The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-24
OF Both the Bull Moose and
Republican Parties.
BASIS OF THE MERGER
and PrOgressives in
Congress See the Signs.
They Believe He Is Man to Beat
Democrats.

+, COlOneI IneOQOre Roosevelt is likely
to be candidate, not only of the Bull
| Moose party, but of the Republican
! party, in the presidential campaign
| in 1916. Republican stalwarts who
stood by the Taft-Sherman ticket asst
year, and were bitter in their de-
nunciation of Roosevelt for boiling af-
| ter he was beaten for the nomination
| in the regular convention, are giving
it as their opinion that there will be
! but one leading candidate against
| President Woodrow Wilson three
years hence-or whoever the Demo-
Gratis may nominate-and that the
man will be Roosevelt.
1t is not intended by this assertion
| to convey the impression that there is
| a general feeling that Roosevelt will
| Bull MOOsers, but quite a number of
Republican regulars are becoming
| convinced that the most feasible
scheme of merging the Republican
Roosevelt the candidate on the ground
that at this time, at any rate, he
seems to be the man who most likely
could win. Men like Senator Bradley
of Kentucky, for example; Senator
Sutherland of Utah, and others of the
old guard, who helped President Taft
secure his denomination in 1912, think
this is almost a certain development.
Then, men like Senators Joe Bristow
of Kansas and Borah of Idaho, who
are styled Progressive Republicans,
are also beginning to regard the nomi-
nation of Roosevelt by the two fac
lions of Republicans quite likely,
and that the movement for a coalition
of the Republicans and Bull MoOS-
ers will develop rapidly within the
next year or two and make it GER
tain that the Republicans will be a
reunited party, even though its name
is changed to something like Progress
sive Republican or New Republican.
There Must Be a Merger.
The significance of this reasoning
is that both Republicans and Progress
sives realize that there must be a
merger of their parties if there is ever
to be prospect of dislodging the
Democrats from power in national af-
fairs. Undoubtedly the desire to a
minority party is responsible for this
sentiment in favor of coalition and of
the feeling that Roosevelt is the man
who, according to present conditions
would stand the best chance of being
the nominee.
Singularly enough, prominent Dem
ocrats are thinking pretty much the
same way as Republicans and Bull
Moosers. and feel that the man against
whom they will have to make their
hardest fight in 1916 is Theodore
Roosevelt. Most of the Republicans
who ascribed the sorry condition of
their party to Roosevelt's bolt last
year would much rather see him alb
solutely eliminated, and, of course, a
large number of them will do their
best to prevent his acceptance by the
Republicans as their candidate. But
political expediency seems more like
ly to govern the action of the party in
1916 than d spirit of revenge or re-
taliatiOn.
Few senators We're willing to be
quoted on the matter at this time.
Most of the Republicans are away for
a rest. Senator Bradley has long been
of the opinion that Roosevelt was
"a pidly becoming the most available
man to reunite the Republican party
in 1916.
If Nominated Will Be Elected.
Senator Burton sof Ohio looked
thoughtful when the matter was sug-
gested to him, and remarked: with
out committing myself, there is one
thing to be said in favor of the sug-
gestion of Roosevelt as the Republi-
can candidate in 1916-if nominated,
he certainly will be elected"
Senator Sherman of Illinois was
Roosevelt delegate at large at the
Chicago conference, called last sum-
mer by Senator Cummins to work out
a plan for recognizing and reuniting
the Republican party. Senator Sher-
man did not follow Colonel Roosevelt
into the Progressive party last year,
and he was not disposed to discuss
the suggestion of Roosevelt's name for
1916 when the subject was mentioned.
But his close friends say that he would
probably be found in sympathy with
carried on within the Republican par
ty organization.
CumminS Has Troubles of His Own.
Senator Cummins of Iowa, who had
been the prime mover in the reorgan-
ization plan. may be a candidate for
the Republican nomination in the
event that he is reelected to the sem
ate But he has a hard fight ahead of
him next year and his friends do not
expect that he will become formula
BILE factor for the nomina ton. The
senator is now out of the city va
cation. He has discussed the Roosevelt
talk with his colleagues and it is
known that he looks upon Col. RooSe-
welt as likely to be a strong factor in
the Republican plans for 1916. When
the possibility of Roosevelt's nominal
ton by the Republicans in 1916 was
suggested to Senator Kenyon of Iowa
just before he left Washington a few
days ago that senator replied that
Roosevelt might prove to be the proper
man to reunite the Republicans
The Chicago Conference.
Senator Wesley Jones of Washington,
who, with Senator Cummins, is men,
Der of the sub committee that is act
ing for the Chicago conference in the
matter of bringing about a nationwide
conference by call of the Republican
national committee to consider plans
for rehabilitating the Republican party,
made 1t clear that the movement with
which he is identified is not designed
to forestall Roosevelt. He declared
that the object of the conference was
to restore the Republican party in pow
er. Asked if Republican convention
in 1916 could be brought to the point of
accepting Roosevelt's platform of last
year, Mr.. Jones replied that nearly all
Republicans could subscribe to the
planks in that platform. with probably
the exception of one. namely, the recall
of judicial decisions.
Regulars Seem to Favor 1t.