Evening star., 1915-11-22
Democratic Leaders Say East
Will Make Fight on West :
ern Element.
McCORMICK'S WARNING
is CITED AS INDICATION
Politicians Say "Standpatters' Will
Insist on Debating the Nom
ination in 1915.

Democratic leaders, who are
watching with closest scrutiny the
development of republican presi-
dental politics, are of the opinion
that the grand old party" is not
yet out of the woods into which
it was led through the split be-
tween the progressives and the
regulars. They say the republi-
can national convention will dis
close widely diverging views
upon available candidates, and
that there is an almost even
chance that the final selection of
the convention will be unaccep-
table to a large section of the
slowly reuniting republican party.
They base this prediction upon the
statement that the eastern wing of
the party is bent upon taking over the
party in the interest of big business
and finance. nominating man corre-
spending to their type, and that the
western republicans are equally deter
mined to insist upon a candidate who
shall have none of the earmarks of
the reactionary.
Point to Mccormick Warning,
Democrats of importance here attached
deep significance to the warning is
sued last week by Medill Mccormick,
after his talk with Col. Roosevelt, of
the consequences which will follow the
nomination of an ultra standpatter
by the republican convention. They
construed that utterance to be the voic-
ing of the sentiment of large body of
turning to the old party. but only upon
the ironclad condition that progressive
principles and prejudices be recognized
in the selection of a candidate.
Democrats say there. is disposition
at this time on the part of eastern re-
publicans to parallel the description of
the Bourbons, who never learned any
thing, never forgot anything" These
democrats think that the "oId guard"
is seeking to saddle and mount and
for demonstration in the convention
of an overbearing spirit by this fac
ton.
Expect Reactionary Control.
From their own reports, these demo-
cratic political managers are apprised
of the movement on foot among the re-
pubiicans Of the west to send a nu-
merically powerful contingent of pro-
gressive delegates to the national con-
vention. The belief is prevalent that
the eastern republican old guard lead
ers are willfully binding their own
eyes alike to the extent and to the sig
nifcance Of this wave of feeling in the
west and \are formulating booms in
behalf of men answering to their meas
urement alone of candidates.
All this is very comforting to the
democrats and there is no mistaking
store by it. However: it is known that
the east have an idea of the situation
which looms so large to the democratic
vision and the democrats may be disap-
pointed in their expectation.
Progressive Leaders in East.
just such a situation, which the demo-
Gratis would like to wish upon ti1em."
the action of the republicans of Massa-
chusetts in their successful guberna-
torial campaign is cited. In that case
platform was framed which was
notably progressive and a candidate
with a consistent progressive record
was selected from field of many
available standpatters.
1t is said that many eastern repub
licans, while realizing that there are
men in Pennsylvania. New York and
New Jersey who would carry things
with high hand II permitted. are in
tent at this time upon getting in touch
with western republican sentiment and
propose to use their influence to meet it
half way.