Evening star., 1924-01-27
Nev York Suing 7owurd Democratic Column
THE WEEK IN POLITICS
Summary Of National Developments Based on Reports
From The Stars Special Correspondents
and Staff Writer'S

ting started. Even in his home
state of West Virginia the claim
Is made Of growing strength for
McAdoo. The anti-McAdoo faction
in Pennsylvania is talking Davis.
but doesn't appear to be doing any
work for him.
An interesting event Of the week
was the visit of William J. Bryan
to Kentucky. The McAdoo man.
ayers there tried to smoke him out,
but the commoner insisted that
Dr. Murphree still is his one and
only choice for President He did
say he saw no reason why there
should not be both tax reduction
and q bonus. and as that Is the
McAdoo platform the McAdooites
took comfort. 1t inspires them to
hope that at the proper time what
ever strength Mr.. Bryan may have
In the convention Will be thrown
to their candidate. But as reports
from Florida indicate that Mr..
Bryan Is unlikely to be sent to
the convention as a delegate. he
may have to repeat his Baltimore
experience and WELD his influence
from the press stand.
McAdoo men in Nebraska de-
rived encouragement from the an
nouncement of Gov. Bryan that he
intended to file as a candidate for
reelection to that Office, but later
reports indicate that the governor
has not declared himself entirely
out of presidential consideration
He merely intends to devote major
attention to the bird in the near
est bush.
X X +
Republican news for the week,
with few exceptions, is a story of
increasing sentiment for Coolidge.
Frank Hitchcock visited Michigan
in the interest Of Senator johnson,
but the Michigan correspondent re-
ports that he was unable to in
terest any Of the active state lead
ers. This is regarded as significant,
in view Of the fact that four years
ago Johnson carried the Michigan
primaries against six competitors.
But four years ago the republic
ans were outside looking in, and
there was not involved any ques-
tion Of loyalty to the administra-
tion." 1t is different this year.
and the practical politicians are
playing a practical game. Refusal
of Gov Groesbeck to be regarded
declaration for Coolidge promise
to add to the difficulties of the
johnson managers in the April
primaries.
Although Illinois republican
leaders are grabbing for places on
the Coolidge bandwagon, the
Johnson managers there profess
never expected help from the poll
ttcfans, anyway, but are leaving
their cause to the people. In
California both the Coolidge and
Johnson state committees have or
ganized and are settling down for
a finish fight. 1t is contest that
will be watched with interest. It
is a fight for life on the part Of
Senator Johnson. as defeat in his
home state would be a blow from
which it would be difficult for him
to recover.
x X X
Oregon and North Dakota are
two states from which news comes
that is somewhat off the general
pro-Coolidge key Oregon repub-
lican leaders are said to have
abandoned the notion that they
could capture the thirteen dele
gates from that state without a
contest, and now are preparing to
II out the i ney
are reported as considerably dis
turbed by Senator Johnson's an
nounced intention to speak in the
state. fearing the effects of his ad-
mitted abilities as a canpaigner
Then there are points of repub-
lican disaffection in the state
which may cause trouble for Cool
idge. 1t is said that an overwhelm-
ing majority of the $4,000 ex-
service men in the state are in
favor of the bonus, and Oregon
wheat farmers, while nominally
republican. still have their war
paint on and threaten to run off the
reservation.
Non-partisan county conven-
tions were held in North Dakota
during the week. Four of them
demanded La Toilette delegation,
a number demanded the nomina-
ton of progressive" candidate
for President, while several con-
demned the action of the non-par-
tisan state committee in indors-
ing Coolidge. 1t looks as If there
would be three-cornered fight
in the primaries, with Coolidge,
Johnson and La Toilette entered
In Senator La Follette's home
state Of Wisconsin things are slow
there will be a delegate slate IA
vorable to the nomination of La
Toilette. but 1t is not at all GER
tain there will be a ticket of
Coolidge delegates in opposition.
Two republican vice presiden-
tial boomlets made their appear
ance during the week. One Is for
Gov. Joseph M. Dixon of Montana
and the other for Charles G.
Dawes Of Hell and Maria" fame.
The latter was launched by the
Washington State American Le-
gion.