The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-08-12
WASHINGTON NEWS
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WASHINGTON. D. c., Aug. r.
The successful efforts OF George W,
Perkins in shooting the bull moose OF
Erie county, New York. back into
their pen, with the issuance OF va,
rious statements attendant upon tia;
operation, taken with T. RS mild
hammered proclamation OF day OF
two previous, and the semiorlciaI
announcement from Cornish that
President Wilson will make the ma
tional defense the chief theme OIL MS
forthcoming message. have given the
students inside and outside OF the
national headquarters Ct both parties
here something TO think about and
figure on.
What will Roosevelt do? What will
Bryan do? These are the questions
to which an answer is sought.
In the recent statement Of the for,
mer, in which he said talking to the
bull moose In New York-that he
would enroll as a Progressive, but ne
had no fault to find with any OF his
party who would enroll as Republi.
cans, only praise for the sacrifices
they had made to make the third
party fight, Is taken as a herald tnar
T. RS heart is in the right place,
and that he only waits for that time
TO come when he can gracefully
switch over and alight easily within
the ReptNllican camp. That the Op
portunity will come naturally, or ii
It does not, that it will be made for
him, observers OF national politics
here do not doubt.
AS they view It, T. r. remains
technically bull moose for the pres
ent, and by SO doing invites the dip
lomatic OF harmony to find way for
his return without any serious loss
Of prestige. Should they fail in this
It Is openly predicted that the re-
sourceful Colonel will make the way
himself, and that his re-entry will b,
with bells on and banners flying; thu
usual spectacular and dramatic T. R
way.
That Mr.. Perkins attitude in keep
ing the skeleton of the bull moose
in the Empire State from dissoIving
into dust entirely, is to retain the one
and only card that is likely to have
an influence on Republican delIbera
tons, Is the consensus Of opinion
The theory by few that his purpose
in trying to retain at least a sem
blance of organization for the time
being to prevent fraction of the bull
moose vote going over to the party
in power. is considered far-fetched
and hardly tenable. Holding on 10
what is left OF the third party is, &C
cording TO the views here, is for the
purpose If retaining something on
which to trade In short, 1t Is sort
of holding club thrcateningly, and
nothing e>G> as the situation is
viewed from this center.
AS to what Bryan will do, is also
purely a speculative question at this
time. The way it is figured out here
is that he is almost certain to oppose
President Wilson's new-found policy
of war preparedness at the coming
session OF congress. Taking that po'
sition, and leading the peace-at.any'
price clan, 1t is looked on as fore
gone conclusion that the contest will
soon grow so bitterly antagonistic
as to make Bryan's opposition to Will
son as irreconciable as Roosevelt's
opposition was to Taft. AS 1t is
viewed here, Bryan having made the
break with Wilson on foreign affairs,
and sponsored the succeeding state
ments as he did, he has got to 60
through with it. He has got all to
lose and great deal to gain in max
ing the fight. II he doesn't make 1t
his stock as a party leader will have
slumped down many more points, and
II he does make the fight and loses,
1t will slump just the same. But
should he be able to win, or to make
showing that proved that his lead.
ership Is about on a par or nearly
so before he took the stand he did
and broke away from the Wilson ad.
ministration, then he will again
loom large-very large-in party
leadership.
President Wilson's conversion to a
policy Of preparedness for any war
like eventuality is regarded here as
politically most expedient. There
can be no, doubt as to how public