Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-06-05
HUGHES CROWS
STRONGER HOURLY
Prominent Leaders at Chica-
go Impressed by Pros
poets
BULL MOOSE WAIVERS
Want Hughes's Views on Progressive
Party's Principles Before Accepting
Him as Nominee.
BULL MOOSE WAIVERS

er indications that the Progressive
leaders are swinging around to the
idea of taking Justice Hughes than at
any time since they began assembling
here. If Justice Hughes, however, is
accepted it will be only after he has
declared himself on the issues of the
day. How this can he brought about
nobody appears to know as yet.
The suggestion is made in some
Progressive quarters that some plan
possibly can be arranged by which
the Progressive convention might be
held open until the Republican con-
vention had made its nomination, and
# the Republicans had named Justice
Hughes. The Progressive convention
could then Immediately. by wire de-
mand of the jurist an explicit defni-
ton of his opinion with respect to pre-
paredness and other progressive prin-
ciples.
The feasibility of this plan is doubt
ed by many Progressives. In any
event, its success would be contingent
entirely upon the control the leaders
of the conciliatory faction can ex-
ercise over the delegates. In a Pro-
gressive convention, it must be re-
membered, the delegates are in a ma
jority of cases unknown quantities.
They have been picked upon all over
the country in rather curious fashion
supplied with credentials and brought
here to make convention. They have
few bellwcthers.
The Progressive National Commit
tee will meet today. The chief pur-
pose of this meeting is to arrange the
credentials, which have been sent here
| by the secretary Of the so-called
State conventions or brought in per-
son by the delegatees.A roll is then to
he prepared. There are no contests.
Raymond Robbins, of Illinois, will
be selected as the temporary chair
man of the convention. Mr.. Robbins
is credited with having more or less
radical tendencies. On the other hand
it is on the slate to name Walter
Brown, State Chairman of Ohio, as
permanent chairman, and Mr.. Brown
is one of the leaders who is ready
to take Hughes.
A great many leading Progressives
have focked into town and it is ap-
parent that the Bull Nose people are
to have a real convention, both COM
nitteemen and delegates taking their
duties very seriously. Yesterday the
Progressves' board of strategy held
an important conference in Mr.. Per.
kins' suite at the Blackstone, which
lasted several hours. Those present
al it were, in addition to Mr.. Per-
l;ins himself, f. A. Van Valkenburg,
editor of the Philadelphia North Am
erican; Oscar Straus, chairman of the
New York Public Service Commits
sion; Governor Hiram Johnson, of
California, Clifford Pinchot, William
II. Hotchkiss, Henry B. Stoddard
Bainbridge Colby and W.. L. Grams
from. They went over the situation
with Mr.. Perkins. They all profes-
sed to be holding fast to Roosevelt.
Oscar Straus made a fiat declara.
tion that he was for Hughes if the
Republicans would not take Roose,
velt.
| "But if the Republicans nominate
Mr.. Root, from what many of oul
delegates have told me, I firmly be.
lieve," said Mr.. Straus, "that a ma.
jority would be for indorsing Presi.
dent Wilson. do not believe in bring
| ing the Supreme Bench into politics
breeding places of a contagious dis.