Evening star., 1925-12-26
FATE EKEPTLENROOT
FROM WHITE HOUSE
Was to Have Been Nom
mated With Harding. But
Plans Went Wrong.
Leading the fight FOR President Cool.

Leading the fight for President Cool
idge's World Court plan on the Re-
publican side of the Senate chamber
is man buffeted by one of the most
cruel turns of fate that ever befell
human being. This man is Irvine
L. Lenroot Senator from the state
of Wisconsin. who. by all the rules
and orders of the G. o. p, should to-
day be the occupant of the Whlte
House. formulating his own interna-
tional plans and policies rather than
attempting to carry out the dictums
and dictates of another.
Fortunately for Senator Lenroot, he
does not appear To he a strongly IN
Prospective man. He seems to shake
things off rather easily. and yet. as
he sits there in the Senate. day after
day, one cannot help but picture the
thoughts that must so through
head which is called by some, one of
the ablest in the upper house of Con
greSS.
American memories are not very
long. but there are still plenty who
recall that at the Chicago convention
of the Republican party in 1920 Sen
ator Lenroot was slated" to be the
vice presidential candidate with Sen
ator Harding of Ohio. The slate had
al Decn dlTdilSeu. SuDpoScuiN u "aH
copper riveted. as things generally are
at Republican convention once the
steam roller" has been wheeled into
action and the organization whistle
is footing its signals TO stop and go.
Picked with Harding.
Mr.. Harding had been nominal ed
after "A somewhat hectic struggle he
tween former Gov. Frank O. Low
den of Illinois and Maj. Gen. Leon
ard Wood. The Wood and Low
den forces virtually had deadloclled
the convention and there was no in
dication Of surrender on either side.
| Both of these aSpirants were given
every opportunity to demonstrate 2
their strength and neither had suffi.
cient. Therefore. a the end OF the
week. the leaders got together and
agreed upon Senator Harding as the
compromise candidate. At the same
time it was agreed that Senator Len
root OF Wisconsin. representing a
supposedly liberal wing Of the pa rtE.
! should be the vice presidential ca ndi-
| date
The Harding nomination went over
with a Whoop. Tired with their all
night and all-forenoon conferences. the
6. @. y. leaders drifted out OF the
! convention hall 1t was supposed
everything was fixed Tor Senator
! Lenroot. There was no need 10 wait
for that part OF the plan tn he exc
cuted. Vice presidential nomina tionS
never receive a e>eat deal of considera
! tion front the delegates on the floor
Everybody is anxious 10 20 home
The honor of nominating Senator
Lenroot had been placed in the Ia nds
Of the late Senator Medfl McCor.
mick of Illinois. Medill. for some rea
son unexplained was quite few min,
uteS late in reaching the platform
and the delegates were bit restless
Medill made a more or less perfume
tory speech and then stepped aside
10 lei the voting begin. Somehow or
other the situation was bungIed There
was no spread Of Lenroot wildfire
! on the floor.
Then came the memorable incident
when Wallace McCamant. a delegate
from Oregon. leaped to chair on
the convention floor and placed the
name of Calvin Coolidge in nomina
! ton.
I Up to that moment there had been
! no thought of Coolidge for Vice
+; President. The Massa chusetts delega.
! tion had been backing him in a more
| or less desultory manner for the presi.
! dency, but IT never occurred 70 a
single member of the Bay State deleza
tion TO propose him for second place
on the ticket
! The rest is history. Mr.. Coolidge
! was nominated. Mr.. Harding died
in his third year at the White House
! Mr.. Coolidge stepped into the Ameri.
/ can Hall of the Presidents.
| MIR. LenrOot might have had all
| this If something had not gone wrong
with the machine" Mr. McCaman
; has been appointed Federal Judge
! in California. Mr.. Lenroot has the
| fight of his life on his hands to trv
to come back to the Senate next wear