The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-04
JOHNSON SC0RES| COOLIDGE FORCES
Warns Against Mellon Tax Plan In Opening
 Campaign

ern delegate representation 10 the national convention. big gun bonn bardment against the administration for shipping arms and ammunition to the Obregon forces in Mexico and a gauntlet thrown to the republican Ohio state convention, which in dorsed President Coolidge. marked the opening address of Senator Hi- ram Johnson of California in his cam paign for the presidential nomination here tonight.
 attack on the policy of the adminis- tration, reiterated his Chicago speech in 50 far as 1t referred to his favoring a soldiers bonus, eau tional the people to look carefully into the Mellon taxation plan, all though advocating a reduction in taxes in no uncertain terms. adyo- lowering of freight rates and CO., operative societies, and finished with a scathing arraignment of those who would have the country join the world court.
 "I have recently observed that cer- tain people, including the distin- guished Detroit manufacturer, have deplored that we should have an election this year." said Senator JOnuSOH, anu perhaps Ut anu many politicians denounce me be- cause l have interfered with the serenity of the occasion and have not postmasters and other officeholders tion by default to be consummated. ] shall not concede that collectors of revenue, United States marshals. postmasters and other office holders may themselves alone nominate the candidate for the presidency.
 Attack. oppo.iaio1 R D Geader.. 2
 "The leaders upon the other side have demonstrated by their recent actions their contempt for the men and women who in reality constitute the republican party. Our opponents do not believe in direct primaries and direct legislation. insist that the Republicans in Ohio shall have an equal right in determining the nom inee for President with the repub- licans in South Carolina. Obviously our opponents do not so believe.
 "Just as pollution at the source of the stream will pollute the whole stream, wrong and. injustice in the selection of delegates to a national convention will permeate and taint the very convention itself"
 D Senator Johnson then reviewed the action of the 1920 republican convention in. reducing the southern delegation, and said it was a "step in the right direction" as it Is a basis for further reductions. He then told of the recent action of the national committee in Washington under the order of our opponents" in again giv- ing them the original representation and termed it "scandalous and un- fair representations"
 "I speak of this outrageously un- fair selection of delegates because there Is real service we can render" said the senator. Mine southern states-Alabama, Arkansas, Florida. Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia-polled 4S9,00 for President Harding. These nine states have 134 delegates. Ohio boiled 1,182,000' votes for President Harding and Ohio has 51 delegates to the convention.
 Southern Delegation Question.
 "There is not the remotest possi- bility of a single republican elector being chosen in any one of these nine southern states. and yet the repub- lican national committee recently de- liberately increased the representa- tion, contemptuously repudiated the mandate of the national convention of 1920 and broke faith with the rank and file of the republican party all over the land. These southern del egates are selected by commands is- sued in the city of Washington to a very few federal officeholders in the different states. The action of the national committee is & reversion to the abhorrent conditions from which we thought we had emerged. It is this system upon which we war"
 SenatoF Johnson stated that he had complied with the law of Alabama faI 1,t fa ballot, but that his opponents were trying to defeat the intent of the law by preventing the primary from taking, place. He stated it took two supreme court decisions to put his name on the ballot in South Dakota. He then threw down the gauntlet to the Ohio republican state central committee by telling them that no committee, mo matter how influen- tial or how rich" could dictate to the people of Ohio as to who should represent that state at the repub- lican national state convention. The state convention recently indorsed President Coolidge.
 Reverting to the Mexican situation Senator Johnson stated that the United States is furnishing arms and munitions to Obregon in Mexico to fight revolution there.
 The Sale. Or Munitions.
 Tt is done, as stated by the Secre- tary of State to maintain ability and order and constitutional pro- cedure in the nefghboring republic Senator Johnson said. Our policy is the United States frowns upon revo- lutions. The merits of the contest raging in Mexico, don't know and they are immaterial in this discus sion. But whatever the merits of the hoxta fn ing our action Is immoral. if not H. legal. What an anomalous and paradoxical position is ours today, we, who were born in revolution. The United States government final ly says to the people inhabiting this continent. If you dare fight for what you deem to be right. if you raise your hand against oppression and wrong. the most powerful na- ton of the world will come to the aid of those you think your oppres- sors and will maintain existing power"
 The senator compared this attitude and the Holy Alliance. To-day we follow the Metternich policy of over a century ago and free America an nounces the doctrine that revolution will be put down with our arms" he said.
 "Today this country allies itself with war in Mexico" continued the senator. Where are the leagues to enforce peace today"
 The California senator then opened up his guns on the administration foreign policy. It may be that we do not know our foreign policy be- cause we have none but even the fact that we have none, the American people have the right to know" said the senator. He said recent messages