Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-19
asional convention. It affords dra-

national convention. II affords dra-
matte opportunities.
Gov. Whitman himself announces with
emphasis that he is still for Justice
Hughes for President, and has not peen
swayed by the Root sentiment. ms
three associate delegates at large may
or may not be for Mr.. Root when .ne
convention meets. but some intimatiens
are given that they will be and are IN
q hurry to indorse him. 1t happens
that while they are all very Wen
known in New York, none OF them Is
known to the whole country. and the
New York delegation will not nave
men of the commanding personality
that it had in former years. when sen
ator Root himself was delegate. me
situation may be remedied perhaps
when district delegates come to be
chosen. There are several New YORK
ers of national reputation who may De
chosen.
Convention Without Authority.
Inasmuch as both the delegates at
large and the district delegates are
chosen at primaries which will be held
early in April. the stranger in New
York is apt to inquire what the Car
negie Hall convention meant and what
authority it had to name delegates at
large. 1t had no authority. The con-
vention was simply gathering OF In
dividuals who in one sense had no
party standing No republican at the
April primaries need vote for any of
the men named. Col. RooSeVelts
friends, if they cared. might have
ticket of their own in the neld. 50
could Justice Hughes supporters. NeV-
ertheless, everybody expects to see the
delegates recommended by the Carne-
gle Hall convention selected at the April
primaries.
When candidates begin to appear for
ALL he a n
get the drift more accurateG Local
preferences will find expr| on and
, delegates will be required declare
themselves. A politician n xAtienal
prominence who month ago WEN the
Hughes movement seemed to be sweep
ing everything before it told me that
two-thirds of the delegates from New
York would be for Root, is still of that
Opinion-only he thinks there may be
more than two-thirds.
Back of the expressions of individual
sentiment there is very marked dis
position to be open-minded on candl-
dates from other sections of the coun-
try. They were talking Justice Hughes
q few weeks ago because they thought
that he would be the strongest candi-
date. They are talking Mr.. Root now
for the same reason, and some also are
talking Col. Roosevelt. Yet there is no
disposition to force any of these emf
nent New Workers. on the party if, when
the delegates meet at Chicago, some
stronger and more available candidate
appears, but the list is scanned and the
query is made, who?
New York Republicans United.
/ should say after several days obser-
walton that the New York republicans,
in spite of the clashing of ambitions
and of factional divisions, are more
united than they have been for many
years on national questions. The feel
ing is universal that they want a
united party, and while a few of the
oldtimers may be reactionary and
anxious for a row with the progress
siyes. this resentment has very little
expression. Should the progressive
republicans in the middle west come to
the convention in conciliatory mood
and ready to meet their New York
ticrn-v element in New York would be
submerged.
In the meantime there is likely to be
considerable effort to make the repub-
hcans of the whole country understand
that New York has big electoral vote
and that this vote may be cast for the
republican candidate. The republicans
here of all shades of opinion believe
ministration a smashing blow, and
there are democrats who share this
opinion. but neither republicans nor
democrats believe that at this time
anybody can guess where the state will
stand in November. The universal
opinion as 1 have found it is that the
fight is practically an even one, with
the issues on which it may be won yet
to be determined.
An Illuminating view of the harmo-
NOUS possibilities was given me by
former Roosevelt official, who is still
close to the colonel. Roosevelt and
Root. he said. were the two repub-
licans who had vision and who saw
that the country would not stand for
Wilson's foreign policy. Did you note
how handsomely Root spoke of Roose-
AE n