Nominators

In naming Presidents there is honor, and, sometimes, craft. Last week the choices of nominators and seconders of the candidates for the coming convention began to be known.

Mr. Coolidge chose for his nominator Marion LeRoy Burton, President of the University of Michigan, an old friend. From 1910 to 1917, Dr. Burton was President of Smith College in Northampton, Mass. Dr. Burton is not a delegate to the Convention. He will be furnished with a proxy in order to make the speech.

William G. McAdoo chose for his nominator former Senator James D. Phelan of California. The significance of the choice was interpreted as: 1) a bid for wet support, since Mr. Phelan, when in Congress, was an advocate of light wines and beers; 2) a bid for anti-Ku Klux Klan support, since Mr. Phelan is a Catholic.

Governor Al Smith, it was believed, had chosen Franklin D. Roosevelt, his campaign manager, to nominate him--a sort of return compliment, since Governor Smith seconded Mr. Roosevelt's nomination for Vice President in 1920. For a seconder of his nomination, Mrs. Charles Dana Gibson, sister of Lady Astor, was suggested.

Governor Silzer, New Jersey's favorite son, so far has secured perhaps the pick of the nominators--Judge John W. Wescott, who placed Woodrow Wilson in nomination in 1912 and 1916. Judge Wescott is a fervent nominator, as his speech (in collaboration with Lord Byron) nominating Wilson testified:

"The North, the South, the East and the West unite in him. Deep calls to deep. Height calls to height.

"From peak to peak, the rattling clouds among

"Leaps the live thunder. Not from one lone cloud,

"But every mountain now hath found a Tongue

"And Jura answers through her misty shroud

"Back to the joyous Alps who call to her aloud."

The following list gives the nominators and seconders of the chief Presidential candidates of recent years:

WILLIAM McKiNLEY--1896 Nominator--Joseph B. Foraker* (Ohio) Seconder--Chauncey M. Depew (N. Y.)-- moved it be unanimous

WILLIAM J. BRYAN--1900 Nominator--William D. Oldham (Neb.) Seconder--Ex-Senator Hill (N.Y.)

THEODORE ROOSEVELT--1904 Nominator--Frank S. Black* Seconders--Albert Jeremiah Beveridge George A. Knight* H. S. Edwards William O. Bradley* Joseph B. Cotton Harry S. Cummings

WILLIAM H. TAFT--1908 Nominator--Theodore E. Burton (Ohio) Seconder--George A. Knight*

WILLIAM J. BRYAN--1908 Nominator--Ignatius J. Dunn (Neb.) Seconder--Ollie M. James* (Ky.)

WILLIAM H. TAFT--1912 Nominator--Warren G. Harding* (Ohio) Seconders--John Wanamaker (Pa.) Nicholas Murray Butler (N.Y.)

WOODROW WILSON--1912 Nominator--Former Judge John W. Wescott (N. J.) Seconders--Alfred Jacques (Minn.) A. Mitchell Palmer (Penn.)

WOODROW WILSON--1916 Nominator--Former Judge John W. Wescott (N.J.) Seconders--Ex-Gov. Harmon (Ohio) Gov. Stuart (Va.)

CHARLES E. HUGHES--1916 Nominator--Charles S. Whitman (then Gov. of N. Y.) Seconders--Leo Weinberg (Ind.) Charles W. Fulton (Ore.)

WARREN G. HARDING--1920 Nominator--Frank B. Willis (Ohio) Seconder--R. B. Creager (Tex.)

JAMES M. COX--1920 Nominator -- Hon. James G. Johnson (Ohio) Seconders--Mrs. Cora Wilson Stewart (Ky.) Senator Pat Harrison (Miss.)