Evening star., 1924-01-09
Politics at Large
BY N. o. MESSENGER

the republican party and the admin
| fstration in the senator's contest for
| the presidential nomination are caus-
! ing increasing uneasiness in republi-
J can circles. There is apprehension
that in case the senator Is defeated
| for the nomination, the attacks made
during the preconvention campaign
will have inflicted deep scars upon the
party when the campaign for the cleo
] tion comes on.
Here is a sample OF some Of the
things attributed to followers of
Senator Johnson. Harold G. Ickes of
Chicago, who was in New York last
Sunday, is quoted as saying:
Z! The thing that amuses us outside
Of New York Is that for the first time
who Is frankly a candidate of the
large financial interests and who is
openly fighting their battles. 1t may
! interest New York to know that re-
! sentiment against this is.sweeping the
! west and northwest at terrific rate.
| In one state already an issue is being
J made of the fact that Mr.. CooNdge's
closest adviser is Dwight Morrow of
! the Arm of ]. P. Morgan & Co."
! & X X
Pennsylvania is likely to loom large
| in the political eye from now on, due
/ to the alliance which has been effect
| ed between the Johnson forces and
Gov. Pinchot, the progressive. who
/ ranks along with Senator Johnson as
a leader of the ultra ra-progressive ele-
ment in the party. The object of the
alliance of these two for work in
Pennsylvania is to keep the states
deleg alton to the national convention
from President Coolidge. Secretary
Mellon Is to be the objective of at
tack on his tax reduction bill and on
! renewed allegations of lack of vigor-
Gus enforcement of the national pro-
hibition law, to win delegates to Gov.
Pinchot.
1t is not known yet what will be
done with the delegates should this
combination win. any to their side
! whether 1t is Gov. Pinchot's intention
to enter the presidential race or not.
The major opinion, however, is that
he wants to defeat the regular repub-
lican organization in the state, and
that in the back Of his mind is the
+ thought that he will swing his dele
gates to Senator Johnson.
The new combination is very con-
f1dent that Gov. Pinchot can chop off
! a big block of delegates and they are
! boasting that they will control the
| delegation.
This opinion is not shared, however,
by Senators Reed and Pepper of
| Pennsylvania, who are working with
the regular republican organization
for unrestricted delegates. Senator
Reed says he feels confident that the
delegates elected will be in harmony
with the organization, which is
known to favor the nomination of
President Coolidge, and declares II
TO be the judgment of the regular
leaders that Gov. Pinchot will not
control any considerable part of the
delegation.
Senator Reed says that the prob
ability of President Coolidge's nomi-
nation is steadily increasing.
Senator Watson of Indiana, after
a visit to the White House. where he
made several recommendations for
appointments. told the newspaper
men that he expected in a few days
to make a formal statement on his
attitude toward the presidential nom
ination.
The prevailing opinion among Sena-
tor Watson's colleagues at the Capt.
tol is that he will not enter the lists
nomination. He is expected to sup
port President Coolidge.
| y X X n
| Senator Underwood Of Alabama has
made the first dent in the tradition
that a southern man should not be
nominated for the presidency. Woman
democrats in Connecticut have in
dorsed his candidacy.
| + X ~
Carmi A. Thompson OF Ohio has
been chosen by William NJ. Butler, the
manager of President Coolidges ma
ton wide campaign, to become his
general manager for Ohio. Col.
Thompson was close personal friend
of President Harding and one of the
best known republican politicians in
the state, with large following.
| X X r X
Announcement has been made by
Frank H. Hitchcock. Senator John
sons general manager, that the sena-
tor will start in a couple of weeks
on a speaking tour in the middle
west. Indiana, Illinois. Ohio and
Michigan are to be scenes of an in
tensive drive by the Johnson forces.
George H. Bender, manager for Ohio,
opened Johnson headquarters yester-
day in Cleveland, and announced that
the state will be thoroughly canvass
ed in the senator's behalf.
| Maj. Clarence r. Martin of Indiana
polls has been named Johnson man.
lager for Indiana. He managed the
lprimary campaign of Albert j. Beve-
ridge, when he was elected to the
IUnited States Senate.
Coolidge leaders, while apprehen-
sive of the aftermath effect upon the
party of Senator Johnson's attacks
upon President Coolidge in the pre-
convention campaign, are inclined to
the opinion that IL the senator be-
comes too vitriolic in his midwest
speechmaking tour the effect may be
to cause a reaction in the Presi-
dents favor and bring him valuable
support.
Should the Mellon tax-reduction bill
be considered in partisan fashion?
The democratic and republican ma
tional organizations each proclaim
that 1t should not be, and then each
proceeds to attempt to show how the
! other side Is doing so. Chairman
John T. Adams of the republican ma
tional committee, in a statement,
points out that the democratic pat
form Of 1920 advocated tax reform
and a searching revision of the war
revenue acts to fit peace conditions
so that the wealth of the nation may
mot be withdrawn from productive
enterprise and diverted to unproduc-
tive expenditure" This is construed
as tentatiye support of the policy
against excessive surtaxes, which Sec
retary Mellon holds.
Chairman Adams of the repunl1can
/ committee goes on to say: "One OF
the features of the Mellon tax plan
is a reduction of surtaxes for the ex-
press purpose Of inducing the wealth
of the nation to invest in productive
| enternrisAs rather than tax-exempt