Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 June 1920 — G.O.P. DELEGATES FOLLOW LEADERS [ARTICLE]

G.O.P. DELEGATES FOLLOW LEADERS

Republican Convention No Long- - er a Gathering of Leaderless Men. OLD GUARD AT THE HELM Chairman Lodge Geta the Machlnd Running According to Program—* Delegates Do as They Are Told.

By WRIGHT A. PATTERSON.

Convention Hall, Chicago, June IL —lt is no longer proper to refer to this as a lenderless convention. The delegates have passed through the various stages of their education, have received their diplomas and given evidence that they have learned to follow the leaders. And there are leaders now, not one but a number of them. They are the men who have been leading the Republican party for some years. Thein number Includes Senators Lodge, Penrose*—who Is not present but whose influence Is here —Knox, Watson, McCormick, Johnson,, Borah, former Senator Murray Crane, and several oth; ers who have been prominent In the councils of the party. The leaders are by no means men who were novices In the game of national politics when this convention opened. The delay In getting down to business was a disagreement among the leaders on the subject of the League of Nations. There had been much talk about opposition from high places if the convention Indorsed the league with reservations, and there was further talk of opposition from other high places If the convention did not Indorse the league with reservations; In the end It was so fixed that each delegate and each voter might interpret the league plank as best suited his taste, and of the 984 delegates there were not ten men who voted against Its adoption.

Delegates Do as Told. At the Wednesday morning session! Chairman Lodge seemed to have everything running smoothly and according to program. The delegates werei doing as they were told, and without any argument. When the convention met, the first and only business on the program was the adoption of the platform, but the platform was not ready. Up to that time the leaders had radically disagreed, and It was Accessary to give them more tlnfe. Senktor McCormick appeared for the platform committee and asked that the convention adjourn until four In the afternoon, and Chairman Lodge called for the ayes and noes on the motion to adjourn. A part of the delegates at least promptly voted as they were told, but the vast audience of some 12,000 people promptly voted “no.” They had.' fought and pleaded for or purchased convention tickets for that session and did not propose to be satisfied with any 16-mlnute performance. It took a consultation of leaders at the back of the speakers’ stand to decide what to do, but in the end it was ruled that "the ayes seem to have it; the ayea havd it,” and the session adjourned, as It was planned that'it should. At the afternoon and evening session there occurred only one evidence of insubordination on the part of any considerable number of the student delegates. -The roll was called for the naming of the new national committeemen. Georgia reported the name of Henry Lincoln Johnson, the negro who was alleged to have received $9,000 for Lowden organization purposes in his state. Other members of the state delegation objected and Georgia was passed for the time being. After Chairman Lodge had called upon the delegates of the convention to vote their approval of the members of the new committee with the exception of the member from Georgia, he ordered a roll call of the delegation of that state for the purpose of deciding the controversy. Henry Lincoln Johnson was the choice of a majority of the delegation, including his own vote. The chairman then asked for a vote of approval or disapproval of the delegatee of the convention on the member from Georgia. There was a roar of "ayes” and an equally loud roar of “noes.” Another conference was held at the back of the speakers’ stand, after which it was announced “the ayes have it.”

Roll Call ts Refused. The decision brought a vociferous and insistent demand for a roll cal), but the chair ruled a roll call out of order and the convention settled down for another long wait for the repo’t of the committee on resolutions. By the time this is off the press the balloting will have begun. The wild guesses as to the initial strength to be shown by each candidate will have

been forgotten in the light or actualities. Just how long the balloting will continue no one knows. It may be four and It may be forty ballots, and whether the delegates are going to continue to do as they are told, as they have done in connection with the formalities and minor questions of the convention, or whether they are going to think and vote as they please, is yet to be determined. There is one thing that is fairly sure at this writing, and that is that the delegates will not be told bow to vote until after several ballots have been taken. If at all.