The Washington herald., 1915-04-26
BARNES SUIT IS
'''I Bo6sf ff(I I I. R.
Such Is Opinion in Political
Watch Tower, According
to New York Paper.
COLONEL looming BACK"
His Political Morality Talk Said to
Have Stirred Up the Middle
West.
COLONEL looming BACK

| New York. April 1.-THE Sun tomorrow
will print the following from its Wash
| ington correspondent:
| Washington, which is a political
watch tower for national developments
in anything that may effect the Presi.
dency, has been watching the progress
of the Barnes Roosevelt trial at SYRIA
cuse with keen interest Up to the pres
ent the keen politicians agree with the
sentiment expressed in the Sun editorial
Saturday that Col. Roosevelt might well
pay Mr. Barnes nominal damages. buy a
new top piece for Counselor WINS. and
still have a balance in the bank to his
political credit if not to his financial
| favor.
! Has r. X. Come Back:
of course, the trial is not over. and
| there is more than one of the old qua I'd
! that would like to get some action on
Mr. Barnes from the coach line if pos
sible. On every hand there is a feeling
that Col. Roosevelt has come back
politically as the result of the develop
ments thus far. There were many hints
| passed out before the trial began that
| the plaintiff and his attorneys would go
into the tria! fortified for the Colonel
and that he would be finished before
the case had ended. This notice added
to the widespread interest in the case
and incidentally increased the advertis-
ing the Colonel has gotten out OF it.
Politicians agree that the case has
given Col. Roosevelt prominence that
was necessary to make him politi cal
factor again. His views on political
morality go out to the country at a
time when II will do him good. The
effect is certain to he felt in the pre-
convention campaign of the Republican
nomination for President in 1916, in
which the Colonel has already intimated
to more than one friend that he expects
TO take part He has disclaimed any
intention OF being a candidate. and this
disclaimer was reiterated by Senator
Borah. of Chicago. a few days Ago after
a talk with Col Roosevelt. The old
guard politicians IN the Republican party
are less frightened by the suggestion of
Roosevelt as a candidate than they ap-
pear to be if he remains out of the fight
and simply eXerts his influence to bring
about the nomination of some other can
didate.
Roosevelt Wave Started.
Whatever may he the ultimate effect.
following the verdict of the jury there is
no doubt that the immediate effect has
been to start Roosevelt wave through
NAV not subside until it makes Col
Roosevelt a formida BILE candidate for the
Republican nomination. One of the lead
ing editors of an influential independent
Republican newspaper In the Middle
West id within a few days that al
ready this situation had been created in
the Middle West and West as the result
of the trial up to date.
1t has come out at Washington that
. ira ~
politicians who belong to the old
school type became alarmed at the
prospect that Col Roosevelt was TO
get back into the Republican party
and might possibly he candidate for
the nomination in 1915. they felt that
the Barnes case probably would give
him the necessary advertising to help
along the Coloners plan. So they went
to Mr.. Barnes and urged him 10 post
pone or call of the case entirely. bur
he seemed unwilling to do so.
Unless there is a turn in the case.
the best Mr.. Barnes can hope for. in
the opinion of people who have been
watching the case, is a hung jury.
That could not do very much polit-
teal damage to Mr.. Roosevelt I'm
doubtedly the regular Republicans of
the country who have been looking
forward TO a conservative candidate
and conservative platform in 1916
have been looking to Mr.. Barnes to
lead the fight in New York State for
them It is the opinion here that if
he should lose the suit his leadership
would be threatened and proba bly, de-
stroVed.