The Washington times., 1912-07-09
H|LLES IS CHOSEN
TO GUIDE MACHINE
N 1872 CAMPAIGN
James B. Reynolds Selected
as Secretary of the Ma
tional Committee.
Continued from First Page.)

The acttcn nf the committee today fol-
lpws. / will 10 my best to further
Republican victory this fall
Hilles Is Sacrificed.
In thus expressing himself Secretary
Hilles spoke by the card. 1t. was not
until every other man mentioned for the
job had declined it because of the re-
alization that 1t was a hopeless, thank
less fight that the committee in charge
decided to draft Mr.. Hilles. Hilles, be-
ing under orders from the President,
was not in a position to refuse when
he received word from his Chief that
1t was up to him to be sacrificed.
The President; as usual was coereS
party. He was told last night by d
committee composed of William Barnes,
jr., and senators Penrose, Crane, and
Root that no man within the ranks OF OF
the "Old Guard" could be persuaded to
accept the discredit of managing his
campaign. Not even Harry Daugherty,
of Ohio, who came to Washington In
q perfectly receptive attitude for the
job could be persuaded to take II, after
he heard the reports given by the poi
iticians assembled representing all sec
tions of the country.
Will Be Conciliatory.
After every man of political expert
ence had been offered the chairmanship.
and hal fatty refused it, because of
the great wave of Taft enthusiasm that
does not exist anywhere, the situation
grew desperate, and it was finally de-
cided to make Hilles the chairman,
willy-nilly. Taft acquiesced in the pro-
gram, and Hilles Will have 10 bear the
odium of defeat after the polls close
His inexperience will afford an excuse
for the poor showing his candidate
manes. Back OF him will work FIVE men
of the "practicar' school OF politics
Thoy will have their own territory to
look after. and it is already conceded
that their prime object will be to keep
intact as far as possible the machinery
so that It may be workable -FOUR years
hence. To save State tickets and local
elections will be their sole purpose.
None of them hopes to carry their night
for Taft.
Came Between Shifts.
The attitude of the Republican party
toward the progressives will be left TO
the discretion of these FIVE division
chiefs. Where the progressives have the
unper hand the policy will be concilia-
tory. Everybody will be asked to let
by-gones be by-gones and whoop 1t up
for the State and Congressional tickets.
Where the old crowd is yet in the sad
die 1t will be the game to drive the
progressives out Of the party. force
them openly to line up with the third
party or the Democrats, and thereby
forever destroy their claim to any right
to sit in Republican councils.
AS an Illustration of this. take two
cases-Oklahoma and Indiana: The
national committee yesterday, through
its subcommittee, refused to chop OFF
the head of George Priestly, national
committeeman from Oklahoma, because
he signed the Roosevelt call for third
party. ~
The committee announced 1t would
not be it's purpose to drive any one
away from the party, but 1t would en-
deavor to keep all progressives within
the party and pull the local tickets
through. This attitude was assumed
because the expulsion of Priestly meant
the expulsion Of the entire Republican
party in Oklahoma, and this the COM
mttee could not afford to do.
In Indiana, where the Taft forces have
control of the organization. 1t is an
nounced today by the leaders no quar-
ter will be shown. Four districts have
elected Roosevelt men as electors, bu
the leaders announce that at the com
ing State convention these electors vii
be ripped" off the ticket and new one:
put in their place. The Progressive
are to be read out Of the party anc
the boards cleared for the old crowC
coming back in 1914 or 1915. without an!
opposition from within their own ranks