Evening star., 1915-09-10
Believed Justice Hughes Is
Only Republican With Fighting
Chance for Presidency.
CHANGE IN THE SITUATION
DUE TO LUSITANlA AFFAIR
Aspirants for G. o. P. Nomination
Continue Activity-People Little
Interested in Defense Issue.
BY N. o. MESSENGER.

CHICAGO. H.. September 1o.-Whew!
Wait until I can catch my breath and We
will sit down and talk It all over, This
zalliyanting around the country Is not
what It IL cracked up to be-living IN
sleeping cars. standing in dining car
bread lines and contending at tourist
crowded hotels for accommodations.
But one certainly does get some new
angles on conditions in the vast Cross
continent country The Stars correspond
ent has traversed; one attains conception
Of q different viewpoint and Is made
aware Of other mental processes. for
east Is east and west Is west TO
verify, and It Is to be deplored that the
east does not get more in touch with the
west
Not that the west cares a rap about It
On the contrary, the west Is mite re-
sentful Of interest displayed by the east
in It's affairs and sensitive lest II mlsnt
seem to be patronized. but 1t certainiy
Of good, and especially some pontlclans
in the east who think they hold the Pc
litical destinies Of the country In tne MOI.
low Of their hands. to come out west
and look around while
Only One Brand Of Politics.
Speaking of politics. there is only one
brand Of democratic politics-President
Wilson's He is the alpha and omega OF
his party and daily growing in favor
with republicans. One might write page
and not say anything more about tho
democratic situation than that
William J. Bryan has utterly failed to
make any headway against the President
40 ta >,1or iptapded tO-which DOUBT
Bryan's propaganda is regarded IN the
west as a gate receipts" proposition en-
tirely, and absolutely without pohticaI e1-
feet. He is a grand man on the cnnutau. s, aS.
qua circuit, but President wilson Will hoio
the democratic voters.
The republicans appear to be IN
quandary. Their party consists OF
group Of units, controlled by state leaders
which will clash in convention. There Is
no one towering. dominating figure among
them who can in any way present rec
ord Of recent achievement to match Presi.
dent Wilson Furthermore, the President
has the advantage Of being still at the bat
The republicans haven't any issues, for
the moment. The tariff question 10 in
allegiance, and only to become vital IN
certain contingencies. The war ABROAD
is doing more for wool, lead. sugar. cat
tie and wheat than the highest standpat
tariff ever devised could accomplish. The
republicans are looking to the future, but
the trouble Is it Is a future which may
not arrive before election day and In time
to do them any good.
Republican With Fighting Chance.
As to candidates for the presidency,
there Is no question that Associate
Justice Hughes of the United States
Supreme Court is regarded as the one
man who might give them fighting
~ Ia
hope that he will take it.
Former Senator Burton of Ohio Is the
only man who is doing any real cam
paigning for the nomination. He wants
that nomination and he is working for
1t. He is like the Chicago lad who an
an office boy: "Dere Loryer, 1 wants
the job and I wants it bad 1t do beat
all how hard times Is.
I have crossed Mr.. Burton's trail all
the way from here to the Rockies. He
has made good Impressions everywhere.
but am told has not signed up" any
contracts for delivery of delegates.
My judgment would be that Mr.. Bur
ton is a formidable candidate with
Justice Hughes eliminated, and that he
will give the Fairbanks and Sherman
booms some unhappy moments. At
any rate, he is positive candidate, and
in the present state Of republican des-
uetude that counts for something.
in Ohio for a fight for the senatorsh!p.
Myron T. Herrick, Harry Daugherty
and Former Senator Charles Dick are
to contest for the nomination. But the
boom of Senator Sherman of this state
will have to be taken into account.
Active work in neighboring states is
in hand now.
Senator Weeks Of Machusetts will
be actively in the campaign from
now on. He has made excellent impress
sions wherever he has appeared. For
one thing he looks like a President.
and he assuredly has the gift of the
glad hand.
Situation Summed Up.
To put ii all in sentence, Elihu Root
IL the man the republicans prefer if
they thought he could be elected, and
Justice Hughes Is the one they think
would stand the best chance of cleo
ton With these two possibly elimi-
mated the field is open, with not much
enthusiasm for any one
Now. mind you, this republican
languor has all come about in the past
three months In the spring the repub-
licans were supremely confident. They
were planning to have an open conven-
ton free-for-all race Of favorite sons