The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-06-04
BORAH MAY
BE OFFERED
NOMINATION
Senator May Be rendered
Second Place as In
duC6nnent,
duC6n10ntr
By HARRY B. HUNT
NEA Service Writer

@ASHINGTON, June 4-Hav-
NX/l ing failed to entice wary Bill
" Borah of Boise, Idaho, into
the Coolidge camp by offering him
the honor of placing Cautious Cal"
in nomination at Cleveland, it is now
suggested Borah be brought in hods
lily, by coercion if necessary, and
placed on the ticket as Coolidge's
running mate.
That. it is believed, would turn
the trick.
No man, it is pointed out ever has
refused the vice presidential nomina-
ton after it had been voted him.
And Borah, although in many ways
different from the average of Sena-
tors and politicians, might be ex-
pected to run true to tradition if the
nomination for Vice President was
sawed off into his lap.
Progressive Possibilities
This new proposal emphasizes
more than ever the desire of the
Coolidge hackers to tie up the Cool
idge candidacy with mid-western and
western elements which. while pro-
gressively inclined, still have at
heart a desire to remain regular to
keep within the G. O. P.
This was pointed out recently in
connection with efforts to induce Bo-
rah to make the Coolidge nominal
ing speech. By such a speech Borah
naturally would have committed him
self to the Coolidge cause. And an
Endorsement by Borah would have
been sufficient to line up for the
Republican candidate thousands of
voters who at present regard him
as conservative if not actually re-
dictionary.
After hints that he preferred not
to do the nominating were disregard
ed, and pressure continued to be ap-
piled, the Idaho progressive put him
self out OF further consideration for
the honor by announcing that he
would not be present at Cleveland.
That. he felt, would be conclusive.
Also final.
If he wasn't there, he couldn't be
committed. He'd still be free to ex-
ercise independent judgment and
leadership.
Demand Persists
But the demand for Borah as an
active participant in the Coolidge
campaign has persisted. And the ir-
vitation that he volunteered nay
now be replaced by an order that
he be drafted.
The one big deterrent to this pro-
gram is fear of just how Borah
would take i. Would he submit ST.
Iently as a conscientious objector
only. or would he raise a hue and
cry Of "kidnapers.' and, by fighting
for freedom, mess up the whole alb
duction scheme and Illustrate the
forced marriage of his progressivism
with Calls caution and conserv-
atism?
Well-thats one of the things
that only time will tell. Borah just
grins when he's asked about it.
Doesn't Sound Like Bill
It's hard TO think of Borah as
vice president. It's harder to think
of Borah thinking of himself as
vice president.
To sit, day after day, perched up
On a dinky rostrum listening to the
drone Of senatorial debates and
with never a chance to pitch in and
stir things up a bit
To be the tail of a presidential
kite, without real leadership or in
Luence, instead of an independent
leader. feared and respected by
friend and foe alike
No; somehow that doesn't sound
like the role for Bill Borah.
No man was closer friend or
more stanch admirers Of Theodore
than was Borah.
Yet he refused to follow Roose-
welt when I. R. rode out of the
in 1912.
He would have helped Roosevelt
then as he can help Coolidge now.
He held thousands of votes in the
3. o. P for Taft, as he can hold
hem for Coolidge if he but says the
word.
But will he? If Borah won't tell
n the meantime, June IA will