The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-03-10
Whats Going On In G.. O. P?

TlcTo is gong on tbs year an interesting contest
in the Republican party which may make party his
tory. 1t is struggle between professional politicians
and the rank ana tie; and its outcome will depend
whether the party will become democracy CT remain
an autocracy
Hoover is evidently the choice Of the rank and file
Republicans but he is not satisfactory the profess
SIGNALS; and back Of the professionals the 1nan-
cal hackers VINO put up big campaign funds for the
party organization and expect their reward in special
governmental privilege.
These special privileges may take vaMous FORMS
frcIn the granting OF Gil leases to the selection OF
Federal judges and appointments to important diplo-
matte roaions-to say nothing Of special favors i'll
writing tariff legislation
How the game is played never Illustrated bet
tcrl than when The bosses aAd representatives of
financial Interests got together after the convention
in 1870 had been ted up, and came to an agreement
with Harry Daughcrty the nominee Those who
were ehe to SIT IN the deal were the bosses who
controlled votes and could deliver them.
The bosses are trying to play the same game this
year They se ot to get control of State delegations
by putting UP as candidates certain so-called favore
sens For time it looked as if Ohios ffty-one votes
would be gained by putting up Senator Willis as
favcrite son, although his candidacy not taken
seriously OUTSIDE Of his State, and nobody in
Ohio, unless 1t was Willis himself sized him up
presidential timber.
Had, Hoover kept out of Ohio willis would have
walked of with hand-picked bunch of hfty-one
delegates and Carmi Thompson would have been in
petition to go the midnight conference with that
many votes in his vest pocket fully equipped to dicker
and deal with other bosses in the selection Of
didate.
Flowers entry into the Ohio primary campaign
means that the Wils-Thonlpson scheme won't work.
have
turdty on April d. to express their will If Willis
captures half the delegates he will Go remarkably
we'll Anyhow, the delegation will not be made up en-
tireAy of deliverable dummies
While Lowden is considered in States a real
candidate nobody who knows anything about politics
thinks he has any chance at all Of being nominated
It is expected, however, that the Lowden delegates
will go to the bedroom choice after Lowden has had
rim for his money and the bosses are ready to put
on the work.
Dawes is not openly candidate. On the surface
he is supposed to be loyal supporter of Lowden but
the. general belief is that Dawes will emerge from
the5smoke of the midnight conference as the man on
whom the bosses and their hackers will unite and
to whom they will swing the votes Of the favore sons
provided they can get enough votes to beat Hoover
The draft Coolidge" play is part of the game to
beat Hoover 1t is the game Hiles is playing in New
York, Big Bill Thompson in Illinois, and other party
bosses in other States who want to sit in.
AL Of them know Coolidge means what he says and
thai he isn't even receptive candidate. His closest
friends like Giett of Massachusetts, are not in with
thiS game But until he is forced to speak out third
time the cunning bosses may fool some OF the rank
and file and grab of delegates hostile to Hoover
anyhow, that's the gane-to beat Hoover, to pre-
vert choice of rank and file candidate and then
ha4d-pick candidate in conference of party bosses
and financial hackers.
If Hoover WINS, he will have to win in the selec-
ton of delegates. There are seventeen States where
they hold primary elections In those States the rank
end file will have to go to the primary and vote for
delegates they know are sincerely for Hoover.