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Hokitika Guardian, 30 July 1920, Page 2

, American newspaper comments on the outcome of the Republican Notional Convention made it even clearer than the cablegrams did at the time that the selection of Senator Harding as th party’s nominee for the Presidency was essentially an affair of machine politics. One New York paper’s initial comment on the event was : “To Republicans, the nomination has come as a dash of cold wpter, and to Denioerats as an unexpected stimulant in w)iat threatened to he a dry year.” It was left to a Democratic journal to speak of “a commonplace and colourless candidate cn a verbose and evasive -platform,” but even Republican organs did not hide their surprise at Mr Harding’s selection. One, which had advocated the nomination of Mr Hoover, observed ihat those who controlled the party machine were evidently afraid to trust that candidate with Presidential powers. “That they very much preferred Collator Harding,” it. added, “is from our point of view, by no means an unmixed compliment to’tlio candidate.” Evidently, in picking a “safe” party .candidate, the Republicans to some extant courted defeat. Given a straight-out contest, there is little doubt that Governor Cox, with his definite stand on the League of Nations issue, and assured of a measure of support from Labour (which is not wholly absorbed in the Third Party) would have excellent prospects of election. 'Hiesc prospects may be clouded to a serious extent, however, by the nomination of Mr ,T. Bryan ns a Prohibition candidate Lathe Presidency. This raises a pos»ibftity, at least, that the vote may b<‘ split with results as damaging as the Republicans suffered when Mr Roosevelt led Progressives out of tile fold.