Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-21
M|XED-UP POLITICS
Roosevelt PerpIexes Situation
in New York State.
POSSIBILITY Is PUZZElNG
Sherman Said to Have Been Fooled
by Old Guard.
TAFT TELEGRAM SUPPRESSED
President in Peculiar Straits-Vice
President May Have Ignored
Directions.
POSSIBILITY IS PUZZEING
TAFT TELEGRAM SUPPRESSED
special From a stan Correspondent.

Special From STAFF Correspondent.
NEW YORK, August Dwell. your
New York republicans are in a mess for
fair. They are surely between the devil
and the deep blue sea.
1t seems that every step they take they
get deeper into the mire. From leaders
to laymen, republican politicians are In
dire perplexity.
OF course. it's all about Roosevelt.
What else could il be? And Mr. Roose-
welt stands grimly BY at Oyster Bay and
says Its your move" to the republican
leaders, state and national. and especially
national.
1t falls out that when Mr.. Roosevelt
allowed the newspaper correspondents at
Oyster Bay. a day or two after his turn
down BY the state committee, to gather
the impression that he would cut loose
from Taft CONSERVATION was created
among some republicans. You know Mr..
Roosevelt has a way of allowing the
newspapers TO gather impressions with
out being responsible for them # they
don't work out satisfactorily.
Trouble Looms Up.
This time II took" Many republican
politicians Immediately began to see
grave possibilities OF trouble If Roose-
Welt should allow his friends in this state
to think that he is overthrown by the
old guard with the tacit consent or as
sistance of Taft.
Moreover. there has been some ugly
talk IN the past lew days of sharp
practice in that selection OF Vice Presi-
dent Sherman over Roosevelt for tenn
49, ~. <Sa1
that the old guard traded on Taft
name. misled some members of the state
committee. misied Sherman himself and
turned every situation into an asset for
the old guard.
Growing out of these charges has come
a demand that Mr.. Sherman should with
draw and allow Mr.. Roosevelt to be
named temporary chairman. This sug-
gestion has opened a veritable Pandora's
box of troubles in the way of cOntin-
yencies and alternatives, and has put the
pol 0icians in a cold perspiration OF
anxiety.
Possibilities Of Situation.
Al the outset everybody admits that
withdrawal of MIR. Sherman In Mr.. Roose-
velts favor would mean but one thing
That the state convention would be
dominated by Mr.. Roosevelt, the plat
form written by him and candidate
selected who was entirely acceptable to
him. II would mean the eclipse Of TAFT
and the administration. and the annihila-
tion o. the present organization to be
supplanted By one of Mr.. Rooseveits Sc
lection.
Some OF the Presidents friends are not
willing that this should come about. They
think New York should come out en-
phaticaily for Taft and the administra-
tion.
OF course. the old guard grow purple
In the face at the suggestion that they
should knuckle to Roosevelt. 1t would
mean absolute surrender and despoil-
ment.
The reverse Of the shield shows cor
rugations and flaws. IL Taft keeps silent
and Sherman stands pat IL falls out
that. as a result OF the way Mr.. Roosevelt
has framed up the case, II leaves Mr..
Taft in the possible attitude Of being
a party to Rooseyelt's humiliation by
the state committee.
That is not pleasant to Mr.. Taft. Those
on the inside know that he would not
allow himself TO be used to apparently
humiliate Roosevelt.
Dilemma of President.
So what is Mr.. Taft going to do?
Turn on Sherman. the ranking man in
his own administration. and ask him to
step aside for Roosevelt, thereby lend
ing color TO the charge that Sherman's $
selection was made possible by sharp
practice? Or is he to keep silent and
let the impression grow that there are
acute differences between him and
Roosevelt?
In the present state OF the public
mind and growth OF insurgency, how
would the latter course affect the re-
publican party in the campaign? And IL
he does throw Mr.. Sherman out, will
he mollify a sufficient number OF pro-
gressives to counteract the certain re-
sentiment Of the conservatives?
The belief in New York Is that Bev-
erly has q pretty hard problem to
tackle. and that Oyster Bay can have
. Sunday comparatively free from care.
Mr.. Roosevelt denied today that he had
sent Lloyd Griscom To Beverly with an
''uitimatum" 10 President Taft and
added. blandly. that so far as he could
see there was no situation warranting
an ultimatum. There may not be on
the surface.
But IL is widely known i'm political
circles here that Mr.. Roosevelt was ex-
ceedingly indignant over his treatment
BY the state committee and that at
first blush he was inclined TO charge
President Taft with completely in it,
Son-in-law Mick" Longwortn is coming
to Oyster Bay from Beverly 10 give him
facts at first hand. Mr. Griscom is
going 10 Beverly to tell the President
how Roosevelt feels.
Peace Not Impossible.
Out OF these conferences may grow an
amicable understanding. In the mean
time the air Is surcharged with trouble.
One can hear a score of conflicting re-
ports. all tending TO make further trou-
hle.
Another source of unhappiness TO the
republicans is the throwing overheard OF
Speaker Cannon by the President for
so Mr.. Longworths announcement lis re-
garded. In fact, republicans put no
other construction on his delivery at
Beverly than that he was speaking by
the card and for the President.
The effect OF this may be serious TO a
number OF republican candidates for re-
nomination TO Congress In New Jersey
Pennsylvania. New York and New Eng
land. IL is expected that the immediate
result Of the dumping OF Speaker Cannon
will be a crop OF insurgent candidates for
nomination who will put the incumbents
promptly upon the grill and make them
declare for or against Cannon.
Insurgents here say that the President
renunciation Of Cannon Is practical ad.
mission that the cause of the proeressiyes
Is lust and that the administration was
wrong I'm playing I'm with Canno the
last session OF Congress.
The Lcngworth statement came as a
GREAT shock TO the conservatives whe