The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-23
HUGHES FINALLY
CONCRATuLATES
The PRESIDENT
Republican Candidate Ad-
mits Defeat and Wishes
Wilson Well
CALIFORNIA; VOTE
SURELY DEMOCRATIC
Republican Advisers of
Nominee Get Word That
Their Cause Is Hopeless

Their Cause Is Hopeless
Lakewood, N. J., Nov. 23-Charles
E. Hughes, late Republican nominee
for President, has conceded his de-
feat. At s:25 last evening Chairman
William r. Wilcox of the. Republi-
can National Committee filed at the
local telegraph Office the following
MESA Sc conveying to President Will
son the belated. congratulations Of Mr..
Hughes on the Presidents re-elec-
ton
Lakewood, N. j.,
Nov. 22. 1916.
The President,
The White House,
Washington, D. G..
Because of the closeness of the
vote, I have awaited the official
count in California, and now that
it has been virtually completed.
permit me to extend to you my
congratulations upon your re-
election. I desire also to express
my. best wishes for a most sue
cessful( administration.
CHARLES E. HUGHES.
The message Of congratulation was
sent after Mr.. Hughes had conferred
with Chairman Wilcox. Mr.. Will
cox is resting here after his campaign
labors He went to New York early
yesterday and returned here in the
evening. While in New York he con-
ferred with several members Of the
Campaign Committee Of the Republi-
can National Committee who met him
by appointment at National headquar-
tiers.
Wilcox Confers With Leaders.
The conference was behind closed
doors, but it is understood that only
two of the members who participated
were in favor Of delaying further the
sending of congratulatory message
by Mr. Hughes to President Wilson.
Those who took part besides Mr.. Will
cox were James r. Garfield of Ohio,
Republican National Committeeman
Charles B. Warren of Michigan; John
r. King Of Connecticut, and Herbert
Parsons of New York; former United
States Senators Theodore E. Burton
of Ohio and w. Murray Crane Of
Massachusetts, and George w. Per
kins.
While the conference was on tele-
phone messages were received from
Chester H. Rowel1, chairman of the
Republican State Committee in Cali
fornia Chairman Roweu told Mr..
Wilcox that with the official count In
California virtually completed there
was no indication that it would mate
rally affect the result.
Chairman Wilcox, on his return
here. told Mr. Hughes of his te1e-
phone talks with Mr.. Howell. Upon
the receipt of a further report from
California through New York head
quarters, after Mr.. Wilcox had
reached Lakewood, the late Republi>
can nominee decided to throw up the
sponge even though the result Of the
FCalifornia official canvass had not
been promulgated. Then he directed
that his message of congratulation to
President Wilson be sent.
Friends of Mr.. Hughes said last
night that for many days he had been
anxious to congratulate the President
on his reelection and that he had
been chatting under the delay in con-
nection with the official canvass of
the vote in California. Mr. Hughes
felt that in justice to the party lead
ers who had helped him loyalty in
making the fight, and in justice to the
1S, 600, 900 voters, he should await the
official count, before conceding the de-
feat of his party, seeing that the re-
suit hung on such a narrow majority
Wilcox Admits Loss of California.
Chairman Wilcox of the Republican
National Committee said last night:
Having conferred by telephone dur
ing the day and late this afternoon
with the Repu blican State Committee
and the Republican. NatiorNl Commit
teeman in California, I have been in
formed that the official canvass of the
vote has been SO nearly completed
that no change can result from the
few precincts not counted in the re-
turns so far compiled This means
that the majority for the Wilson Elec-
tors inca lifornia ranges from about
1.2O0 to $500 votes and that this is the
final result for which we have been
waiting. So far as any recount is con-
cerned, the National Committee is not
advised that there are sufficient
grounds which would call for such an
application
The Republican National Commit
tee, it was learned today, had not less
than fifty lawyers watching the Off
cial count and tabulation of the vote
in California. This was in addition
to the representatives of the Republi-
can State and county organizations in
California
Washington, Nov. 23.-The mes
sage from Charles E. Hughes con-
graduating President Wilson on his
reelection reached the White House