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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 18, 1920)
TUB NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. HOW WARREN G. HARDING WAS NOMINATED BY THE REPUBLICANS Story of the National Convention at Chicago, the Struggle to Build a Platform and the Selection of a Ticket. GOVERNOR COOLIDGE GIVEN SECOND PLACE Wood, Lowden and Johnson, Leaders in the Early Balloting, Eliminated at the Behest of a Senatorial Coterie and a Dark Horse Wins the Race. &y EDWARD W. PICKARD. For President WARREN G. HARD INQ of Ohio. For Vice President CALVIN COOL IDGE of Massachusetts. There Is the ticket with which the Republicans hope mid intend to regain possession of the national government next fall. For president, n mnn from the home mate of many presidents, a statesman of long experience and solid reputa tion, who has heen a member of the United States senate since 1014, a incmher of the "old guard" who stands well with the Hepnhlleans who are In control of the senate. For vice president, the inventor of the Hay state, who was virtually un known to the nation at large until the strike of Boston policemen and his vig orous course In Its suppression gave hltn a vast amount of publicity and made him the favorite son of Massa chusetts In tlie balloting for first place on the ticket. Theso gentlemen now stand hefore the electors of the country on a plat form that Is so broad that It embraces nearly every topic and Issue of the day, though there are those who assert that In some places the planks are perilously thin. Its builders, how ever, maintain that there Is no danger of the candidates falling through the weak spots, and It may he that, with seme Judicious straddling and side-stepping, this will prove true. 8trugglp Over the Platform. Seldom, If ever, has the choice of n presidential candidate heen so close ly connected with the building of the platform or It might he more exact to 'say the rejection of a candldute. For if Hiram Johnson and his sup porters could have compelled the adop tion of Just the plank they demanded on the League of Nations Issue, the California senator, and he alone, could with consistency have consented to before the people standing on the plat form.' As It was, his threat to bolt the party caused a long deadlock In the de liberations of the committee on reso lutions nnd at Inst forced the adop tion of a njunk based on the cabled suggestion of Ellhu Root. That wise man had gone to Europe, hut kept In closo touch with the doings In Chi cago and at the crucial moment his plan was presented to Johnson, Borah, McCormlck and the other "Irrcconcll obles" nnd accepted by them. . The resolution as finally Incorpo rated In the platform, and swallowed by tho convention, almost without a quiver, completely avoids any pledge to ratify tho treaty of peace and the league covennnt with or without reser vations, strongly Indorses tho action of the Hcpubllcan senators In that re gard and promises thut tho party will work for some kind of International arrangement for the peaceful adjust ment of disputes between nations with out tho sacrltlco of American sov ereignty. Thus, as will be seen, tho way Is loft open for an administration elected on this platform to do almoBt anything It sees tit In this regard, ex cept to ratify a treaty and league cov enant such ns President Wilson brought homo from Paris. Wilson's Policies Scored. For tho rest, the phitform, In brief, scores President Wilson and the Dem ocratic administration for their uupre pnrcdncss for war and for tho equally unprepared condition of the nation for tho reception of peace. Denouncing the autocratic assumption of author ity by the president, the platform pledges tho restoration of constitution al government. Tho Republican con gress Is prulsed for Its efforts to cope with tho problems caused by the presi dent's course. Tho farmers gained their requested support for extension of farm loans and the right to engage In co-operative marketing and buying. Tho Industrial plank was tho sub ject of much discussion. Some of the committee members, presumably speak Ing for big business, favored a plonk for tho prevention of Htrlkes by law. Governor Allen and others wunted tho Kansas Industrial court plan Indorsed. And I'resldent Gompers traveled all tho way to Chicago to tell the com mittee what kind of plank the Ameri can Federation of Labor demanded. None of theso requests were satlslled, but tho plunk adopted recognizes tho Justice of collective bargaining and continues: "Tho strike, or tho lockout, oh n means of settling Industrial disputes, Inflicts such loss and suffering on the community as to Justify government Initiative' to reduce Its frequency and limit Its consequences. "We deny tho right to strike against the government ; but the rights and In terests of all government employees must he safeguarded by Impartial laws and tribunals." On Economy and H. C. of L. The failure of the administration to retrench during the post-war period and the addition of thousands of swi vel chair warmers are derided and the party pledges Itself to a policy of economy and a carefully planned re adjustment. The need of an execu tive budget and condemnation of the presidential veto that defeated this llnanclal reform was coupled with caustic characterization of the man ner In which the president, according to the Republicans, clings to his war time powers1. Kovlslon of taxation also Is demanded. Coming to the great Issue of the high cost of living, the committee drew up a declaration to the effect that the present conditions are the hesult of nn Intlotlon of the currency and of credit which the party pledges Itself to correct by deflation, the pre vention of unreasonable profits and the stimulation of private thrift by a change in the Income tax law. The party reaffirmed Its belief In the pro tective tariff, and pledged the encour agement of an American merchant ma rine by the application of the work man's compensation act and the ex emption from canal tolls of the mer chant marine. Profiteering was condemned, govern ment ownership of railways opposed, waterways encouraged nnd the regula tion of industry and commerce prom- Mrs. Warren G. Harding. Isi-d In order to prevent monopolies. R sumption of trade relations- with every nation with, which America Is at peace was pledged. No chnnges were prom Ised In the existing Immigration laws, hut the bettering of naturalization laws was pledged, and tho party went on record as favoring a policy by which American women who marry foreigners shulhnot lose their citizen ship. The government's authority to deport and exclude undesirable aliens was upheld, but asurnnce was given that the rights of free speech, free press and freo assembly will not be abridged. What They Said of Mexico. A largo number of minor1 topics were handled In tho platform, nnd then come the nlank on Mexico. It dealt very severely with President Wilson's policy nnd pledged that the party will not recognize any Mexican govern ment unles tho lives and property of Americans there are protected. Ar niepla came next in the list of planks. Deep sympathy was expressed for the Armenians, hut the president was condemned for asking for authority to accept an Armenian mandate and It wns added that tho Republican party was unalterably against the acceptance of a mondte for any. country In Eu rope or Asia. The men who fought In the great war were assured of the party's deep gratitude and were promised liberal legislation for the care of the d's abled, Infirm and dependents. Though William Jennings Bryan was present throughout the entire life of the convention with tho n vowed pur pose of persuading the Republicans to Insert a "dry" plank In their plat form, he failed possibly because the timely decision of the Supreme court seemed to render unneeesary any ex pllclt declaration. The convention merely declared that all laws should be enforced, and let It go at that. Women and Irish Dlsplenjed. Two other e'enicnts also were disap pointed. These were the suffragists 9k life- ;4 Vidl Republican Nominees a fc3 ' J-T-VC - rT" I 1 l I WARREN G. HARDING and the friends of the Irish "republic." I The former, under the leadership of I the heads of the woman's party, were in Chicago In strength and during the entire week maintained around the Coliseum a line of pickets hearing banners that warned the Republicans that the women demanded the fran chise and would lie satisfied with no less. A plnnk was Inserted In the plat form urging Republican legislatures thnt have not acted to ratify the suf frage amendment, but this did not op pease the ladles. In the Inst few mo ments of,the last session they dropped from a balcony u great yellow banner on which was the statement that they wanted votes, not planks. As for the Irish, they, too, made a big demon stration In Chicago and De Valero, the president of their "republic" was there to deliver u speech hefore u great gath ering. Hut something went wrong with the plans; and the plnnk which was tentatively shaped for the platform suited them so little that It was omit ted entirely and nothing pnt In Its plnce. There was n story that this resolution had been drawn up by Jus tice Cohnlan of New York In the hope thnt it would bo unsuitable and that tho Democrats In San Francisco would bo enabled to take advantage of the circumstance. So, though considerable space has perforce been given to the platform of the Republican party, It Is not because It must be considered as a great or a particularly strong pro nouncement. Lots of men and wom en In the party are far from please" with ninny parts of It, and It must be . .....x .1 -I. ..H.wl r fit, l cnmcsNcu uiai mo wim-i hur-u m nnvoni' who was crazed with enthusi asm oveu It. The story of this convention would be Intensely Interesting If one Could tell nil the truth about the secret in fluences Hint governed Its actions. On the surface It was not a very excit ing affair, and the enthusiastic out bursts that characterized some of Its sessions appeared too often to lie face tious. For five days the 1 '1,000 dele gates, alternates, seat-holders and pos sessors of tickets that allowed them to stand about' the few open places nnd hompor.evoryone else gathered faith fully In the Coliseum, prepared to howl with glee fiver expected contests nnd triumphs. But most of 'the time all they could do wns to cheer for their favorite on occasion nnd try to keen up with the strong-lunged cheer nnd song leader who had heen brouKht up from Camp Devens. Bossed by Senators, From the Hist it was heralded as that most unusual thing, nn unbossod convention. All the experts asserted that the delegates were going to do ns they pleased and that the old-time leadership was Impotent. For a day or two this seemed true, but then the sennte coterie got Into action, nnd from that lime to the end what was done was generally what it wished done. To start with Senator Lodge was selected as temporary chairman, and was continued permanently In the place, tho entire temporary organiza tion being retnlned. On the all-Important committee on resolutions there were numerous senators? and ex-senators, and they pretty much dlctuted the makeup of the platform. In the selection of tho ticket their Influence wus seen and felt In every move anil every shift of votes, clenr down to the moment when Senator Harding re ceived the ballots that made him the convention's choice. All this- time the greatest of the old-time party bosses still olive. Senator Boles Penrosv. lay on a sick bed In his Philadelphia home. But a direct telephone wire was run Into that room and there was scarcely an hour "f the day or night when he was not In communication with his friend. John T, King, lie knew nil that was going on. nnd It Is fair to assume that In most cases be knew beforehand thnt It was going to go on. What happened, happened because ho willed that It should happen. This is not written exactly in criticism, for It may he that what Penrose decreed will suit the party and result In Its victory In November. But the fact cannot be blinked that some emlment Democrats who attended the conven tion went away with grins of satisfac tion decorating their faces. Lodge Was Too Scholarly. To go back to the beginning again, something must be said of the keynote address by Chairman Lodge. It was one of the most scholurly efforts of Its kind, and the great mass of the dele gates, to say nothing of the nudlenne, utterly failed to comprehend It. The senator did not once descend to the level of most of his hearers, nnd con sequently he foiled to orouse any greut measure of enthuslnsm. It was noticeable that this address, as well as every other speech nnd the platform as well, devoted Its denunci atory passages not to the Democratic party, lis Is usually the caw, but to President Wilson. It wns always his ucts and his policies thnt were con demnedand the language used In dealing with him wns scorching. Of course, tlie reason ror tins is tnnt, from the viewpoint of the Republicans, Mr. Wilson has been the Democratic party for tlie last seven years. Tlie first day found three candidates In the forefront of the race for the nomination, nnd while tlie prelimi naries were completed their workers were straining every nerve tnv hove them make tlie best possible show on the first ballot. These men were (inv entor Lowden of Illinois. General Leonard Wood, and Senator Hiram Johnson of California. From their elaborate headquarters In the hotels swarms of men and women flocked to the Coliseum with banners nnd but tons and literature. Each of them was certain of victory for public con sumption but each of them knew in hls'heart that he could not win If the senatorial bosses had their way. All the rest of the possible candidates really ranked as dark horses. They included Herbert Hoover. Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler of Columbia university, Gov. Calvin Coolldge of Massachusetts, Senator Polndexter of Washington, Senator Howard Sutherland of West Virginia, Governor Sproul of Pennsyl vania. Senator Philander Kijox of Pennsylvania and Senator La Follette of Wisconsin. A long enough list In all conscience. From these dark horses. It was predicted, would emerge the winner, nnd the prophecy wns ful filled. Routine Work, Then Oratory. It required three doys to get through wtlh the preliminary work of the gath ering and to have the platform built, read and adopted. The latter took place tin Thursdny. As bos been said, the resolutions met with nhnost unani mous approval. A young man from Milwaukee wos the only dissenting member of the committee and he pre sented a minority report thnt embodied many of the policies advocated ' y La Follette. The audience did not want to hear him and he took advantage of their Impatience to try to place him self In the position of n mnrtyr, but Chnlrmon Lodge cleverly forestalled this, and the mlnortly report wns speedily dumped Into the waste basket. Friday was the day of oratory. Men who thought themselves eloquent and other who renlly were eloquent mount ed the speoker's platform In procession throughout most of the day to place before the convention the names and qualifications of the candidates. In many cases women, were among those who seconded the nominations, nnd usually- they acquitted themselves much more to the satisfaction of their henrers than did the men. for they were brief, snappy and graceful of address. On the roll cnll of states Arizona yielded to Kansas, and Governor Hen ry J, Allen stepped up to nominate General Wood. Though obviously nervous and not quite adequate of voice, be did his excellent subject full ustlcey setting forth specially the line record the general had made In Culm and tho Philippine", nnd his pre pnredness for war when the great conflict broke out, CALVIN COOLIDGE "We heard from him no platitudes about a million men springing to arms over night," cried Allen, nnd everyone strained for n look nt Mr. Bryan, who sot In the press stand close to the spenker. The governor went on to describe Wood's skillful training of on army and his unselfish and uncomplaining devotion tq. duty when he wns kept from going to Europe In command of the boys whom he hud tnught how to fight nnd conquer. He nlso recounted the general's success In quelling labor nnd race disturbances within the last yenr or so, and dwelt on Ills popular ity with the very -men whom he had been sent to quiet. Wood's Feathery Ovation. As the governor touted speuKing n storm of applause broke out, nnd nn other storm of red and green feathers i from the ratters till over the House. The Wood delegates marched through the aisles, led by Boveridge of Indiana and Frank Hitchcock, and the tumult continued for half an hour "ir woou urops leatners, l suppose Johnson will drop light wines and beers from the ratters," laughed Mr Bryun, and someone sold : "Get your cup ready then, Willlum." The demonstration was calmed nt last really It did not seem very spon taneousand after Frank Knox of New Hampshire had made a seconding speech, the lirst of the convention's woman orators nppeured. She was Mis. Corlnne Roosevelt Robinson of New York, sister of the late Colonel Roosevelt. With much of the colonel's lire aud vim, she told why Leonard Wood should be the next president, and she told It so well that prolonged np plause rewnrded her efforts. Governor Lowdeu'ts turn came next, and the honor of presenting his name was entrusted to Congressman Roden berg of Illinois, a big man with a big voice who made in old-fashioned speech that hit the audience In the right way. He, too. had an excellent subject, whose cause wus huudleupped only by the revelations of excessive expenditures brought out by the sen ate committee at the Instigation of Johnson nnd his friends. Lowden's ovation outlasted that for Wood, but was :fo more enthusiastic. It wns featured by a display of ban tiers nnd portraits of the candidate and by n pretty girl In a cerise sweat er who wns carried on men's shoulders nt the head of the parnders. Lowden, too, had a woman among his second ers, Mrs. Fletcher Dobyns of Chicago, a clever politician and good speaker, Then Governor Morrow of Kentucky told why the Republicans of his stnte loved Lowden nnd wanted him for president. Johnson's Spopser a Failure, Charles S. Wheeler of San Francisco hod been dcputwl to place Senator Johnson In nomination, and much was expected of him, because a reputation for llery eloquence had preceded him But, though his address was smooth aud his voice pleasing, he scored the worst failure of the entire convention. He evoked some cheering from the gal lerles by u denunciation of the League of Nations, but soon after made the gross mlstnke of twitting the reservn tlonlsts on having been worsted by Johnson in the committee on resolu Hons. The delegates did not relish that, nor did most of the 'others in the boll. Then he mode nn unfortu nate allusion to the campaign expendi ture revelations, and as those had hit most of the candidates, their friends .resented It with boos and hisses. Mr, Wheeler smilingly united for the rou te cease, and proceeded to finish an address that was fully twice as long as It should hnve been. His poor per formance cast n wet blanket on the planned demonstration, and the Cali fornia delegates, nccompanled by n few others, marched rather sndly through the aisles, listlessly waving flogs. Far better than Wheeler's was the speech for Johnson by Thomas D. Scholl, the blind congressman from Minneapolis, and better, also, were the brief talks by Richard Dohcrty of New .Torsey, Charles I. O'Ncll of Michigan and Mrs. Kathcrlnc Phillips Edson of California. Now begnn the parade of dark horses. They were led forth us fol lows: Calvin Coolldge, by Speaker Gillette of the house of representatives nnd Mrs. Alexander Pelffcr; Butler, by Ogden Mills of New York; Prltchnrd,. by Marlon Butler of North Carolina; Hoover by Judge Nathan L. Miller of New York; Harding, by Frank Willi of Ohio; Sproul, by William I. Schnf fer; Polndexter, by George II. Walker and Sutherland, by Joseph M. Sunders. When Wisconsin was reached on tho roll cnll the clerk paused expectant ly, but no ono nppenred to nominate" La Follette, and the crowd seemed) grateful. Balloting Is Begun. The powers thnt were decreed that several ballots should be taken thnt day before adjournment, nnd In nn ex cited hush the call of the states wns, begun.' Tlie hush did not Inst, how ever, for every considerable vote for any one aspirant wus greeted with the cheers of his friends. As hnd been foretold, Wood led on the first ballot with 287 voses. Lowden wns second with 211, and) Johnson gathered In 133. The oth ers In general werenccorded the votes of their home states and n few more. Of the Wisconsin delegation 24 voted for Ln Follette; nnd it mny ns wen be recorded here that those 24 dele gates kept voting for La Follette. to the bitter end. And every time the announcement wus greeted with groans- and hisses from the gnllerlcs. In the following three ballots Wood! climbed to 314, which the wise ones said wns about his maximum strength. Lowden nlso Incrensed his vote, going up to 289, while Johnson reached 140. The votes for the dark horses did not vary to nny great ex tent though Butler lost steadily nnd Prltchnrd soon dropped out entirely. 1 1 By this time everyone was rendy for n rest nnd the convention adjourned to Saturday morning. The Break to Harding. The croud filled the Coliseum to suffocation on whnt was destined to be the final day of the convention, for It wns felt that the conferences of the preceding night would be fruitful. The senntorlnl coterie hnd been In ses sion ninny hours nnd the word wnj pnssed around thnt they had picked on Harding as the nominee. In the- early ballots of Saturday theOhlooni did not gain rapidly, and all were- waiting for the hioment when the big delegations from New York, Pennsyl ynnln nnd Massachusetts would find the time ripe for n break. The men. from the Keystone state had been, voting almost solidly for Sproul, for the bosses were not decided between him nnd Harding. And the New YOrkers renlly did not know to whom to throw their strength. Johnson's vote dwindled gradually. and-then the Lowden column suddenly begnn to go t'o pieces. He was- really the victim df the shift, for the Wood delegations stood by the general almost to the last moment. On the ninth ballot It wns seen that Harding could be "put across," so the uncer tain ones climbed Into the band wag on on the tenth nnd gave the Ohio senator a grand total of 074, which was 181 more than necessary to nom inate. The hubbub was deafening nnd nfter Pennsylvania put 00 votes In the Hard ing column the clerks could scarcely complete the roll call. At Its f.nlsh the usual motion to make the choice unanimous wns made, but' those 24 La Follette men from Wisconsin voted In the negative nnd marred the love feast. Coolldge Gets Second Place. There still remained the task of selecting n vice presidential candi date. Senntrfr Lenroot of Wisconsin, Governor Allen of Kansas, Governor Coolldge of Massachusetts and Col. Harry Anderson of Virginia were placed In nomination nnd the roll of the states wns called. Lenroot re ceived a good vote, but Coolldge was the evident favorite and long before the roll wns completed his nomination was assured. The 24 La Follette men voted for Senutor Gronnn. With some difficulty Cholrmnn Ledge, whose voice was gone, managed to hold the delegates together long enough to pass tho usual resolutions of thanks to the officials of the convention and to the city of Chlcngo, and then the republican convention of 1020 came to an end. Convention Well Handled. The management of the convention hnll reallv deserved thanks, for the seating, tho policing and the other arrangements were the best ever seen in such gatherings. The Coliseum was handsomely decorated and well lighted and the comfort of the delegates nnd guests wns as well looked after as could be expected. Of course the usual swarm of sergeants nt arms wns pres ent, clogging up the aisles and get ting In the way of the workers, but thnt Is inevitable, for tho distribution of those bodges Is a perquisite of the locnl Republicans. It was no worse this time than usual. The doors were In chnrgo of a force of ex-service men under the command of General Ryan, oiftl their work wns done with military efficiency. Everyone had good things to sny about the music supplied by Johnny Hand's band, which wns stationed in a lofty little gallery. On occasion It wos led by John Hand third, a sturdy chap In brilliant uniform who used the hnton presented to his fnt'her, Armln Hand, by Theodore Roosevelt at the Progressive convention. It was made of wood from trees on the "River of Doubt," which the colonel discovered. iCopyrlfitit, 1920. Vtern Newipapsr Union.) B