Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-05
COOLIDGE W|DENS
| REPUBLICAN BREACH
| BY PICKING STONE
Western Progressives Feel
Rebuked by Failure to
Name Kenyon Attorney
General, Lawrence Says
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

u tLedSCd WIRE Service 10 Inc JouIHal.J
Copyright, 192f.)
WASHINGTON, April 3.-Disap-
pointment in the ranks of the PRO.
gressives" in congress over the fail
nate Judge William S. Kenyon, OF
Iowa, to be attorney general, was
not concealed today.
While no doubt is expressed as to
the legal ability of Dean Stone, the
comment of many of the western sen.
ators is that the president had an
opportunity to recognize the progress
sive movement of the west and dio
not accept it. To the insurgent
wing of the Republican party the
: name Of Kenyon was more than
that of an individual. 1t was a. sym.
Dol of progressivism. There are
those who regard the manner in
(which Mr.. Coolidge dealt with the
appointment of a new attorney gen.
eral as his crossing of the Rub;con.
They consider that the president has
made his choice with the so-called
"stand pat" and conservative wing
of the Republican party, for Dean
Stone comes from the New York city
atmosphere of corporation law firms.
Progressive senators found, for in
%Etance, on looking in who's who,
that Dean Stone had been connected
with one of the firms which is SAID
to be among those engaged from
time to time by j. 2. Morgan ana
company.
Stone Slightly Liberal
But while Dean Stone has lived
&amorg the corporation lawyers he IS
said to have retained certain Hper-
alism. proof of which is offered IN
his attack on Attorney General Pal-
rner for his raids on alleged COM
munists as "reds.'' That the presl-
dent has found $125.0OO lawyer to
sarve the government is not Dues
tioned on capitol hill. But the radl-
calls in congress were bent upon
having some one appointed who rep
resented the spirit of the west TO-DAY.
Significant of this trend In the
senate. for example, was the stare
nent of an eastern Republican sena-
Xtor nm for reelection this year, VINO
as late as 10 o'clock of the day on
which the appointment was an
bounced. sent word to the CORE
snondents representing newspal ecs
in his state to let it be known that
he favored Kenyon for attorney gen.
eral
Had the president chosen Ken
Won he would, of course, have or
Tended many regular Republicans
who think it is time to stop pander-
ling to the western insurgents ana
that flirting for their support VIII
mot avail MIR. Coolidge anything
ANYHOW.
So far as the insurgent Republic
ans who think Mr.. Coolidge by train
ing and viewpoint to be a consefvl-
Tive are concerned, there is probably
much truth in the assertion that ne
would not make himself progress
sive" in the eyes OF the westerners
by one or two conspicuous appoine-
ments. Their arraignment or him
Is on other counts than federal pat
ronage.
Opposition Not Likely
Senator Henry Cabot, Lodge, Re-
publican leader, who was at the
White House today, thought there
would be no fight against the con-
Xfirmation of Dean Stone. Probably
not. The western Republicans are
not planning to carry their insur-
Agency that tar, but Senator La Fol
aette, who insists that he Will run
CaSe-sndently only il Mr.. Coolidge's
.aff0rm is conservative, is gather
lg ammunition for his mass attack
Lac the Republican national conven-
3tion in June The primaries in Wis
eonsin, which showed Senator La
Toilette victor by a big majority,
paves the way for what may become
a dramatic situation at the Cleve-
land convention. The Wisconsin
delegates plan to make a drive for
a progressive platform, failing in
which they will announce their dis
sent and array the campaign to the
country with Senator La Toilette as
their spokesman and candidate.
The naming of an attorney gen
eral is but an incident in the fight
which is daily widening the breach
in the Republican party. What
might have happened if the presi-
dent had named Kenyon is, OF
course, conjectural, but at no time
since the beginning Of the present
session of congress did the insurgent
Republicans appear to be as united
in their Willingness to meet the adj
ministration half way than they
were in the movement for the APP
pointment of Judge Kenyon. Today
they feel as if they have been re-
buked. The president has appointed
an able man and one in whom he
has personal trust. He ignored the
politics of the occasion, which, his
friends say, ought to help him in
tbe long run.