The Washington times., 1924-06-11
'0L|GARCHY' IS
BROKEN BY
COOLIDGE
Not One of Senators Who
Ruled Harding Convention
Has Post Of Power
By international News service

BY International News Service
CLEVELAND. Ohio, June H.
It's done.
From the very beginning Presi
dent Coolidge and his managers
decreed that the Senate "oligarchy"
which ran the 1920 Republican
convention as it pleased and nomi-
mated one, of it's own members,
President Harding, should be wiped
out.
And they have done it 30 con-
vincingly that no member of the
Senate or OF the 'Old Guard" who
directed the last convention has
any place OF importance this year.
Senator Mckinley Rep.) of Illinois
is chairman of the credentials com.
mittee, but he did not figure promi.
nently in the reckoning in 1920.
Senator Smoot Rep) Of Utah is
helping to draft the economy plank
in the platform, but he is being
closely checked by Coolidge man.
ayers who are virtually writing
the platform as Mr.. Coolidge wants
1t.
The Watsons, the Wadsworths,
the Daughertys, the Adamses and
the Lodges are here, TO be sure,
but they are : watching the pro-
ceedings from outside the door, not
within the smoke@filled rooms where
the final decisions are made.
Whereas in years gone by they
could have told you, IL you were
lucky enough to; find them out Of
conference long enough, all that
was to happen, they come to the
newspaper men this year to learn
the story Of the convention.
Actually they do not know.
President Coolidge is riding high
in the saddle. Everything is being
done precisely as he desires, pre-
cisely as he planned long before the
| delegates, who met here today TO-
the second session, knew that Cleve-
land was to be the gathering place
| of the 1924 convention.
Although the party leaders, all
new men and mostly New England
ers, insist that President Coolidge
has kept hands off in regard to the
Vice Presidential contest, the only
thing that has any semblance of a
fight about it, there are those VINO
maintain that when the final reckon
| ing comes, the wires from Washing,
ton will dictate the second choice
| nominee
The convention is in such a sub
missive mood, admittedly, behind AFR.
Coolidge, that the suggestion, though
1t may be unkind, is certainly ,1I
without the scope of possibility.
Out here, it's C. Bascom Slemp.
secretary. to the President. William
| M. Butler. his manager, Frank w.
Stearns, Boston business man and
lifelong friend. and John w. Weeks.
secretary Of war, and another New
Englander. They know Mr.. Cool.
idge's wishes and they are carrying
them out to the letter. Nothing has
gone wrong.
Wadsworth, of New York, whom
the Senate Old Guard pressed for
permanent chairman, has come out
OF the scramble with the chairman.
ship of his State delegation.
Harry NJ Daugherty, 1.-THE man
who made President Harding" de-
clined any official. post even VITA
the Ohio delegation. He remains
close to his hotel room-a. delegate.
John. T. Adams. who is to be
succeeded by Butler as chairman
OF the national committee, holds
down desk in the headquarters,
but he has been so often in dis.
agreement with the President that
they will have none of him In
carrying out the, White House
plans.
George Moses, of New Hamp-
shire, did not even bother to come.
He went fishing instead
Although Curtis, of Kansas, -
being doomed by his State delega.
ton for the Vice Presidency, hs
remained in Washington.
Harvard accents, Amherst ideas,
Boston business.
It's done.