Evening star., 1924-04-13
Observers See Race Settling Do,m Straight Coolidge and
THE WEEK IN POLITICS
Summary of National Developments Based on Reports
From The Stars Special Correspondents

and Staff Writer'S.

WY ITH Senator johnson
w s:sss''s''y 9::s ;1s ,;.s's:s',:3 s.,%'ss':s
running as a result of
the primaries last week in Illi-
nois. Michigan and Nebraska, pub
lie interest naturally swings to
the contest for the democratic
nomination. 1t is true that for
weeks President Coolidge's nomi-
nation has been regarded as as
sured, but with the President and
Senator Johnson opposing each
other in the middle west and
northwest, the primaries in those
states were bound to have the
spotlight. Wherever there is a
fight the American people like to
be lookers-on.
Whether Senator Johnson quits
or continues in the race, his cam
paign has f1attened out completely,
and it is improbable that many
more delegates will be instructed
Tor him. There no longer is any
pep In it, The Washington stars
California correspondent wires that
the Johnson camp there--the sem
ator's home state--is divided as to
whether he ought to get out or
stay In. but that a large and infH-
entail element of the Johnson fol-
lowing is disposed to continue the
contest through the California pri-
rnaries, regardless of the attitude
the senator himself may take.
This would be for the purpose of
preventing the anti-Johnson fac
tion from capturing control of the
n
mean elimination of the old lead
ers who for so long have been
identified with the Johnson cause.
Elsewhere the Johnson follow
ing seems utterly crushed and
bowed down. In Colorado, Indiana,
West Virginia, Maryland and other
states where there has been talk
of making a campaign for John
son delegates ii now appears that
there will be Coolidge instructions
without a contest
X 4
In the democratic contest things
for William Gibbs McAdoo, and
there is no reason to doubt that he
will have more delegates than any
other candidate when the ballot
ing begins at New York. Were it
not for the two thirds rule. the
nomination of McAdoo would be a
mighty good bet today, but the
two-thirds rule is there, and he
would be a rash man who would
predict its repeal for the sake of
letting McAdoo win. II will be
rather a striking political coinci-
dence il the same rule which made
possible the nomination of Wood
row Wilson at Baltimore in 1912
should operate to prevent the
nomination of Wilson's son-in-law
at New York in 1924.
Almost every state reporting for
The Stars week end political sur
vey sends reports favorable to Nc
Adoo. In California, McAdoo's
adopted state. there is said TO be
some uneasiness over the growing
sentiment in favor OF AN unin-
Structed delegation, but there is
no real reason to believe that he
will not win out in the primaries
early in May. Farther up the Pa
cific coast. in Washington, McAdoo
is reported TO be gaining ground
rapidly. The first democratic
county convention to be held de-
clared for him, and other counties
are expected to follow suit. Other
democratic candidates have fade d
from the picture, and the contest
now is over whether the delega-
tion shall be instructed for Nc
Adoo under the unit rule or go
uninstructed with both McAdoo
and anti-McAdoo men on the
delegation.
During the week McAdoo visited
Colorado and Texas, and every
where he spoke he got enthusiastic