Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-21

compromise The idea still persists among
some of the Republican leaders that Hughes
and Hoover and Lowden and Dawes will kill
each other off in the opening rounds OF the
convention and that the delegates will then
swing sodly to President Coolidge They look
bacl, to the convention of 1890, when the field
was wide open and the leaders tied the con.
vention up into bowknot, a forecast OF
what may in 1928.
The first ballot at the Republican conven.
ton in 1920 showed the late Gen. Wood with
2S712 votes. leading the field. The rest strung
out follows: Lowden, 211 u; Johnson of Cali
fornia, 1887; Coolidge, a. Harding, 651z; Mich
olas Murray Butler of New York, 692; Gov.
Sprou Of Pennsylvania, 81; Poindexter of Wash.
ngton 20; La Toilette of Wisconsin, "a; Pritch.
ard II; Sutherland, IL du Pont, T. Borah. 2. and
Warren, !. During the fight Woods highest
point 3t4h votes and Lowden 81 II, while
Johnsons peak strength was 148 votes. 1t was
clear that if the lines held firm, no could
receive a majority. So the compromise and
the nomination of the late President Harding
the tenth ballot On that ballot Harding had
692 Is votes, but after it had been announced
the nomination was made unanimous. 1t is
matter of record that more Of Gen. Woods
delegates stuck to him to the end than did
the supporters of any of the other leading can
didates.
That is the picture which the Coolidge
drafters have in mind when they talk Of his.
tory repeating itself at the Republican conven.
l!on next year. III may, but there Is reason
to doubt it.
The second nomination of Mr. Taft in 1872
was dramatic. The charge was made by the
Roosevelt people that the Southern delegates
faVoring Taft had been improperly selected.
There were contrasting delegations but the
steam roller fattened them in jig time after the
contests had been heard. When it became evi.
dent that the convention was going to nomi-
nt lonLro Dbl
gates refrained from voting though they made
themselves heard in the hall. The first ballot
gave Taft SCI votes, more than a majority
Roosevelt 1O7, Senator La Toilette A. Senator
Cummins OF Iowa II, Hughes ?. and there were
present and not voting $40 and absent
The presidential preferential primaries next
year may have distinct influence on the nomi.
nations Of both Republicans and Democrats
But they are not necessarily decisive. Only
II of the 48 States hold such primaries start.
ing with New Hampshire on March 20 and end.
ing with Florida June S. The results in Hi.
nois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, Cali.
fornia the Dakotas and Oregon will be watched
with especial interest. They will be REGARDED
as straws to show which way the wind is blow.
ing. In 1920 Senator Hiram Johnson Gen
Wood. Gov. Lowden and President Harding all
went into primary fights fof delegates. John.
son and Wood were the most successful in
rounding up delegates by this method 1t is
inconceivable that the friends of some OF the
leading possibilities next year will overlook the
ACCESSIBILITY of entering their candidates in
many Of the primary elections
X X X X
Take California. for example. II Secretary
hoover could obtain the backing of his home
State, it would aid him greatly. II he is to
do so, truce must be called between him and
senator Hiram johnson. There are those who
toresee such a truce Senator johnson comes
up Tor reelection to the Senate next year He
cannot win the presidential race and il he
wishes to stay In public life he can gain little
and might lose much by forcing a disruption
OF Republican ranks in California
Mr.. Hoover is member of the cabinet Al.
ready it has been suggested in various reports
that he will resign his portfolio in order to
get into the race for the presidential nomina.
ton. II there is anything in precedent how.
ever, this need not happen. Mr.. Taft re-
manned at his post as Secretary of War in 1908
right up to the time he nominated. But
If President Coolidge should prefer another can.
didate than Mr.. Hoover for the nominate and
should abandon neutral attitude, another sit
uatfon would present itself, and Mr.. Hoover
would retire quickly if he wished TO become a
candidate for the nomna ton.