The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-26

men refuse to accept the consensus of the majority of their party as is a dead one" They predict he will be found very much alive in Chicago.
 They are daily impressed with the wide range of his activities. He has held out the olive branch to a num- Der of men who were directly re- sponsib1e for his defeat four years ago. He has invited several Senators and Represen ta tives to visit him at Oyster Bay and in New York City. Some of them will answer the invita- tion within the next day or two. A greater percentage of them, however, will mot have the time,'' although some of them believe the Colonel will be nominated.
 Before they join hands with him they want him to make declaration that he apparently is avoiding as per- sistently as MT. Hughes, although it is not the same sort of a declaration. The Justice has but to say that he will accept the nomination to en- courage. his supporters to start an open fight for him, regarding the success of which they have no doubt
 What the critics of the Colonel want Roosevelt to say is
 'I am a Republican"
 Up to date the Colonel has adroit1y lodged and sidestepped making such a declaration for the obvious reason that, as soon as ne dOeS, some O1 the militant survivors of Armageddon will rise up and roar a protest.
 None of the ColoneFs critics has the slightest doubt that he is a Re publican, but they just want him to say it. These men, of course, are find satisfaction in rubbing the ColonePs conversion in on their Pro- gressive brethren.
 A Senator who is inclined some what to sympathize with the Colonel and who has expressed openly the opinion that he should be nominated by the Straight goods''' people has sent this word to Oyster Bay:
 Before you can command the sup port of the Republicans you must prove to them that you are a Repub- 1ican in the sense that you are not anything else in politics. Until you do you will be regarded as a Pro- gressive pure and simple and will be treated as such. The men who will nominate the Republican President are straight Republicans and they do not propose to nominate any man who is not a straight Republican,
 One of the chief reasons for the belief in Congressional circles that the justice will have a larger follow in the nominating convention is that, in their respective states, he seems to be the second choice of delegates who either have been instructed or who entertain preferences for men who are not to be seriously consider ed.
 Reports from these states are much of the same character. They are in effect that while objections are raised against the colonel and Root and most Of the other men there is ac- tual1y no opposition to Hughes nor any criticism except that he has not made known his desires regarding the nomination.
 Many of the delegates elected from southern states have been tiled up'' under ''gentleman's agreement by former Postmaster General Frank. Hitchcock, who has been active in several southern states, where dele gate support has a substantial market value. In some sections he has caus- ed it to be inferred that he is work ing in the interests of Hughes. His trail in other sections has been mark ed by evidence that he was seeking supporters for Root. In still others there is a deep impression that all of the votes he can command will be ultimately found in the Roosevelt column.
 Hitchcock, securing a, lot Of free has permitted all of these theories to pass without admission or denial That he has picked up'' a few delegates, f.. O. b. Chicago, is pretty certain, but who will acquire them for sentim ental or other considerations remains to be seen. Hitchcock is not throwing any light on the subject.