The Washington times., 1924-02-01

gray hair parted in the center.
Like most other Senators. he
doesn't appear to be interested in
speeches made for home consumption
but in this Teapot Dome affair he
does lend an ear occasionally. They
all do, as a matter Of fact. II Walsh
| or someone who is really worth
while Is on his feet. And have
wondered as I have sat in the gallery
and looked down on Johnson just
what he might be thinking about.
Mind May Hark Back.
/ wonder II at times his mind
goes back to the fact that he was
offered and might have had the Vice
Presidential nomination with Hard
ing. remember when It came to
him, for was there in little group
Of Californians at the time in the
Johnson headquarters at the Audi.
torium Hotel during the days Of the
convention.
Four years previously, during the
days Of the last Inflated progressive
convention, when. Roosevelt wouldn't
say whether or net ne would accept
the progressive nomination once
again, an attempt was made to lead
Johnson back into the Republican
fold. The price was to be the Vice
Presidential nomination with Hughes.
Both conventions were in session at
the same time and Borah Of Idaho
and others were making efforts to
reconcile the two. But it couldn't
- NJ
gressives marched out of Chicago
with their leader gone and partyless.
Only One Place To Go.
There was nothing to do, II one
wanted to stay in politics, or in Of
flee, but to go back to the Repub-
licans again and work from within
instead of from without. And john
son did this. and then came his cam
paign for the Republican nomination
four years ago, the offer Of the Vice
Presidential nomination with Hard
ing, his declination, and his defeat
for the Presidential nomination.
Roosevelt didn't want the Vice
Presidential nomination with Nc
Kinley hut they forced it on him
and he became President through
didn't want it and wouldn't accept
1t and today he sits in the Senate
chamber Instead of in the White
House, where he would have been
had he accepted.
It is His Sole Ambition. 4-.2
And his sole ambition is to Oc.
cupy the White House.
I was prompted for a moment
to say that perhaps he has played
in i'll luck. But maybe he HASN'T.
This Teapot Dome scandal would
have come down to him instead of
to the man who took the job he
could have had. And it's an in.
heritance no man would wish for.
Perhaps he thinks Of these things
as he sits in his seat in the Senate
chamber and just thinks as he does
occasionally. I wonder how he
views the Presidents appointment
of Thomas w. Gregory and Silas
HI. Strawn to serve as investigators
of this scandal that has stunned
Washington and the entire country.
Likes Fighting Men.
without any reflection on any.
one, I imagine had he been in the
White House he wouldn't have
given much consideration to
Gregory and Strawn. He would
have chosen men Of the Inter.
meyer and Heney type, the fight
ing lawyer in criminal court or
anywhere. They are his people,
these fighting men. They are the
gun men of the legal profession
and that is what he would want.
Johnson hasn't said anything up
to this writing in the debate on
the Teapot Dome mess. Perhaps
he won't. But If he does, in the
slang of few years ago, it will be
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