New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-27

home in Hopcdalc. twenty miles south
OF here. to-day preparing an answer 20
letter from Governor Mccall in which
Mccall offered 10 resign from the "un-
rlcdrcd" big four ticket and allow Mr..
Bird to take his place.
Nj Birds reply which was sent 20
the Governor tonight. declines tho
offer. The letter said that Mr. Bird
would be unwilling 20 20 20 Chicago as
an unplcdgcd delegate. as he believed
that the voters al the primaries should
indicate their choice for Presidential
nominee. and that victory could come
only through the nomination OF Colonel
Roosevelt
W. ". Lufkn. who is managing the
Gardncr-Cushing- Bird ashburn cam
paign. has been in Washington having
q final heart-to-heart talk with Repre-
sentative Gardner, but will be back
here tomorrow morning for a confer
ence with Charles Sumner Bird The
telephone wires between Washington
and Oyster Bay ard between Hopedale
and oyster Bay have been humming
with messages urging Colonel Roose-
welt 20 say nothing more that will en-
barrass Gardner. Gushing and Bird in
the fight they are making TO elect
delegation pledged TO vote for the Colo
mel at Chicago.
Roosevelt Talk an Obstacle.
Colonel Roosevelt's Trinidad's inter
view. in which he urged in the strong
est terms that all delegates to the con
vention al Chicago should be unpledged
h Y4l n
whatever seems wiSeSt when June ar
riyes. has been q great obstacle TO the
Gardner Gushing Bird-N ashburn group.
As stated before, this is not by any
means d straightout Roosevelt and anti
Roosevelt fight. il is fight for party
control between two groups Of wealthy
and powerful men, each one or whom ls
waiting 20 be called 20 high places IN
the service Of the country.
Senator Weeks wants TO be President.
and. failing that. he desires 10 20 back
20 the United States Senate when his
term expires next year.
Senator Lodge is a candidate for a
fifth term "a United States Senator.
He is perfectly willing TO make the
keynote speech OF Chicago in June as
temporary chairman Of the convention,
and If they do not agree upon any one
else il is believed here that he could
be induced 10 take the Republican and
Progressive nominations for the Presi-
dency. It would surprise no one here
to hear any day that Colonel Roose-
welt had come out in favor OF Senator
Lodge for President.
Lodge will be elected delegate-at-
large by the largest vote given TO any
Of the candidates In Massachusetts, lie
will receive votes from Republicans.
Progressives. Roosevelt men and Dem
ocrats. He is for Roosevelt first and
Hughes next. if 10 is finally found best
not 10 name the Colonel at Chicago.
Mccall Likely to Run Second.
Samuel Walker Mccall will be elected
also and probably will run second as
he is known iu every hamlet ID the
state and is tho Governor
Some Of the Weeks men VIII not vote
Cor Mccall. as he also is a candidate
for the Presidency, and. failing thal'
will make & strong fight for Weeks s
seat I'm the Senate. Many Of the Mccall
men also viii not vote for Weeks.
Many Republicans and all ProEresslNes
and Roosevelt men VIII not vote lCi
Murray Crane. because OF the prepared
ness issue and because he is supposed
TO be against Roosevelt.
Grafton D. Cushing is quietly plan
ming another attempt TO defeat Mccall
this summer for the nomination for
Governor. He is strong and he may
defeat Crane.
Charles Sumner Bird has great
strength in Massachusetts,, and is re-
Carded as the greatest asset as a vote
getter in the Progressive party. barring
the Colonel himself. Bird is regarded
as a man Of great ability and high pur-
pose. He and Cushing possibly may
defeat Crane and Weeks IN the prl-
maries. though the chances are some
what against them.
OF the thirty-two district delegates
10 be elected from Massachusetts the
Lodge Weeks Crane-McCal people ad-
NIT privately that the Roosevelt FIRST
ticket will eject six and possibly ten
delegates.
The Gardner Cushing Bird faction
claims al least two Of the big four and
more than half Of the district dele
gates. The result therefore will be
mixed, like everything else politically
this year.