The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-04-22
now REPI BLICANs CAN WIN
NEXT YEARS ELECTION


The feeling that Republicans ear
vin the presidential election ia 1915
with any old candidate is undergoing
a rapid transformation. With the re-
turn Of prosperity and the dcmonstra'
ton Of President Wilson's determine.
ton 10 preserve peace AZ all hazards
the business interests of the country
are coming 20 feel that with him in
the White House for another four
years they would enjoy period Of
safe and sane administration under
conditions 10 which they have been
able easily TO adius, themselves,
So long a. business remained stag
nant and the industries Of the country
were paralyEed Republicans could
count with practically absolute GER
tainty upon victory in the presidential
election next year, bu, with the return
Of prosperity they will be robbed Of
their paramount issue in the cry that
high tariff is essential to the pre-
yention Of calamity, and they must
depend more upon the personality Of
their candidate.
Under such conditions Senator
George W. Norris OF Nebraska be-
hevcs the Republican party can still
win, IL the two factions OF the party
are prepared to unite on candidate
Of real ability and with disposition
10 deal with the issues on their merits.
He believes neither Roosevelt nor Taft
will be candidate next year, and this
will probably be according to the fit
ness of things, for with either as the
standard bearer, old sores would be
opened and division would be the inev-
table result.
II is significant that while Senator
Norris is something Of a radical he
includes Senator Weeks of Massaehu-
setts as among the men with whom the
Republicans could win. He says that
despite the regarding OF Weeks as a
reactionary in some parts Of the coun-
try, this criticism has at times been
unjust. In support of this contention
il is shown that Weeks has manifested
great independence of action. The
Massachusetts senator voted, for ex-
ample, for the currency and banking
measure now in operation, against
most of his party associates and while
he opposed the administrations ship
purchase bill he secured the passage
through the Senate of provisions that
would have gone far to provide this
country with the merchant marine
generally demanded.
Senator Norris also warmly praises
Senator William +. Borah of Idaho,
Senator Albert B. Cummins Of Iowa,
and Senator Theodore +. Burton of
Ohio. He is inclined to confine the
list of possibilities to men like these,
because Of the question Of availability.
He says: "The Republican party must
be held to progressive policies, since |
the nomination of recationary of the
type Of 1912 upon a reactionary plat
form will bring defeat
This means that in the estimation of
this progressive Republican, who de-
sires to see the two wings Of the party |
come together in 1916 in order to in
sure success, reactionary Republicans
like Elihu Root of New York, Myron
T. Herriek of Ohio, Charles w. Fair
banks Of Indiana, could not hope to
unite the party, particularly in the
West, and assure success at the polls.
In presidential discussion the name
Of Justice Charles f. Hughes always
comes to the top, but wholly without
his connivance or consent Mr. Hughes
would unquestionably enjoy the dis
tinction Of occupying the presidency,
but there are various considerations
with Hughes as the Republican candi-
didaey for the party nomination. He :