000 This
year Z. {. More, candidate for the sena-
torlal nomination and not TO be compared
with MIR. Hoover IN prestige with the
community carried the same county by
10000 votes over Hiram johnson.
strange as 1t may seem, the opponents
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. how
| ever, reticent he may be on the subject.
10 leah towards the wet side.
Depends on North.
Hiram Johnson win have TO depend as
usual on the northern part of the state
Tor his majority. But he will need more
I 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
ranE and file on numerical basis that
| shall be the equivalent of a vote of conf
" The Republican registration is
practically four 10 one greater than the
Democratic totals. But California had
somewhat the same disproportiOn be-
tween the parties when Woodrow Wilson
carried the state by 1900 six years ago
and Johnson by 225.000.
Nlll johnson win by 225.000? If he
/ does it will mean that California stands
| back of him as staunchly today as in
| 1916. But the chances seem TO be against
such a large vote at this time There
4 Is here and there manifestation of
wounds in California politics. I'm
( friendly critics say johnson was a good
governor but has made poor senator
| and that ne has been travelling on the
| momentum he gained while governor.
| Those who say Johnson is turning con.
| sentative argue that n 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 progressive twist.
One of the newspapers which supports
| Johnson finds fault with his vote on the
| tariff or, while approving his protection
| of fruit interests here, think he was not
| justified in supporting some of the other
alleged inquiries of the bill. On an issue
| such as the Senate'S vote on the seating
| or unseating of Mr.. NewberFy of Mich
| igan the fact that Mr.. Johnson wasn't
present to vote did not help him any with
L.
| customed to straight from the shoulder
punches from their idol of aggressive
| ness.
Has He Made Good?
Has Hiram johnson made good Mt
| WashingtonE One hears that question
asked very often in southern California
and variously answered. Certainly two
| years ago in the presidential primaries
California sent a solid delegation to
Chicago to support johnson. State pride
| it is now said, was responsible for the
| buFying of the Ratchet Mt that time
| Now, however. some of the conservatives
are getting their revenge. Not long ago
| in the election of members of the Repub-
lican organization in this country q
friend of Herbert Hoover in fact the
man who managed his state campaign.
| was elected county chairman.
| There Is still a controversy as to the
meaning of the senatorial primary result.
Johnson's friends insist on comparing the
vote he got in this primary with the
total six years ago. Johnsons opponents
would rather point to his 10000 majority
in 1922 and compare it with the 10000
he got in the presidential preference
primary in 1920 in which Herbert
Hoover was defeated.
Whichever way yot look at it the fact
remains that Republicans are divided on
the subject of Hiram and the sores of the
primary fight have not healed This will
not affect the senator's victory in the
final election. but it will mean a reduced
majority which would surely be inter
preted hereabouts as his elimination
from the presidential race of 1924.