Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-22
DAUCHERTY SEEKS
To CHECK BOOMS
AGAINST PRESIDENT
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(Conyricht 1927

MIAMI, Fla, March 20.-Why did
Attorney General Daugherty make
at this time announcement Of the
candidacy of President Harding for
denomination when the Republican
national convention itself does not
meet for more than year?
The writer asked the attorney gen
eral that question today, and his inn
mediate reply was ITO let the presi-
dents friends in the Republican
party know what is coming, and to
challenge those who are not his
friends
1t will be Of interest also to the
public to learn that Mr.. Daugherty
did not have any conversation with
President Harding concerning the
announcement which he made to the
press on Saturday. Mr.. Harding did
not know about it until after the
newspapermen had been in confer
ence with the attorney general. This
does not mean that Mr.. Harding
withholds his approval On the con-
| trary, the plan to have Mr.. Harding
become a candidate for re-nomina-
ton was agreed upon a long time
ago, and this correspondent happens
to know that the statement issued
at Columbus by Mr.. Daugherty last
autumn predicting that Mr.. Harding
would be a candidate for re-nomi-
nation was made with the knowledge
and approval Of the president.
Runs After no Office
! Mr.. Harding has not been giving
much thought to politics since he
started his vacation. The attorney
general says Mr.. Harding is The kind
of a man who never has and never
will run after an office, and that his
| friends usually have taken the in
| itiative in political matters They
have convinced him that it is to the
best interest Of the Republican party
! that he run again. and he, has con-
sented to be candidate.
All this was understood and dis
cussed before the president left for
Florida. This correspondent has
| learned that Will HAYS. DR., Hubert
Work, now secretary of interior;
Secretary OF War Weeks: Albert D.
! Lasker, chairman of the United
States shipping board, and Charles
D. Hilles, Republican committee.
man from New York and formerly
chairman of the Republican nation
| al conmitte itself. were among those
who participated in the informal
conferences. They did not decide
! Just when the announcement of the
| Harding candidacy should be made
| but Attorney General Daughtery
said the present was the most OPP
perfume time.
Mr. Daugherty was prompted by
| a desire to advise those Republic
ans who were linking Of starting
| booms for other candidates that they
need have no doubt Mr. Harding
would be a candidate. There have
been rumors. for instance. that the
president was tired Of the job and
would withdraw voluntarily. In
| the absence of any announcement
| from him. these Republicans would
feel justified in organizing primary
campaigns for their own heroes.
Anyone who starts boom now
knows he is plainly anti-Harding.
Opposition Expected
The friends of the president know
there will he some opposition. Nj
| Daueherty said one man who al
WAYS ran would run again. He
meant Senator LaFollette, who has
| lust begun a campaign of publicity
for himself, at least so the presi-
dents friends believe, so as to Ill
vert attention from the accomplish
ments OF the administration and to
turn people to what Mr.. Daugher'
ty considers are not yet vital ques-
items. Whether gasoline some day
will reach the price of one dollar Z
gallon is important but long before
I-such a situation arises the federal
government will have turned its
thoughts in that direction too.
Except for Senator LaFollette,
none as yet has appeared. There IS
some talk about Senator Borah ana
some discussion about Senator Hiram
Johnson, of California. At this writ
ing the presidents close friends
doubt whether either ultimately Will
be a candidate. Maybe the wish IS
father to the thought but the
strategy of the movement is to
make it clear Mr. Harding intends
| to accent denomination and that
| he has no intention of retiring from
| the leadership of his party.
| Another reason for the announce
ment is the fact that Mr., Harding's
political advisers want to- solidify
| Republicanism everywhere and be-
gin reviving organizations through
! out the country so that the cam
paign for reelection will be system
! atically handled long before the Re
publican convention has met.
Time Short in Past
Everyone with practical experience
| in politics knows that in the last
| two campaigns the party which
started in 10 work after the nomt-
mating convention had met found
itself very much pressed for time.
But since the Republican party
| knows who its candidate will be, &C
| cording to the viewpoint of the Har-
| ding men. there is no reason to wait
until June, 1924, to begin work on
the reelection campaign.
| Attorney General Daugherty took
! the responsibility for the announce
ment but he is so close friend OF
| the president and took such proml
| nent part in the pre-conVention cam
| paign that it is significant the presl
| dent expressed no dissent when he
! learned of what had been said to
| the press of the country 1t is safe
to assume he agreed with the pur'
pose of the attorney general, name
| ~. to remove all doubts and change
! any who aspire to nomination I'M
| der the Republican label to offer
| their program and show wherein II
is better than that of the admins
| tration which in due time also will
| be disclosed.
|
| SHOWED FEAR IN CARD
WASHINGTON, March 20.-Doubt
| concerning President Harding's abil
ity to secure denomination in 1924
prompted Attorney General Daugh-
! erty to make an early start in the