The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1928-06-07
THIS STATE
MAY DECIDE
NOMINATION
Close Contest at K. G. May
be Won to Hoover by i
Washington Votes, is
Hope of Ed Sims, his
State Manager.
Ry Richard Hamilton

By Richard Hamilton
Will it fall to Washington's II
delegates to the Republican ma
tional convention at Kansas City,
June IL, to clinch the nomination
of Herbert Hoover for president !?
This question is being raised by
Ed SIMS, state manager of the
Hoover campaign and chairman OF
the national delegates, who sees
the possibility of Washington win
ming the enviable distinction at
Kansas City.
Sims, like many others, is bank
ing on Hoover winning on an early
ballot. It will take $40 votes to
carry the nomination and the Hoo
yer people are claiming from 4S9
to $50 votes. That, of course,
means that a close margin NOM
inatiod is in the cards. Now, then,
Washington votes near the foot of
the roll call, just about at the
point where Hoover will win, if
he wins. Naturally the thing will
be settled before roll call, but, SO
far as the public record is conern-
ed, the victory will be won on the
floor. So Mr.. Sims has bunch
that when he arises to say "Whsh-
ington casts II votes for Herbert
Hoover!" the Hoover majority will
be reached, the crowd will roar,
pick up state banners and march
disorderly-the usual scene when
a political convention settles big
fight. Anyway, Mr.. Sims is entitl-
ed to his dreams and his hopes.
But there is drummed-up sus-
picion that Hoover will not make
the grade. Some keen politicians
and capable political observers are
passing the word that Hoover is
stopped; he can't make it!'' In
fast, there are some among Wash
ington's delegates who share this
feeling and hope it is true. They
would prefer to- nominate Vice
President Dawes, largely on the
theory that he would be a more
colorful rival for Governor "Al"
Smith. who seems to be headed for
the democratic nomination. Conse-
quently, there is some speculation
as to where Washngton's delegates
will swing if Hoover falls short.
It must be conceded, for the mo-
ment at least, that Hoover has
the edge, but there is also chance
that he will be stopped. There
fore, how will Washington's dele
gates divide if Hoover is elimin-
ated? Chareles Hebberd, Mark
Reed, Ralph Metcaf and Sims will
hold this states delegates to the
last ditch, but if there is a break.
it looks as if Washington's dele
gates will favor Dawes, notwith-
standing the fact that Lowden won
some support in the Fourth Con-
gressional district. Of course. an
unmentioned clark horse" might
emerge, but as things now stand
Washington's delegates can be re-
garded as Hoover first and Dawes
second.
The states national delegates
have another fight on their hands
"a move to prevent Senator Click
Condor from holding the office of
national committeeman. Condor
was seemingly chosen by the Re-
publican state convention at Yaki-
ma, but under the prevailing sys-
tenn. the state convention merely
dominates and the national dele
gates actually elect the national
committeeman. Condor, it will be
recalled, nosed out S. A. Perkins
Of Tacoma when Spokane,s go
votes, bound by the unit rule, were
cast for him. Now the complaint
is that most of Spokane's dele
gates favored Condor, but that
the tally was wrong-the unoffic-
ial charge being that Guy Croft,
Spokane's resourceful political
worker. changed his voice and vot-
ed "Condon" for several absentee
delegates. SO E. r. Ennis, hand
ling the fight on Condor, is round
ing up affadauits and claims he
will show the national delegates
that Spokane's vote was really for
Perkins.
1t was recently made clear by
Senator Metcalf, Tacoma, that Per-
kins would not participate in the
fight on Condor, declaring he
would not take the place even if
Condor were disqualified. But 9TH
ers apparently intend to go ahead.
So the national delegates are some
what puzzled as to what course to
take if Spokane produces enough
sworn statements to S how that
Condor won by faxed votes. The
contest will have to be decided at
Kansas City.
State Senator Billy Conner of
Seattle has become a candidate for
lieutenant governor, thereby max
ing public a rift in the organiza-
tion behind Governor Hartley.
There are now three out for the
republican Observation-Disclosures
(rnUorpn,s t.