Evening star., 1923-12-05
Politics at Large
by N. O. MESSENGER

| expressing their preference of candi-
dates In the primaries to be held next
. year for the selection Of delegates to
the national convention. BY a vote of
nearly to 1 President Coolidge led
Senator Hiram w. Johnson In q state
/ where progressive and radical senti-
mont might be expected to hold
! greater sway than in some other Sec
\ tions.
| Politicians here were disposed to-
/ Day to attach more than passing sig
nlncance to THIS result, seeing in il
indication of possible drift of sim
i liar sentiment in neighboring pro-
(; gresSive states.
n X X
Henry Ford's poor showing sur
| prised the politicians. He was thought
! to be very strong in South Dakota,
| as indeed throughout the northwest.
But he didn't hold a candle to SEN
ator La Toilette when it came to the
; expression of choice by the farmer
| labor party, and Jared still worse at
the hands of the democrats when
they came to pronounce for William
| G. McAdoo.
Politicians were wondering If this
heavy frost forebodes the setting in
OF a long cold spell for the Ford boom.
! One feature of the Coolidge Camper
proceedings which pleased the repub-
Leans here was the making Of the
announcement unanimous, the John
son delegates joining in the rising
vote. That had a pleasing sound at
the Capitol. where there has been
some-'er, well you might cali il
sir
!: + Il X
This IS not the first time the
names of President Coolidge and tho
Kansas senator have been coupled. In
gossip around town the suggestion
has frequently been made that re-
pubiicans. deeming it advisable to
counteract the anti-New England
sentiment. would turn to a middle
western man for second place and
then Senator Capper's name inyari-
ably came up with others.
X y
At Trenton, n. j., yesterday. the
republican state committee unani-.
mously indorsed President Coolidge
for the presidential nomination. This
action was taken without discussion
and with no suggestion OF other
candidates The committee recon-
mended that the party managers
work for instructed delegates.
The democratic national committee
is having some fun in its artiess
democratic way over the alleged
delegate-getting functions it ascribes
10 Frank H. Hitchcock, campaign
manager for Candidate Hiram john
son, and G. Bascom Slemp, secretary
TO resident Coolidge. Commenting
on the selection OF Mr.. Hitchcock,
the committee, in current state
ment, says: 'Washington's political
observers regard it as the most para
doxical appointment ever made IN
politics Hitchcock, the political
manager of Taft and Hughes; Hitch
cock, the most orthodox of stand-pat
machine politicians, the manager of
Hiram Johnson, the worlds greatest
and most changeable progressive at
largei How come?
well. here IL is as Washington sees
It," says the committee; Coolidge
has Slemp, alleged to be the mos IN
fiuential republican boss ana dele
gate herder in the south, ~ annex
Coolidge delegates in that section.
That kind of work is right up Hitch
cocks alley as the saying is. Bring
ing home the bacon in the form or
southern delegates has been Hitch
cocks speciality. His appointment by
Johnson means that there is going to
be keen rivalry for the delegates from
the southern states between the ad- !
ministration and the johnson chief
m nipulators Of southern republican
votes.
,.sIemp, as spokesman for the pres
ent administration, has the advantage
in the fact that he will have as mu-
rleus the southern republican once
holders, but, on the other hand, Slemp
- lilly white and in many dis
trjcts in the south the negroes are IN
the. majority and they are either
against Slemp or turning against MIN.
Hitchcock, therefore, has the adVan-
tage in getting the negro aeiegates'
who make up a large part OF the
south's representation in republican
national conventions. Besides. Hltch-
cock, in the opinion of many folks, IN
political sieight of hand can take rao-
bits out of Slemp's nat While Siefnp
holds the hat"
The republican national committee
had no irons in the fire for the oppo-
sition this week. Apparently, 1t was
holding of for President Coolidge's
speech TO Congress and had let the
Are go down. 1t is said the republi-
cans have a pretty good bellows
though, for next week
= 4
AS Congress WARNS up ~ rs i0S
islatiye work there is impending a
,ively contest among woman voters
over the proposed amenamea' T1nitea 80 Sta,as tns
which is suggested by the National
Woman's Party and which Is opposed
by the National League OF woman
Voters. The amendment as framed
reads: "No political, civil or legal dis.
y bilities or inequalities on account of
less applying alike to both sexes
shall exist within the United States
or any place subject to their 'ufis-
diction."
National League of Woman Voters and
the contest will be taken to Congress
Some of the questions raised by the
league against the Legislation nave
been put into form for presentation
to the Lawmakers. II ~ the eon9easn amenonen1 spd
ratified by the, states. the league
asks: "WiI husbands need to con-
tinue to support their wives! Can
deserting husbands be brought back
and compelled to $ support pppsih,s wife ~ cam ana
pel mothers to work for the main
tenance of their children II the
father must do soF
The league points out that the
navment Of civilian widowed moth
ers, pensions is clearly an inequality
ON account of sex and marriage. which
does not apply alike to both sexes.
Shall widowers have pensions or shall
widowed mothers be deprived of
theirs? Will any third choice be pos
sible under the amendment
4 x v y
Another question raised against
the amendment by the league is: VIII
the amendment destroy the Shepherd
Towner bill? THAT federal law"
SUGGESTS the league, Creates an in
eolIality by reason of sex in favor of
women-maternityn not applying alike
to both sexes" 1t is also objected