Evening star., 1924-06-09

INTEREST CENTERED
/ IN VICE PRESIDENCY
Running Mate for Coolidge Only
Subject of Interest to
- .. -.. p.
4 delegates.
BOOM FOR DR.. BURTON SEEN
College Head Believed Favored by
White House.
BOOM FOR DR.. BURTON SEEN
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

contest II Is a match oil WIS IN
prophecy as to who will be nominated
fpr vice president On no other sub
iect is there the slightest semblance
OF emotion. The complete domination
Of the situation by Calvin Coolidge,
er-shadowing in one-man rule any
thing in convention history, has re-
fuced even the Presidents impending
Elorihcation to secondary interest.
His nomination, under circumstances
that entitle him to be catalogued as
the master politician of the era, is
hardly mentioned. Talk, gossip.
speculation and conjecture range ex-
clusively around the identity of his
running mate.
Il; Votaries of great party conclayes
nan recall no other occasion when IT
was necessary to crafty their passion
spr thrills by wondering who is going
10 have second place wished upon
him. In that respect, and that respect
alone, is the convention notable and
Interesting. Calvin Coolidge is neither
Rn exciting nor an excitable person.
Ap its disconcerting lack of excite
m ent the convention perfectly epito-
nnizeS the man it is about to love,
honor and obey.
H. Solution In Washington.
III White House protestations to the
rontrary Notwithstanding, the solu-
tion OF the vice presidential puzzle is
Universally believed to lie in Wash
tagton, and not in Cleveland. The
5enven ton will act when il hears its
masters voice 1t may go through
spirited contest, but when the votes
Are counted and the din has subsided
the tail-end of the ticket will be of
hue and fiber that are something
more than merely agreeable to its
Head. These things are not being
shouted from the housetops of the
Lake Erie metropolis, but they are
on everybody's lips and at the back
~ everyhody's head. If. as vocifer-
oasly alleged on his behalf the Presi-
dent is leaving the selection of his
funning mate to the convention, it is
tbout the only thing of Importance
that has been left to it. Everything
else that counts has been attended to
IN advance. The temporary chairman
was picked. The permanent chair
man was named. The chairman of
the committee on resolutions was
chosen. The chairman of the COM
mittee on credentials-the only bone
which the poor dog of the Senate has
been given--waS appointed.
Admiration of Coolidge.
things in no spirit of disparagement
Of Calvin Coolidge. On the contrary,
they are discussed in terms of admira-
ylon for the master craftsmanship of
the President as a political mana
ger. The obliteration of the Senate
oligarchy" which prevailed at Chicago
four years ago is the overwhelm irgiy
outstanding feature of the convention
barring the vice presidential situation
Vanished and gone, as completely as if
they had never f1ourished. are those auto
Gratis of yesteryear. Some of them are on
the scene, like "Jim" Watson of In
diana. But they are still, small voices
IN wilderness ruled by William M.
but,er, fTank w. Stearns. James B. Rey-
nolds and other unobtrusive monarchs
OF all they survey. Four years ago
this week Col Harvey, Senator Frank
b. Bra ndegee and Senator Warren G.
Harding sat in the colonefs room in
the Blackstone Hotel, in the sweltering
'hours of Chicago dawn, and made
certain fateful decisions and arrange
Inents. Today Col. Harvey is function
ing at Cleveland merely as a super
reporter of events in which he is a dis
tinguished but unofficial participant.
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, an engi- j
neer-in-chief at Chicago, is at CIeVe-
land nothing but one of the section
hands. and hardly that. Thus have the
nothing reminiscent of the old times
or OF the omnipotent sway of the old
guard.
Hard to Find Man.
With former Gov. Frank o. Lowden
putting. the vice presidential crown
from him. the question of the
Ultimate ,ii bestowal of that seemingly
tie-coveted headpieoe becomes
knottier than ever. Herbert Hoover
mounted forthwith into popular favor
with the competitors in the guessing
contest despite his avowals that he
Will not consent to four-year |
sentence to neutrality and silence. II |
VIII probably require as public and
categorical a remuneration by Hoover, |
as Lowden finally made to convince
Cleveland that the Secretary of Com
merce is really not a receptive can
didate. There is pretty general un-
defstanding that Hoover does not |
want to be nominated. But there is |
less certainty that he would refuse |
to accept nomination il "drafted"-l
!. e., placed oa the. ticket against his 4
express wish. If the savior of Bel |
gfum is determined to evade and |
escape the vice presidency, the hour |
has come for him to emulate William |
natlm to another Republican con-
vention: II will not accept if |
nominated. or serve if elected" Till
Hoover commits himself as irreyo-
danger Of becoming Calvin CooIidee's 8 |
running mate.
DR.. Burton Favored.
With Hoover self eliminated, DR.. |
Marion Leroy Burton, president Of
the University of Michigan, lis un-
auestionably in strategic position |
There is wealth of evidence, in |
deed, to suggest that Burton in real |
lty is the White House candidate and |
has been for some time. He spent |
last Saturday in Washington. going |
OVER with the President the final |
draft of the speech in which Burton |
will on Thursday of this week place |
Coglidge in nomination for the presi- |
deHey. Burton is probably not known |
to ave delegates in the entire con-
Tention outside of the Michigan dele |
cation. When he stretches his six |
feet and two inches of athletic |
stature into space at Convention. Hall |
on June II he will be an entirely |
new figure in Republican politics. in |
the ACADEMIC circles of the land, in
been exclusively cast, he has the rep
utStion of being brilliant orator.
MiehiEanders now at Cleveland say
BuFten has 1t in him to electrify the |
ceapeHton as William Jennings Bryan |
did with his cross-of-gold speech at |
his panegyric on Calvin Coolidge viii |
set. the conventions Adams with en-
thusiasm Then. Michigan men de-
made himself the logical candidats"
for Vice President, and they prophesy !
that his nomination will follow as
inevitably as the tornadoes of ap-
plause that will be evoked by his |
glorification of Coolidge
Not Entirely Unknown.
GRAPEVINE reports from Washing
ton have it that exactly that sort of |
a DEVELOPMENT is contemplated by the |
President Mr.. Coolidge is said to ex-
pect that Burton will "do the BRYAN |
act" If he does, history will be able |
to record that the convention was |
5wePt of its feet. The White House /