The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-07-30
NEW TURN
IN POLITICS
Democrats Trying to At
tract the Progress
sives
BREAK WITH SULLI-
VAN IN ILLINOIS
Party is Flirting With Pin
chot in Pennsyl-
vania

Washington, July 30.--Democratic po'
litical advisers close TO the president are
uietly at work devising ways and
means whereby to attract to the presl'
dents standard the apparently disinte,
grating Progressive party. Whether this
miracle can be accomplished remains to
be seen. 1t is learned that men high in
the presidents councils are seriously
considering the proposition not only as
matter OF expediency but also as a
practical and businesslike way out OF a
bad situation.
Joseph E. Davies, who is both commits.
sioner of corporations and secretary OF
the Democratic national committee, has
abandoned his support of Roger sullivan,
Democratic nominee for senator from IL
linois, and is quietly working in the in
terests of Raymond Robbins, the Pro-
gressive candidate. The significance Of
this move is great because of the services
rendered by Sullivan at Baltimore to
the Wilson cause. Three months ago,
although Mr.. Bryan had at that time
come out against sullivan, there were
many In the administration and among
its advisors who believed that Sullivan
was the man to tie to. One of these was
Davies. For this reason the administra-
ton refused to indorse the candidacy OF
Carl s. Vrooman, the brilliant new
conner into the Illinois senatorial race.
Mr.. Vrooman has since withdrawn and
has announced that he will support
Robbins.
The Pennsylvania situation Is an in
teresting instance in point. Word comes
to Washington from the scene OF the
senatorial race in Pennsylvania that
Penrose and Pinchot. respectively the
Republican and Bull Moose candidates,
are doing all the fighting and that Rep
resentative Palmer, the Democratic nom
inee has to all intents and purposes quit
the campaign, keeping up merely nom
inal fight. 1t is believed here that the
administration does not want to fight
Pinehot and would be glad to see him
elected over Penrose, though that pos
sibility is remote. The persistent runor
that Attorney General McReynolds may
be appointed to the supreme court va
cancy and that Mr.. Palmer may be asked
to become attorney general in his place
lends color TO the theory that symps-
thetic amalgamation between the VIII
son Democrats and the Progressives is in
prospect. In several other states similar
situations have arisen.
Ever since this administration came
in the political prophets here have been
predicting split between the president
and the conservative wing of his party.
That split has not yet come, largely, no
doubt. owing to the fact that the presi-
dent has been more conservative than
was at first expected and that he owed
certain obligations TO the reactionary
element which must be paid before the
Congressional election this fall. But in
the tolls controversy, in his Endorsement
of the presidential primary idea, and in
some of his appointments of notable rad
icals to Office, especially in the District
OF Columbia, the president has paved the
way for break with the old liners. In
cidentally, of course, the Progressiyes
in Congress have had their first early
confidence in him shaken, and there
are few in that group who would public
lv declare that they would vote for Will
son for President. There are one or two,
however, of this group who think that
the president is coming their way and
who are ready to welcome him il he does.
If Mr. Roosevelt PLAYS strong hand
for the Republican nomination, it is alto
gether likely that there will be steady
and an increasing drift of Progressives
toward the more liberal section of the
Democratic party. The alignment is not
clear and may never be, but there is good
ground for the belief that IL is on its
wav,