Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-09-18

"ASIll4N1 1ON, sept. 1o,-MDdt
has been termed the opening gun in
the Republican presidential cam
paign of 1924 was fired when the
friends of former Governor Frank o.
Lowden, of Illinois, caused it to be
known that they had engaged a
whole floor of the Congress Hotel at
Chicago for Lowden headquarters
during the National Convention. This
pre-supposes that the Convention
will be held in the city by Lake
Michigan, but it is also accepted as
formal notice that Lowden is again
a candidate for the Presidency.
Be it noted, likewise, that neither
Lowden nor his friends had anything
to say about giving President Cool
tdge a chance to make good or wait
ing to see whether the 1924 contest
would be an open fight. Nor was
anything said that savors of the
time-honored buncombe about acting
in response to a widespread demand
that the former Governor make the
race again.
Therefore, as the politicians see it,
the Lowden forces are prepared to
make the fighting next year as they
did in 1920 when their leader came
so near achieving the big victory.
! Lowden probably would not have
been a candidate had Harding lived
and sought denomination. He is
credited with having had much to do
with throwing the 1920 nomination
to the Ohioan when it became an
parent that neither he nor General
Leonard Wood could capture it and
II was scarcely to be expected that
he would enter the lists, or be the
one TO start the fight, against the
man he had favored. His predispo-
sition would have been to agree that
Harding should haye a chance at an
other term.
But the Illinois statesman SEEM
tngly can not see that President
dent Coolidge should have everything
his W way next year. On the con-
trary the action his friends have TAX
en-and 1t is not to be credited that
they have acted without his knowl-
edge and Observation-Disclosures a belief
that Coolidge is entitled to the nom
nation only If he can capture 1t in a
free for all contest. And il Lowden
can rally to his support the follow
ers he had in 1920 it is reasonably
certain that there will be a fight of
that kind.
There have been rumors that an
other ~Illinoisan, Senator Medill Nc
Cormick, had ideas of his own about
a presidential candidate, but it is
now reported hat there has been an
understanding reached between him
and Lowden whereby he is to center
all his efforts or getting reelected
to the Senate while the former Gov
ernor is to be the States ~favorite son
for the Presidency. This does not re-
move Mccormick entirely from the
list of presidential possibilities, for
l~conceivably a situation might develop
in the National Convention where
the Illinois delegation. finding Low.
denis nomination out of the question
might throw its vote to the Sena-
tor.
Very Much A Dark Horse
However. if Lowden and McCor-
mick have wen a tacit understand
ing as indicated, the latter becomes
necessarily very much of a dark
horse so far as the presidential con-
test of 1924 is concerned.
The move made by the Lowder
forces is all the more interesting be-
cause it shows a decided willingness
to start something at a stage Of
the campaign when other prospective
candidates and their friends are
manifestly reluctant to act. Charles
d. Hilles, Republican national com.
mitteeman for New York, seemed Il
reflect the views of most of tn,
Iothers when. on the recent occasion
OF his return from Europe, he pro
posed a four months moratorium
| during which period presidential pol
litics would not even be discussed.
OF our that is very much likI
proposing to command the tides L
5 stand still or Niagara Falls to revers
itself, but Mr.. Hilles appeared to b
lentirely serious about 1t. He opinel
that in the course of four month
; or so everybody would know bette
+ what he wanted or what should b
done about the Presidency, and tina
> that would be soon enough for al
good Republicans to bestir them
2 selves in this connection. BY thi
time, however, Mr.. Hilles has prob
ably discovered hat with election
a., year at hand, presidential politics /
| the subject Americans will discus
nothing else but.
Incidentally he may have learne'
I that friends of Senator James "
: rWadsworth, of his own State, ar
Saying that whatever else happen
the New York delegation 10 the mex