The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-17
Congressional Committee Disguised With His New
 York Departure
BELIEVES HE'S AFTER
 c. o. P. NOMIN ALTON
Thinks Party Without Roosevelt Will Disintegrate Nationally But May Retain Entity In Several
 Other States
By c. E. STEWART

Washington. August 16.--(Special) Whether Theodore Roosevelt retains suf- ficient power in the progressive party te lead it back to the republican camp, or | whether the progressives now are strong enough 10 stand without him, or even to fight him. was a question considered very seriously today by progressive mem- bers of the House. These 20 members form the progressive congressional com mittee.
 The opinion of these men was almost unanimous that without Roosevelt the progressive party would disintegrate na- tionally but would retain it's individual ity and power in number of states. As long as Penrose remains in power in the l republican party in Pennsylvania, said men from that state, the progressive party will live and will increase in strength. At recent progressive eonven- tion in West Virginia, said Represent tative M. Clyde Kelly of Pennsylvania, the 1200 delegates had decided unani- mously to continue as a third party and not to follow the course adopted by Roosevelt in New York, when he is backing Harvey D. Hinman, republ- can, for governor.
 In Illinois and Kansas and in some other western states it wsa said, the progressive party would survive Roose- velts "defection.' and would nominate it's own ticket in all campaigns.
 Roosevelt Is Wise" Even more significant, however, was 1.-the progressive view of the presiden- 7 tial election in 1916 The progressives in Washington believe that Roosevelt is looking for the republican nomina- tion and already they are discussing possible progressive candidate, with their choice running strongly toward Senator Robert M. LaFollette of Wis CT sin. At the same time, the progress sives here are cautious and object to mention of their names. lest Roosevelt should spring some surprises and crack the whip over their heads
 But in conversation among themselves they go still further and assert that from the viewpoint of principle, EaFo- 1ette would have made far better pro- gressive presidential candidate in 1912 than Roosevelt although they admit he could not have attracted the same num- Der of votes As a former president, they argue Roosevelt already had a sub stantial following. and also he is master campaigner, but the progressives in Con gress do not regard him as imbued with the same conviction and sincerity as La Folette.
 To put it baldly, the progressives here are disgusted with Roosevelt and most of them are hostile to him. Nor do they know at what moment he may turn against some,. or all of them, and back republicans in their districts on the same ground that he has taken in the New York gubernatorial campaign He is playing with both ends against the middle in New York; they see it and they feel he would not hesitate to throw them down if he thought he thereby could make a deal to his own advant- age.
 Think He Blunders
 Nor do they look on Roosevelts move in New York as good politics. espec- idlfy since Hinman has come out in avowed opposition to the initiative, re- ferendum and recall and in implied op- position to woman suffrage. These prin- ciples the progressive Congressmen re- gard as fundamentals in the progressive platform, and they "cannot see' how Roosevelt logically can support a candi- date who positively repudiates them. This course, they figure will alienate all true and sincere progressives and still will not attract to Roosevelt or his hybrid New York party any ever loyal republicans
 Beyond this, they expect Roosevelt.s tactics in New York to kill the pro- gressive movement in the south. where. especially in Louisiana, it has gained strength in the last twos years Demo- crats who never would become repub- licans and yet have joined the progress sive party, will become suspicious and timid at any coalition of progressives and republicans and will return to their original fold. rather than run the risk Of being delivered to the republican party That is the progressive viewpoint at the capitol.
 Virtually all the progressives here now believe that Roosevelt intends to use that party simply for his own political ag- grandizement, and already some are pre- pairing lines of defense against possible attacks from him in their respective dis tricts.