Evening star., 1927-11-06
Section and Faction and 1923
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

nees. This is true in both the major
parties.
In the Republican party it is the
East against the West, with the farm
aid issue as the chief bone of conten.
ton.
In the Democratic party it is the
North and East against the West and
South, with the wet and dry question
and religious intolerance causing most
of the trouble.
Both the old parties are faced with
the problem of naming presidential
candidates next June. And in both
parties the difficulties are largely over
these sectional issues and prejudices.
So far as the Republicans are con-
cerned, it is quite true that had Presi-
dent Coolidge not made his II do not
choose" statement the probabilities
are his denomination would have been
only a matter of waiting until June.
The farm issue and the feeling be-
tween the East and the West were
there, even with Mr.. Coolidge in the
running. But the Western States
could do nothing against the popu-
lous States of the East and the South
in the Republican national conven-
ton. The withdrawal of Mr. Cool.
ldge has given impetus to the de.
mand of the West for man of its
own in the White House.
X X X X
The East is represented in the con.
test for the Republican nomination
for President by but single man
and he is not making any contest
himself-Charles Evans Hughes of
New York. All the other possible.
ties" prominent in the public eye to-
day are from the Middle West or the
West. They include the Vice Presi-
dent, Gen. Charles G. Dawes of Illi-
nois, Ohio and Nebraska; former Gov
Frank o. Lowden Of Illinois, who
also may claim Minnesota and Iowa
as former residences; Secretary Her
bert Hoover of California, Senator
Charles Curtis of Kansas, Republican
leader of the Senate; Senator George
Norris of Nebraska, pick of the new
Senate progressive group which is
not satisfied with Mr.. Lowden, and
Senator Borah of Idaho, chairman of
the foreign relations committee.
More nearly Fasteners, but still of
the Middle West, are Senator Frank
B. Willis and Speaker Nicholas Long.
worth Of Ohio.
This is quite a field to pit against
a single fastener, even Mr.. Hughes.
There is the President, to be sure, in
the background, and many of the
Republican leaders still fondly hope
to be able to bring about Mr.. Cool
idge's nomination. This hope ebbs
and flows as the days go by. Plots
to bring about the drafting of the
President are as many as the leaves
on the trees in midsummer. There
are two other Fasteners, however,
who are mentioned now and then.
Both are members Of the Senate,
Edge Of New Jersey and Moses of
New Hampshire. 1t may be men,
toned, however, that Mr.. Edge is
distinctly a wet and that Mr.. Moses
is shrewdly suspected of being the
same. AS the Republican party is
expected to espouse the dry cause in
both it's platform and it's choice of
presidential and vice presidential can.
didates, the chances of the last-named
gentlemen do not appear particularly
bright at the present writing.
OF the Western and Middle West
ern Republicans mentioned for the
nomination, Dawes and Lowden both
have been favorable to the McNary-
Haugen farm aid bill, and have made
~ ~ "a
farm organizations thereby. Senators
Norris and Curtis both voted for the
bill in the Senate. Senator Borah,
Senator Willis and Speaker Long
worth, on the other hand, voted
against the bill. Mr.. Hoover is known
to be against the principle of the
equalization fee involved. in the bill.
So it will be seen that even the West
ern and Middle Western candidates
for Republican nomination are not
agreed upon this measure OF farm re.
lief. which is used as a yardst1ck by
certain farm organizations and their
leaders to determine the value of a
candidate to the Western farmer.
Secretary Hoover is the only Re-
publican mentioned for the presi-
Dental nomination IroH the AaCHiS
Coast. Should he win the coveted
honor he would be the first resident
of a Pacific Coast State to do so.
He comes from so far West that he
Is regarded by some of the Middle
Western farmers as an Fastener.
This isn't so much to his advantage
in the Middle West, but helps him in
tha Ioip States OF the East.
X \
A whispering campaign is on in some
quarters against Mr.. Hoover, alleging
that at one time he sought naturaliza-
ton as an Englishman. But the same
charge was made in 1920 when he
was mentioned for the presidential
nomination. The records were
searched in England, and it was Off.
cially reported that no Herbert Hoover
had ever made application for nat.
uralization as an Englishman, and,
indeed, no man by the name Of Hoover
had ever made such application. II
Mr.. Hoover becomes a candidate
and at present he is giving his atten.
ton to his Job as Secretary Of Com
.oarca-do,,bttecs thi9 matter of the