The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-11-20
Friends of
Coolidge to
W age Fight.
Entry of Johnson Into G.. o.
p. Race Opens Field for
Others to Seek Nomi-
nation.
Backers Drop Senator
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

washington, Nov. 19.-Of the
early consequences of Hiram John
sons announcement the most certain
is that Coolidges friends are going
10 fight and fight hard. They will
make no public motion until Decem-
ber 3, when congress meets and Cool
idge will make his first public ad-
dress as president. That address will
be his platform. Just as soon as ii
, is before the public, Coolidges $
friends will begin TO work.
Johnsons announcement h a s
changed utterly the whole republican
situation. 1t is now practically cer-
tain that Coolidge will not come to
the convention with a ma jority of
the delegates in his name. 1t may
be that majority Of the delegates
viii have the intention to nominate
Coolidge, and he is still by far the
iikeliest person TO get the nonina-
ton.
But the entrance of johnson
changes it from a program of letting
Coolidge have the nomination more
or less by default and makes 1t an
open field. Within six weeks or less
there will be several entries. Some
of these entries will be progressives,
who resent Johnson's ATTEMPTED
usurpation of the progressive field.
Some others will be regular repub-
lieans who would be glad to get the
nomination themselves, but, next to
themselves, prefer Coolidge.
Who'll Control Conyentionf
They will run largely as favorite
sons In their several states. II II
turns out that 1t is inexpedlent to
nominate Coolidge, they will contend
among themselves for the honor. But
II at the time of the convention Cool
ldge stands well with the country.
they will throw their strength to him.
The outcome depends largely on
whether the progressive candidates
as a group, or the regular candidates
as a group have control Of the con-
yention.
One of the most certain early en-
tries viii be Governor Clifford Pipchot
of Pennsylvania. The pressure on
him from the old Roosevelt followers
which has flared ZIP since Johnson
announced himself. will be such that
Plnchot cannot resist IL il he wants
10. The old Roosevelt followers re-
sent the idea that johnson should
put his candidacy on the ground that
he is the progressive symbol They
resent his implied claim that he is.
the heir to Roosevelt. No member of
the Roosevelt family is for johnson.
nf all pr.ncax-a1t Iatt
all the old Bull Moose leaders, hardly
one out Of 20 is for johnson. OF the
old progressives and newer radicals
in public life in Washington, every
enc not only refuses TO affiliate with
the johnson movement. but actually,
feels' acute indignation that johnson
should put his candidacy on the
ground of 'progressivism."
Progressives Prefer Coolidge.
Between Coolidge and johnson. they
favor Coolidge, for they have toward
johnson the especial intensity of OPP
position that attaches to one whom
they regard as an apostate. This feel
ing began as a mere doubt when
Johnson failed TO vote against the
Esch-Cummins railroad bill, which
the progressiyes opposed. When,
thereafter, Johnson failed to appear
TO vote on the unseating OF Newberry,
doubt became crystallized disapproval.
Still later, when Johnson voted for
the high schedules of tariff the pro-
gressives were through with him ut
terly.
BY the time johnson got around to
voting for the ship subsidy. and let
i. ting himself be the personal candi-
date of the author of the ship sub
sidy bill. Albert Lasker, the pro-
gressives ceased to think OF Johnson
except as one whose ambition had
led him int oapostAsy. OF the pro-
gressive senator's who campaigned for
Johnson or otherwise gave him aid
and comfort in 1920, every one Is
now opposed to him.
All this doesn't really matter to
Johnson's new hackers. The true
theory OF Johnsons present candidacy
Is not to appeal primarily to the pro-
gressives, but to the regular republi-
cans. The heart of the Johnson can
didacy for the republican nomination
will be to prove to the regular party
leaders that Coolidge cannot win In
the subsequent election. In that pro.
gram, Coolidge will be minimized,
criticized, made the object OF satire
and every other variety OF political
attack.
To Plead JOhnson's Strength.
The objective OF the johnson man
ayers will be to be able to say TO the
regular party leaders on the day the
convention opens: 1--WE have proved
that Coolidge cannot win--therefore
take our man." They Will claim that
johnson Is the best choice because he
can carry at least some OF the pro-
gressive and radical vote as against
a democrat like McAdoo, while at the
same time Johnson is entirely safe
from the standpoint of the regulars.