The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-04-20
SEN. B0RAH'S
CAUSE BEST
He Can Do More Work by
Being Indepen--
dent
GOOD CHANCE
FOR CAMPAIGN
His Position Stronger if He
Is Not an AvoWed
Candidate

Washington, D. c., April 20.-The
statement of Senator William +. Boraf
of Idaho, made before leaving Washing
ton for his home in the West, announc-
ing his willingness to accept the Repub-
lican nomination for the presidency but
his unwillingness to make campaign
for the nomination or to enter the lists
as an active candidate, is merely re-
statement of attitude which the sena-
tors friends know he has occupied ever
since the gossip campaign for the presi-
dency opened. Senator Borah believes,
as do thousands of men who would
warmly espouse his candidacy were it
announced, that he can render the party
a genuine service by keeping himself
foot lose to do little educational work
throughout the country before the dele
gate campaigns are in full swing. Many
former supporters of Colonel Roosevelt,
like Senator Borah, are reasonably well
informed as to the attitude OF Roosevelt
regarding the Republican nomination.
They believe that the most that he asks
is that no candidate be nominated whom
the convention would know in advance
Ht WOuiu Dt COlupSIltu w opppst' ihNl
believe also that the colonel's support
of the ticket, and with it that of thou
sands of western Progressives, would be
ieopardized were it not made clear from
now on that the former Progressives
must be recognized as factors in the
party management they will desire
equal rights in the convention and its
committees with members of the old
guard; they will insist upon a platform
that will be progressive if not radical,
and they will demand a candidate who
has not antagonized the Progressive
movement, even if he was not associated
with the Roosevelt election campaign of
1912.
One task Senator Borah finds set to
his hand is that of convincing members
of the old guard however distinguished, |
that the redemption Of the party does
not lie wholly in their hands; that al |
though a majority of the former Repub
lican party may be anti Democratic and |
INSTRUMENTATION at the present time, |
the Progressive wing is unwilling to sur
render all it has fought for to the men |
who have been the chief targets of the |
Roosevelt criticisms in the last three
years Plain words must be spoken upon
this point, and Senator Borah evidently
is willing to utter them.
As an avowed candidate for the nomi-
nation, Mr.. Borah would be handicapped
in this task. His head has not been
turned by the wonderful support he is
receiving, and he is perfectly sincere
when he says that the United States
Senate offers a forum large enough for
He has reached a position of
influence in the Senate, albeit he con-
Germs himself less with the personalities
of that body than with the larger ques-
tions in which the country is interested
BY keeping out of the presidential field,
he by no means deprives himself of any
chance of nomination, and while this
may not be and undoubtedly is not his
purpose, his activities on the pre-con-
vention stump win exploit his own avail I
ability as effectively as any other course
would. The Borah statement is more I
significant in its warning TO the party
than as a remuneration of any personal q
ambition. i
Senator Borah in his statement an. q
1ounces that he is not a candidate for :
he Republican nomination and that he
will not undertake any campaign for il.
After asserting that he was not and
would not become a candidate for the !
Republican nomination, Senator Borah
lids:
If by any chance the party should