Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-18
Presidents Machine Well
Oiled and Nomination Is
Declared .Certain-O Others
Quit Field
BY ROBERT T. SMALL
Especial Correspondent of The
Atlanta Journal

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-The
men behind the Coolidge campaign
today declared that their fight for
his nomination at Cleveland next
June soon would become nothing
more than a triumphal parade.
Events of the week here in Washing
ton have demonstrated the complete
dominance of the president over the
machinery of the Republican party
and few political observers see how
any other aspirant for the party's
highest honors can possibly break
through sufficiently to upset the
Coolidge plans.
This does not mean that Senator
Hiram Johnson, of California, is
lacking in friends and supporters
here These very friends realize,
however, the herculean task that lies
before the Progressive candidate of
the Pacific slope. Senator Johnson
is a man of indomitable courage, and
processes to be not the least discOur-
aged by the evidence of Coolidge pop
ularity in the national committee.
He has realized all along that he
would have to fight the "organiza-
ton" in order to win and SO he was
neither startled nor perturbed by
the turn of events at the national
committee sessions.
With virtually all of the machin-
cry against him, and with the inevi-
table spirit of "stand by the presi-
dent" yelling up in the Republican
ranks, it is easy to see that Senator
Johnson will have to be more vigor-.
Gus than he has ever been before to
turn the tide of battle in his favor.
He will have to be more virile and
more bitter in his attack and almost
single-handed will have to struggle
to tear down his party's confidence
in the man who stepped to the helm
of the ship of state when President
Harding was permitted to lay down
the heavy tasks which fate and for
tune had thrust upon him.
Roosevelt Case Parallel
A president seeking nomination
for a second term, has a prodigious
advantage over all outsiders. Even
so beloved character as the late
Colonel Roosevelt could not upset
the denomination of President Taft
in 1912. The colonel could only or
GaniZe a third party in which he was
sure to receive the nomination. Sen
ator Johnson was Colonel RoOse-
vents right hand partner in that en-
terprise. Whether HISTORY will re-
peat itself remains in the lap Of the
gods,
Senator Johnson and several other
potential candidates had been en-
courag ed in their 1922 aspirations by
the belief that President Harding
would decline to run for q second
term. This would have thrown the
race wide open and that would have
been much to the liking of the gen
tleman from California. In a free
field he a splendid runner. At a
time when his ambition mounted
highest. Calvin Coolidge, then the
vice president, apparently was far
from the minds of any of the Re
publican leaders as a possible sue
cessor to Mr.. Harding. There lad
been no president of the United
States from New England in seventy
years, and the wise men of the G.
o. P. had no inclination to break es-
tablished precedent and took to the
conservative zone of the far north
east at a time when progressive SEN
timent once more WIS rising in the
middle country and the far west.
Fate played its prank upon he
wise men, however, and those among
the national committeeman who
would have gr!nned at the silent
man" of Massachusetts six months
ago, We're loudest in their 6eclara-
tons at this week meetings that it
would be nothing short of a national
disaster to think of any one but Cal