POLITICAL MACHINE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 10134, 11 June 1924, Page 5

POLITICAL MACHINE

REPUBLSCAN CO^VEMTSOPI

AUTOMATIC ENTHUSIASM.

BRASS BANDS TO HELP.

(Per Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) NEW YORK, June 10. With the calling to order of the Republicans' Convention to-day began I a great quadrennial political circus. | The huge auditorium, seating 14,000 people, presented a particularly colourful picture due to a great number of women. The Convention is especially large since women delegates began to participate in the deliberations. The presiding official had direct telephonic communication with brass bands situated in various parts of the auditorium, and telephoned directions to strike up particular State tunes in order to maintain the proper pitch of feeling among the various groups of delegates. Nothing actually is done on 1 the spur of the moment. Everything is previously planned at the smokefilled leaders' rooms at the various hotels, but the outward appearance of Democracy's sway is excellently maintained. I In this present large-scale picture of successful political showmanship one [striking thing is the passing of the old-time powerful figures who controlled the party. This is the day of new names and new combinations, although swayed by the same philosophy. It is little short of astounding [to note the passing out of Senator Lodge, who for,the past 16 years was a giant behind the scenes as every convention, and Mr Daugherty, who wasdirectly responsible for the nomination of Mr Harding and .various lesserknown men who have retired. Thg j Ohio delegation, of which Mr Daugh|erty is a member, declined to give him 1 the chairmanship. Senator Lodge, who was the Massachusetts delegation's chairman in the past, is now only a simple delegate. The prosent-day figures are Congressman Burton, President Burton, of Michigan University, Mr Butler! (Mr Coolidge's personal manager), and William Stearns, a. Boston merchant, who is Mr Coolidge's confidential adviser. The President is connected with several long-distance telephone wires from Washington and maintains directive I touch with these new forces. Senator (La Follette and, his Wisconsin delegation remains the most bitter irritant in the proceedings here. He has announced that the Convention must repudiate the fall of Daugherty and must commend the Senator for his oil investigations and otherwise do things which cannot be done with the maintenance of essential harmony. The struggle over the final form of the platform continues unabated. The World Court is a question which just now has become the major issue

TRIBUTES TO PRESIDENT.

(Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) NEW YORK, June 10.

The Permaiient Chairman (Mr Mendell), addressing the Convention, intimated congressional disinclination to accept Mr Coolidge's views on the soldiers' bonus, taxation, immigration, and World Court, due to the lack of a dependable Republican majority in the Congress. He said confidence in Mr Coolidgo was most important, and was the outstanding fact in the political situation to-day, and in the presence of an inevitable difference of opinion, on the questions of the moment, this confidence was as fine a compliment to the American people as to the President. ■ Legislative control by stiflling combinations coidd not produce legislative results, beneficial or satisfactory. Every fault in the recent legislations could, and would be avoided had there been a dependable Republican majority in the Congress. The President of the Michigan University, Dr. (Burton, in placing Mr Coolidge's name in the nominations eulogised the President, who he said was marked by a fecundity of ideas and frugality of idioms. The first mark of a public servant was not solely a desire to know what the people wanted but a desire to help people to want what they ought to have. Mr Coolidge was out and out a Nationalist and stood for undiminished, untrammelled independence and the sovereignty of the United States. He believed fairly in the right to, and the value of, labour organisation, but Capital and Labour must pool their interests and work together. He wanted no. more war, and boldly supported the proposal for a world court, but realised that .the United States must adequately prepare on land and sea.

AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.

REPUBULICAN CONVENTION

NEW YORK, June 10

At Cleveland, Mr Burton, a membei of the House of Representatives and temporary chairman of the Republican National Convention, delivered a keynote speech. For the first time, women participated in the Convention, 400 being delegates and alternates. The speaker reviewed the record of the Republican Administration, laying stress on the Washington Conference, the tariff, which had brought a revenue of 200,000,000 dollars more than during any Democratic administration, and the funding of foreign debts. He regretted the enforcement of Japanese exclusion without giving the President time to negotiate with Japan. Farmers had been aideu, but the Republican Party could not subscribe to impractical theories. Economy in public expenditure, and the reduction of taxation, must assume the utmost importance.

The speaker hinted at advocacy of Prohibition enforcement, and condemned the increasing belief that a Government is a paternalistic institution. He protested against the impression that there is widespread corruption at Washing-ton. The Government blamed wnr for weakoninn;'the moral fibre of certain portions of officialdom. He condemned third-party* movements and insisted upon the people's

confidence in President Coolidge. Mr Burton said the United States could not join the League of Nations, but when the time was ripe another Arms, Conference would be called. He recommended participation in a World Court. Vice-Presidential aspirants include Mr H. C. Hoover {Secretary of Commerce), Senator Watson, •of Indiana, General Dawes, who was chairman of the Reparations Expert Committee on Germany's ability to pay, ex-Senator Kenyon, Senator Curtis', Governor Hyde of Missouri, Senator Capper, Dr. Burton (President of the University of Missouri), and ex-Senator Beveridge. Senators Borah and Lowden have declined the honour. The late President Harding's death has impressed the need for carefully selecting a Vice-President able to assume the Presidency during an emergency. The Republican platform is already written, and has been submitted to President Coolidge, who remains at Washington. Three planks expected to give trouble are: Prohibition, Ku Klux Klan, and a World Court. The wet element, led by President Butler, of Columbia University, is expected to stage a sharp though ineffectual, fight to secure modification of the Volstead Law, while Southern Republicans will ask for an expression against the Klan. President Coolidge wants President Harding's World Court, while Republican .Senators fafour Senator Pepper's. On the eve of the Republican Convention, the usual excitement prevails, despite the fact that the chief issues have been already decided and President Coolidge's choice as candidate for the Presidency is a foregone conclusion.

Third party prospects hang as a black shadow. Senator La Follette has made an open threat, and the silence of other Radical Progressive leaders is even more disturbing. The irreconciliable Senatorial leaders are sulking in their tents. Senators La Follette, Johnson and Borah have declined to attend the Convention.

Republican leaders fear a third party may produce a situation where no candidate has a majority of the Electoral College after election, and the House of Representatives may be called upon to choose "a President. Deep and perplexing constitutional questions are involved.

The choice of the Vice-Presidential candidate, which in previous conventions has been a slight and unimportant matter, now has become a serious affair. The present aspirants for office would easily grace the Presidency itself.