The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-01-11
Candidacy
of Pinchot.
HardFought
Personal Following and Drys
Waging Campaign TO Force
Entrance Into Race for
Presidency This Week.
Opposed by L e a d e r S
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Philadelphia, Jan. 10.-Whether the
republican presidential situation will
go on as it now is, with Coolidge,
johnson and La Toilette the only
entrants, or whether it will be made
more complex by the entrance of
Governor Pinchot, is being decided
here in Pennsylvania this week.
Az an incident of this decision, it
is being determined whether or not
prohibition and law enforcement
will be a major issue in this presi-
Dental year.
Here in Pennsylvania there is, on
the one hand, Pinchot himself, with
a small group of devoted friends and
a large group of equally devoted fol
lowers.
Concessions Offered.
On the other hand, there is all the
rest of the republican party. includ-
ing what is left of the old Penrose
machine, plus Secretary Mellon, plus
Senator Reed, plus Senator Pepper.
These latter compose a wide range of
political thought. but they are all
united in earnestly wanting to pre-
vent Clifford Pinchot from entering
the presidential race. They are will
ing to make generous concessions to
keep Governor Pinehot from being a
candidate against Coolidge They are
willing to send Pinchot as delegate.
They are willing to let him name a
reasonable number of his friends as
delegates. They are willing to make
other promises having to do with
matters within the state that are i'm
portant to Mr.. Pinchot's happiness
aud success as governor.
This group controls about every
thing there is in the nature OF re-
publican organization in Pennsy1-
vania. Although Mr. Pinchot. as
governor of the state. has more than
10000 employees under him. he has
nothing in the way of organization.
In a fight between Pipchot's lack of
organization and his opponents COM
pleteness OF organization it Is COM
monty said by politicians that Mr..
Pnchot could not possibly hope to
get more than a quarter, at the out
side. of the states rs delegates. AS
against this. Mr.. Pinchot's friends
reply that the politicians talked this
same why when Mr.. Pinchot made
his apparently hopeless, but ultimate
ly successful race for governor.
Drys Behind Pinchot.
THE persons who are implacably
determined that Mr.. Pinchot shall
enter and make the race are chiefly
the drys. The bulk of the church
people In Pennsylvania are in an al
most camp meeting fervor about pro-
hibition and law enforcement. They
say that President Coolidge and Sec
retary Mellon are enforcing prohibi-
tion in the way a bank president
would enforce it. They want it en-
forced. to use their own phrase. in
the spirit and manner in which Christ
drove the money changers out of the
temple. They believe Mr.. Piuchot
would supply this spirit, and SO they
demand that Mr.. Pinchot carry HIM
self and the prohibition enforcement
issue into the national presidential
race.
Some practical politicians predict
that Mr.. Pinchot must do this. no
matter how hopeless his prospects
may seem from the point of view Of
Organization. They say that IL he
let's this year go by without making
fight. both himself and Ms prohi-
bition issue will be bottled up by the
regular party forces, and he will end
, the year as dead cock In the pit,
both as respects whatever personal
ambitions he may have and also as
respects his issues.
If Mr.. Pinchot does not enter the
race, fully 20 out OF Pennsylvania
rs delegates will be for Coolidge. They
may be uninstructed, but Coolidge
will be their choice.
Senator Johnson's friends have
made no move toward making any
fight in the state, and there is very
little Johnson sentiment.