The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-07-22
HUGHES PLEDGE
ECHO Of US.
POLITICS
Jonathan WickWire Explains
How Davis Candidacy
Came About
By JONATHAN WIcKWIRE


The puxzling anomalies Of the
recent Democratic National Conven.
ton in New York were explained
in London by Charles Evans Hughes
who, knowing the inner policies OF.
his own chief, President Coolidge,
and In his own mind assured OF the
sympathetic attitude toward those
policies of the Democratic candidate
for the Presidency, John w. Davis,
dared at last to promise openly the
aid Of this country in untangiing
the political snarls Of Europe in his
address to that hyphenated Anglo
American group Of financial inter.
nationalists. the Pilgrim Society.
The nomination OF John w. Davis,
chief Of counsel for ]. p. Morgan,
by the Democratic convention, un.
expected az 1t may have been by
the majority Of the delegates, was
no political accident. Months before
the convention word was passed
down through all the channels open
to big Business" chambers OF
o m m err re, manufacturers and
bankers associations and business
mems clubs generally, from the
membership Of which delegates,
owing to the expense attendant on
such convention outings, pretty
usually are chosen, to test out and
create second choice strength for
John w. Davis.
Picked Davis Early
So efficacious was this under.
cover propaganda, and 80 enthus-
iastically was the Davis candidature
received In these circles. that weeks
before the nomination Democratic
bankers and businessmen not only
were predicting that Davis would
be the nominee. but were asserting
with some assurance that Charles
w. Bryan would be his running
mate: political writer's like Frank
Kent, William Hard, George r.
Holmes and other were noting the
strong undercufrent OF Davis senti-
ment; and this writer, more init
mately concentrating on the proc
esses at work, could affirm un.
hesitatingly that the final big fight
OF the convention would be between
the business interests backing
Davis. with probably Bryan or pos
sibly Dever as his associate. and
the shattered radical western group
backing such q candidate as con.
vention developments might leave
most available when the McAdoo-
Smith feud had been fought out to
a finish.
The whirlwinds OF convention
politics eliminated all shadow Of
Dever from the picture, but for
his own stubborn resistance and
emphatic refusal. they would have
replaced Bryan's name with that of
Thomas j. Walsh.
With him out Of the way, the in.
siders rushed Bryan thorugh accord
ing to schedule. 1t was so easy
that It looked almost like an anti
climax to the beautifully staged
battle that preceded. The uni
formed were dazed by the IA.
pidity Of the final action. but not
the initiated. They knew almost to
a man their hidden strength.
Nature Of Delegates.
Remember that there is a subtle
difference between the members Of
the electorate and the majority Of
their delegates. that the latter al.
most invariably are chosen in part
because Of their ability and willing
ness to stand the expenses Of the
convention trip - business meA
usually, easily reached with a bus.
mess propaganda that seldom leaks
through to the masses. These dele
gates come to the convention bound
to the choice of their constituents
only so long as In their personal
Judgment that candidate had a
chance.
Imagine such delegates, then,
selves favoring a businessmen's
candidate, with carefully cult.
waited leaning toward Davis, making
their final arrangements at the
bank for more or less extended
absence, extending their loans in
many instances, and setting as
their last word before catching
their trains, direct from the foun
tain Of all good business advice,
their banker: Remember, Jim, If
you can't put McAdoo Tor II might
be Glass, Underwood. Robinson, or
whoever they were instructed foil
across, that we've got an ideal mar
to turn to in John w. Davis"
Sure. You don't nee,l a second
guess.