San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-16
COP. LEADERS
IN WASHINGTON
| ARE IN A PANIC
Old School Republican Says
Coolidge Would Make
| Good Preacher.
mot A GOOD LEADER
President Should Use
Broad-ax Instead Of a
| Feather Buster.
NOT A GOOD LEADER

Washington, d. c., March Is
The Republican party. as typified by
its leaders in Washington, is in a
panic. Ten days ago the program
for the Cleveland convention was cut
and dried: President Coolidge would
be renominated with a Western man
for running mate upon a platform
pointing with pride to the results at
tanned by the Harding Coolidge adj
m;nistration and viewing with alarm
the assaults on the established order
of things by partisan Democratic poll
ticians.
Today that program doesn't look
so alluring and the very men who
were advocating it are wondering if
some means cannot be found for
throwing the switch on the Coolidge
accommodation, shunting him onto
the side-track, thus leaving the main
line clear for Presidential special. !"
This feeling is born of a realization
that President Coolidge has not meas
ured up to expectations and displayed
zone of the qualities necessary to cap
ture the admiration of the people. The
wise old heads among the Republic
cans know their party is on the de-
fensive, facing a situation calling for
heroic measures if it is to be saved
from utter humiliation.
Would Make Good Preacher.
"A combination of circumstances,
which no one could forsee," said a
Republican senator of the old school,
has created situation which calls
for the liberal use of broad-axe and
&c 20 CHI 20
feather duster l believe the coun-
try looks upon him as good man and
he is good man but he is utterly
lacking in qualities of a leader. lie d
make a fine rector for the Episcopal
Church in a town of about 5000 popu-
lation. What we need is an evangelist
of the Sam Jones or Billy Sunday
type. who preach the old.time religion,
plentifully seasoned with birthstone
and hell-fire."
There is no denying that this SEN
timent is spreading and if there was
any outstanding figure, such as the
late Colonel Roosevelt, to serve as =
rallying place, the momentum would
be almost irresistible. The fact that
| there is none is the chief element OF
strength in the Coolidge campaign n;
| IL eAlStS 10 udle anu Will btHdtui
Hiram johnson as his only avowet
opponent, he can count on the nom
ination. The party leaders. all with
one accord. have the Indian sign on
johnson and some of them are bit
ter enough TO hold they would rather
go down TO defeat behind Coolidge
than see the Californian win.
Would Back Borah.
Now il it were Senator Borah things
would be different, for even those who
don't agree with the senator from
Idaho. they respect and secretly adj
mire him. If it were Secretary Her
bert Hoover or Secretary Charles
Evans Hughes it would be different
but, of course. neither of these me,
would permit the use of his name 50
long as he remained member oi
President Coolidge's official family
Yet these three represent the type OF
the men who might easily organic q
revolt and if President Coolidge
doesn't go into the convention with
enough delegates TO insure his nomina-
ton he'll be in danger. according 10
those Eho have their finger on the
political pulse of the country.